Jair Bolsonaro has shared a picture of himself in hospital as he received treatment in the US, a day after his supporters ransacked Brazil’s Congress.
The former Brazilian president sought medical treatment in Orlando, Florida, on Monday, after complaining of pain related to a stabbing he suffered during his 2018 election campaign.
He tweeted a picture of himself lying in hospital and thanked people for their “prayers and messages of prompt recovery”.
His wife, Michelle, told her 5.8 million Instagram followers: “My dear ones, I want to inform you that my husband Jair Bolsonaro is under observation in hospital due to abdominal discomfort resulting from the aftermath of the stab wound he took in 2018.”
Loved ones are “praying for his health”, Mrs Bolsonaro added.
Mr Bolsonaro, 67, is suffering from an intestinal blockage that is not serious and is unlikely to require surgery, his doctor has said.
Around 1,500 of his supporters have been detained following the invasion of Brazil’s Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court at the weekend.
The far-right former premier flew to the US days before his term in office ended and said he intended to remain there until the end of January – but now plans to return to Brazil earlier to see his doctors.
However, his ability to stay in the US, where he travelled with a visa issued to heads of state and other government officials, is in question.
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Texas Democrat Congressman Joaquin Castro said the US should not give refuge to an “authoritarian who has inspired domestic terrorism” and called for Mr Bolsonaro – who faces several investigations before the Supreme Court in Brazil – to leave.
The US government has declined to comment on Mr Bolsonaro’s current visa status.
But a US State Department spokesman said a person who entered on a visa for foreign officials must depart within 30 days, or apply for a change in immigration status if they are no longer engaged in official business.
Thousands of Mr Bolsonaro’s supporters stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace in Brazil, in a chilling echo of the US Capitol riots by backers of former US President Donald Trump.
The unrest follows the inauguration of left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who unseated Mr Bolsonaro in one of the tightest presidential races with 50.9% of the votes.
Mr da Silva has accused rioters of trying to overthrow democracy and has vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
