Reuters, BRASILIA
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Sunday canceled his trip to Russia for the BRICS summit, following medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights after a head injury at home that caused a minor brain hemorrhage.
In a statement, the presidential office said that Lula, 78, would now participate in the BRICS meeting via videoconference. He was initially scheduled to depart at 5pm on Sunday.
Lula’s doctor, Roberto Kalil, in an interview with GloboNews TV channel said that the president suffered a fall that caused “great” trauma to the back of his head, requiring stitches for the injury and resulting in a “small brain hemorrhage” in the temporal-frontal region.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva attends the swearing-in ceremony of Brazilian Minister of Human Rights Macae Evaristo, not pictured, at Planalto Palace in Brasilia on Sept. 27.
Photo: AFP
“It’s a condition that will require repeat tests throughout the week. Any brain hemorrhage, theoretically, can worsen in the following days, so observation is important,” he said.
Kalil added that the president is doing well and can engage in normal activities.
According to a medical report issued earlier on Sunday by the Sirio Libanes Hospital in Brasilia, Lula suffered a laceration to the “occipital region” in the back of his head on Saturday.
The report said Lula “was advised to avoid long-distance air travel, but is otherwise able to carry out his regular duties.”
The government in a post on social media said that Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mauro Vieira has been designated to lead the Brazilian delegation at the BRICS summit, departing later on Sunday.
The diplomatic forum founded 15 years ago by major emerging markets Brazil, Russia, India and China has since expanding to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Gleisi Hoffmann, president of Lula’s Workers Party, posted on social media that she had spoken with the president and that “he is doing very well, just avoiding a long trip.”
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