Emergency Surgery for Brazilian President Lula

By Gabriel Araujo and Lisandra Paraguassu

SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was rushed to Sao Paulo overnight for emergency surgery to drain a bleed on his brain linked to a fall in October. He will remain in the hospital for a couple more days, the government said on Tuesday.

The 79-year-old Lula is "well" and being monitored in the intensive care unit after the successful operation, according to a medical note published by the government. Doctors will hold a press conference at 9 a.m. local time (1200 GMT) to provide details.

Presidential spokesperson Paulo Pimenta stated in a radio interview that Lula would likely remain in the ICU for another 48 hours, with limited contact to his medical team.

"He is stable, conscious, and calm," Pimenta noted.

Health concerns have been rising for the aging president, a standard bearer of the Latin American left who is halfway through his third non-consecutive term. Weak results for his Workers Party in this year’s municipal elections highlighted the lack of a clear leftist successor if he decides not to run for re-election in 2026.

Lula has curtailed travel in recent months while doctors monitored his recovery from trauma to the back of his head sustained in a fall at home in late October, requiring stitches.

During talks with congressional leaders on Monday evening, Lula complained of a worsening headache, leading him to end the meeting to seek hospital care in Brasilia, according to a presidential aide who spoke anonymously.

An MRI scan revealed an intracranial hemorrhage, prompting his transfer to Sao Paulo for surgery at the Sirio Libanes Hospital.

As anesthesia wore off early on Tuesday, Lula woke up and then went back to sleep, as per the presidential aide.

Vice President Geraldo Alckmin canceled plans in Sao Paulo to return to Brasilia, where he will take over Lula's agenda, including a visit from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Pimenta mentioned that Lula might not need to formally transfer presidential powers to Alckmin.

Tests in early November showed Lula's condition stable, and he remained active, recently traveling to Montevideo to discuss a Mercosur trade deal.

This injury also forced Lula to cancel a trip to Russia for a BRICS summit in Kazan, following medical advice to avoid long-haul flights temporarily.