Jair Bolsonaro underwent shoulder surgery on May 1 to treat a chronic right-shoulder condition; the operation was expected to last about five hours, including roughly two hours of preparation. He remains under a 90-day humanitarian house arrest authorized on medical grounds while managing other health issues. A conviction last year accused him of plotting to overturn the 2022 election, and Justice Alexandre de Moraes allowed only his wife to accompany him at the hospital.
Bolsonaro Undergoes Shoulder Surgery While Serving 90-Day Humanitarian House Arrest
FILE PHOTO: Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives home to begin serving house arrest following authorization by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, after Bolsonaro was convicted by a Supreme Court majority of plotting a coup to remain in power after losing the 2022 election, in Brasilia, Brazil March 27, 2026. REUTERS/Adriano Machado /File Photo
SAO PAULO, May 1 — Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro underwent shoulder surgery on the morning of May 1, his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, said in a social media post shared at about 9 a.m. local time. The operation was expected to take roughly five hours in total, including approximately two hours of pre-operative preparation.
The procedure is intended to treat a chronic problem in his right shoulder that has caused persistent pain and limited mobility. Bolsonaro has been placed under a 90-day humanitarian house arrest regime, authorized on medical grounds, while he addresses other health issues.
Bolsonaro was convicted last year in a case accusing him of plotting to overturn the 2022 presidential election after his narrow defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. In permitting the hospital visit, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that only Michelle Bolsonaro would be allowed to accompany him; all other visits, including those by lawyers and other family members, were suspended unless specifically authorized by the court.
Reporting: Luciana Magalhaes. Editing: Kevin Liffey and Franklin Paul.
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