Brazilian President Considers Emergency Surgery for Unstoppable Hiccups

Aftermath of 2018 Stabbing Incident... Suspected Cause is Intestinal Obstruction

President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil
[Photo by Reuters]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro may need surgery after suffering from hiccups that have not stopped for ten days.

According to the Associated Press and other sources, on the 14th (local time), the Brazilian presidential office announced that President Bolsonaro, who was admitted to the Brasilia Air Force Hospital that morning, would soon be transferred to a hospital in S?o Paulo to undergo tests to determine whether emergency surgery is necessary.

The exact time and hospital to which he will be transferred have not been disclosed.

However, an ambulance carrying President Bolsonaro was spotted arriving at Villanova Hospital in S?o Paulo on the same day.

On the 14th (local time), an ambulance carrying President Jair Bolsonaro is leaving the Air Force Hospital in Brasilia, Brazil. [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Medical staff suspect that President Bolsonaro's hiccups are due to intestinal obstruction.

Hiccups occur when the diaphragm suddenly contracts, and internal organ diseases such as intestinal obstruction can be the underlying cause.

In September 2018, while campaigning for the presidential election, Bolsonaro was stabbed in the abdomen by an assailant, causing organ damage and internal bleeding, for which he underwent surgery and recovered.

In recent weeks, he has appeared to have difficulty speaking due to the hiccups.

In an interview with a radio broadcast on the 7th, he apologized to listeners who might find it uncomfortable, saying, "I have been hiccupping all day for five days straight."

He claimed, "I will be back soon," attributing the situation to the 2018 stabbing incident.

AFP reported that if he undergoes surgery this time, it will be the seventh since the stabbing incident.

President Bolsonaro, who is seeking re-election in next year's presidential election, has seen his approval ratings continue to fall due to poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues.

As a result, there are forecasts that former President Luiz In?cio Lula da Silva will defeat him.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.