Jailed Bolsonaro Anoints Son as 2026 Successor From Hospital Bed During Surgery

From an operating table, a political bombshell. While undergoing surgery on Thursday, Brazil's imprisoned former President Jair Bolsonaro made a move to reshape the country's 2026 election, officially anointing his son as his successor.

Surgery Behind Bars

The 70-year-old former leader, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup, underwent a "successful" surgery for an inguinal hernia, his wife Michelle Bolsonaro announced on Instagram. He was granted court permission to leave his prison cell on Wednesday for the procedure at the DF Star Hospital in Brasília, which took place on December 25. The surgery's necessity was confirmed by federal police doctors, adding to several other procedures Bolsonaro has had since being stabbed during a campaign rally in 2018.

A Letter from Prison: The 2026 Presidential Nod

On the morning of the surgery, Bolsonaro's eldest son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, told reporters his father had appointed him as the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate for the 2026 election in a handwritten letter. According to Flavio, the letter was meant to "clear up any shadow of a doubt" about his father's support. In it, the former president called his son the one to "continue the path of prosperity" and challenge President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who is seeking a fourth term.

Coup Conviction and Claims of Persecution

Bolsonaro has been imprisoned since November after Brazil’s Supreme Court found him guilty of leading a scheme to overturn the 2022 election results and remain in power. He has consistently maintained his innocence, claiming he's a victim of "political persecution."