Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was discharged from the hospital on Sunday following a successful surgery to stop a bleeding in his brain.
The 79-year-old leader underwent a second medical procedure to address bleeding on the surface of his brain, earlier this week, following a fall at home.
The procedure, called a middle meningeal artery embolisation, allowed medical professionals to insert a small blockage in his blood vessel using small tubes, in order to prevent bleeding from the artery, located on the outside of the brain.
Doctors confirmed on Sunday that the surgery was successful and stated that Lula could walk and hold meetings while resting at his home in São Paulo until Thursday but advised against international trips.
Speaking at a press conference alongside his medical team, the president assured the public of his recovery.
“I’m here alive, well, with the urge to work. And I’ll tell you something I used to say during the campaign,” he said.
“I’m 79 years old, I have the energy of 30 and the enthusiasm of 20 to build this country,” Lula added.
During the press conference, Lula also addressed the recent arrest of General Walter Braga Netto, a former member of Jair Bolsonaro’s government and his 2022 vice-presidential running mate.
Netto is under investigation for alleged involvement in a coup plot to keep Bolsonaro in power after his 2022 electoral defeat.
“It is not possible for us to accept disrespect for democracy, disrespect for the constitution, and it is not possible for us to accept that in a generous country like Brazil we have people of high military rank plotting the death of a president, his vice president, and a presiding judge of the supreme electoral court,” Lula stated.
Netto was indicted in November alongside Bolsonaro and 35 others for allegedly plotting the coup.
According to a federal police statement, his recent arrest is linked to accusations of obstructing evidence collection.
