Brazil’s former president, Jair Bolsonaro, is expected to be discharged from hospital into temporary house arrest on Friday, following two weeks of treatment for bronchopneumonia that left him in intensive care.
Bolsonaro, who is currently serving a 27-year prison sentence over his role in an attempted coup after losing the 2022 election to Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, was initially hospitalised after falling ill in custody.
His cardiologist, Brasil Caiado, confirmed that the 71-year-old is now “clinically stable” after being transferred from the ICU to a regular ward earlier this week.
“We are planning for discharge on Friday,” Caiado said, noting that recent chest X-rays showed significant improvement, with only a residual lesion in the left lung.
The move follows a ruling by Alexandre de Moraes, who approved a 90-day house arrest period on medical grounds after previously rejecting similar requests.
Under the court’s conditions, Bolsonaro will be required to wear an electronic monitoring device and will be barred from using phones or social media.
However, he will be permitted visits from family members, legal representatives, and medical personnel.
The court indicated that the arrangement will be reviewed after the 90-day period to determine whether the house arrest should be extended or if Bolsonaro will return to prison.
Bolsonaro’s current health challenges have been linked to complications stemming from a 2018 stabbing during his presidential campaign, which has resulted in multiple surgeries and recurring medical issues.
Caiado emphasised that recovery from bronchopneumonia could take several months.
“Those of us who are deeply familiar with the conditions he has, understand that the home environment is, from a human standpoint, healthier,” he said.
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