Bolsonaro leaves house arrest for shoulder surgery, wife says

SAO PAULO - Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, entered surgery this morning for a shoulder procedure expected to last about five hours, including two hours of preparation, his wife, Michelle Bolsonaro, said in a social media post around 9 a.m. local time.

The procedure aims to address a chronic problem in his right shoulder that has caused persistent pain and limited his mobility.

Bolsonaro has been under humanitarian house arrest, under an initial 90-day regime authorized on medical grounds, while also dealing with other health issues.

He was convicted last year of plotting a coup after his narrow defeat by Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in the 2022 presidential election.

In allowing the surgery, Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes ruled that only Michelle Bolsonaro would be permitted to accompany him at the hospital, with all other visits suspended, including those of lawyers and other family members, unless authorized by the court.

(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Franklin Paul)

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This story was originally published May 1, 2026 at 6:56 AM.