Brazilian President Bolsonaro hospitalized in Sao Paulo

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL — Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was taken to a Sao Paulo hospital for tests early Monday after experiencing abdominal discomfort, the government said in a statement.

The hospital where he was admitted, Vila Nova Star, said in a morning statement the president had an intestinal obstruction and was in stable condition. In the evening, the hospital said in a separate statement that Bolsonaro’s condition had improved, though there was still no definitive evaluation of whether he will require surgery.

Bolsonaro, 66, has experienced a series of medical issues and underwent several surgeries since he was stabbed in the abdomen on the campaign trail in 2018. At the time, the president was operated on by Dr. Antonio Luiz Macedo, whose team is overseeing his treatment in Sao Paulo.

Macedo was on vacation and expected to return to Sao Paulo, Bolsonaro wrote on Twitter, along with a photo of himself laying on a hospital bed and giving a thumbs up. He had previously been on vacation in southern Brazil.

The president was admitted to hospital in July for another intestinal obstruction, following days in which he appeared to struggle with speaking at times and said he suffered from hiccups that could go uninterrupted for days. At the time, he didn’t require surgery to recover.