Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is undergoing a significant surgical procedure while serving a lengthy prison sentence for attempting to overthrow the country's democracy.
Hospitalisation and Surgical Details
Jair Bolsonaro entered the operating theatre on Thursday, 25 December 2025, for a double hernia surgery expected to last approximately four hours. The procedure is taking place at the DF Star hospital in the nation's capital, Brasília. Medical staff confirmed the former president had been hospitalised since Wednesday after federal police doctors determined the operation was necessary.
The surgery was authorised by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who presided over Bolsonaro's trial. However, the judge denied a subsequent request from the former leader for house arrest following his discharge from hospital. Bolsonaro must return to the federal police headquarters in Brasília where he is serving a 27-year prison sentence handed down in November for his role in an attempted coup.
Life in Custody and Political Moves
According to authorities, Bolsonaro is held in isolation from other inmates at the police headquarters. His 12-square-metre cell is equipped with a private bathroom, air conditioning, a television, and a desk. He has unrestricted access to his legal team and doctors, but all other visitors require Supreme Court approval. Justice de Moraes did permit the former president's sons to visit him during his hospital stay, and his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, is at his side.
In a significant political development ahead of the surgery, Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flávio Bolsonaro, revealed a handwritten letter from his father. Dated 25 December, the letter appoints Flávio as the presidential candidate for the Bolsonaro family's Liberal Party in next year's election. Flávio, who announced his candidacy on 5 December, will challenge current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as he seeks a fourth non-consecutive term.
"He represents the continuation of the path of prosperity that I began well before becoming president," Bolsonaro wrote, advocating for leadership with "justice, resolve and loyalty to the aspirations of the Brazilian people."
The Conviction and Return to Prison
Bolsonaro's current incarceration stems from a conviction by a panel of Supreme Court justices for attempting to violently overthrow Brazil's democratic system after losing the 2022 election. The plot included plans to assassinate political rivals, including President Lula and Justice de Moraes, and to incite an insurrection in early 2023.
The former president, who led Brazil from 2019 to 2022, was also found guilty of leading an armed criminal organisation and attempting to abolish the democratic rule of law. He has consistently denied any wrongdoing. This latest surgery adds to a history of medical procedures for Bolsonaro, who has undergone several operations since surviving a stabbing attack in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign rally.
Following his recovery from the double hernia operation, Bolsonaro will be returned to his prison cell to continue serving his sentence, with his political legacy now formally passed to his son through the controversial prison letter.
