Former Brazilian President Bolsonaro Discharged, Promises to Continue Fight

Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was discharged from a private hospital in Brasília on Sunday after a 21-day recovery from intestinal surgery. The procedure, conducted on April 13 at DF Star Hospital, lasted over 12 hours and addressed an intestinal obstruction—his seventh operation since surviving a stabbing during a 2018 campaign rally.

The 70-year-old former leader left the hospital on foot, moving slowly but waving to supporters outside before briefly speaking to reporters. “Thank you to everyone who followed [my recovery], who prayed, who asked God,” he said. Doctors advised Bolsonaro to maintain a soft-food diet, avoid crowds, and limit physical activity in the coming weeks. He returned to his gated residence in Brasília, where he is expected to restrict visitors while recuperating.

Bolsonaro Vows to "Continue the Fight" at Pro-Amnesty Rally

Bolsonaro made his first public appearance since hospitalization at a Wednesday protest demanding amnesty for those convicted in the January 2023 storming of government buildings. Addressing supporters from atop a truck, he declared, “We must not lose hope. We will continue the fight!”

The rally drew thousands to the site of last year’s violent uprising, when Bolsonaro’s backers—claiming electoral fraud—invaded Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidential palace. The demonstration was smaller than an April gathering in São Paulo, which organizers claimed attracted nearly a million attendees.

The event followed a Supreme Court ruling sentencing a hairdresser to 14 years in prison for vandalism during the riots. Authorities have jailed roughly 500 people over the insurrection, which prosecutors allege was a final attempt to overturn President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s 2022 election victory. Bolsonaro, who denies inciting violence, has pushed for pardons akin to those granted by U.S. President Donald Trump after the January 6 Capitol attack.

Facing his own trial for allegedly plotting to retain power—a charge carrying up to 40 years in prison—Bolsonaro risks political disqualification ahead of Brazil’s next presidential election. No trial date has been set, but it would mark the first case of its kind since Brazil’s return to democracy in 1985.

Prosecutors argue the 2023 riots were orchestrated by Bolsonaro allies seeking to invalidate Lula’s narrow win. The former president, who was in the U.S. during the uprising, maintains that left-leaning judges are unfairly targeting him. His party has introduced legislation to grant amnesty to all participants in post-election right-wing protests.