Brazil's Former President Jair Bolsonaro Undergoes Treatment for Persistent Hiccups
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil's former president, is currently undergoing medical treatment for persistent hiccups that have lasted nine months. Bolsonaro, who was imprisoned in September and sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup to overturn his 2022 election loss, underwent a phrenic nerve block procedure on Saturday. Doctors blocked the right phrenic nerve, and a second procedure to block the left nerve is planned within 48 hours.
Michelle Bolsonaro stated that the hiccups had persisted for nine months and that the procedure went well. Bolsonaro had been hospitalized last week for hernia surgery. His authorization to leave prison for the surgery was granted by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes at the request of his defence lawyers.
After discharge, Bolsonaro will return to a federal police jail in Brasília to serve his sentence. He has a history of health problems since a stabbing attack in 2018, including multiple abdominal surgeries. While hospitalized, Bolsonaro endorsed his son Flavio Bolsonaro’s 2026 presidential bid.
