Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled his trip to Russia for the Brics summit after a fall at home caused a minor brain hemorrhage.
In a statement, the presidential office said Lula, 78, would participate by video conference after receiving medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights. It was initially scheduled to depart on Sunday at five in the afternoon.
Lula's doctor, Roberto Kalil, said in an interview with the GloboNews channel that the president suffered a fall that caused a “major” trauma to the back of his neck, which required stitches and caused a “small brain hemorrhage” in the temporal-frontal region. . .
“It is a condition that will require repeating the tests throughout the week. Any brain hemorrhage, in theory, can worsen in the following days, so observation is important,” Kalil said, adding that Lula was fine and able to carry out his normal activities.
According to a medical report issued on Sunday by the Sirio Libanes hospital in Brasilia, Lula suffered a laceration on Saturday in the “occipital region” of the neck.
The report says Lula “was advised to avoid long-distance air travel, but is otherwise able to carry out his usual duties.”
The government announced that Mauro Vieira, the foreign minister, was appointed to lead the Brazilian delegation to the Brics summit, which will depart on Sunday.
Gleisi Hoffmann, a congresswoman and president of Lula's Workers' Party, said she had spoken with the president and that “he is doing very well, just avoiding a long trip.”
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