Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Rushed to Intensive Care with Bronchopneumonia Amid 27-Year Prison Sentence

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is in intensive care with bronchopneumonia while serving a 27-year prison term for coup plotting.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 13, 2026, 4:58 PM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Anadolu Agency

Emergency Medical Intervention for Former Head of State

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was transported from his federal prison cell to an intensive care unit on Friday following a sharp decline in his physical health. According to medical bulletins released by the DF Star Hospital in Brasilia, the 70-year-old leader exhibited symptoms of high fever, chills, and a sudden drop in oxygen saturation levels. Doctors have confirmed a diagnosis of bilateral bacterial bronchopneumonia, necessitating the immediate administration of intravenous antibiotics and supplemental oxygen. While his current state is described as stable, the hospital emphasizes that his specific clinical history places him in a high-risk category for respiratory complications.

Compromised Health History Following 2018 Stabbing

The severity of Bolsonaro’s current respiratory crisis is exacerbated by the permanent damage sustained during a 2018 campaign rally where he was stabbed in the abdomen. That assassination attempt resulted in multiple intestinal perforations and has required at least seven subsequent major surgeries over the past eight years. These historical injuries have left the former president prone to chronic digestive blockages and recurring infections, significantly weakening his overall immune response. Medical professionals note that in patients with such extensive abdominal trauma and a history of repeated surgical intervention, systemic infections like bronchopneumonia present a far greater threat than in the general population.

Allegations of Judicial Negligence and Humanitarian Appeals

The hospitalization has immediately triggered a political response from the Bolsonaro family, led by his eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro. Writing on social media, the senator detailed his father’s condition, reporting that the former president suffered from uncontrollable chills and vomiting before being moved. Flávio Bolsonaro has publicly accused the Brazilian judicial system of negligence, claiming that the state is "playing with his father’s life" by maintaining his incarceration despite his deteriorating health. The family is now intensifying a legal push for humanitarian house arrest, arguing that the prison environment is incapable of providing the specialized care required for his precarious condition.