Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro 'recovering' after surgery

Jair Bolsonaro, 68, underwent a series of operations on his gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts at a private hospital in Sao Paulo.

Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro is recovering without complications after undergoing surgery Tuesday related to a 2018 stabbing that nearly claimed his life, his family and doctors said.

Brazil's former President Jair Bolsonaro(Reuters)

Bolsonaro, 68, underwent a series of operations on his gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts at a private hospital in Sao Paulo, including an endoscopic procedure to treat gastric reflux, surgery on his nasal passage and uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, or UPPP, a throat tissue procedure sometimes used to treat snoring, his medical team said.

"The surgeries were satisfactory, without complications, and the patient is in his room recovering," doctors at the Vila Nova Star Hospital said in a statement.

The far-right former president (2019-2022) has had numerous health problems since being stabbed in the abdomen at a rally during the campaign that brought him to power.

He underwent multiple surgeries after the attack, perpetrated by a man later deemed mentally unfit to stand trial.

The politician dubbed the "Tropical Trump" has since been hospitalized various times for issues stemming from the stabbing, including intestinal blockages and a severe case of the hiccups in 2021.

"Everything went well," Bolsonaro's wife, Michelle, wrote on Instagram after the latest operations.

"Thanks to God and all of your prayers, Jair is recovering."

Bolsonaro, who lost his re-election bid to veteran leftist Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva last year, faces various investigations for corruption and abuse of office.

In June, electoral authorities barred him from running for office for eight years over his unproven accusations that Brazil's election system is fraud prone.