- Title: 'Only God can remove me.' Brazil's Bolsonaro discharged from hospital
- Date: 18th July 2021
- Summary: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL (JULY 18, 2021) (REUTERS) PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO LEAVING VILA NOVA STAR HOSPITAL BOLSONARO REMOVING FACE MASK CLOSE UP BOLSONARO BOLSONARO SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO, SAYING: "I came here (to Sao Paulo) with a 90% chance of having surgery. Perhaps with the plane, the ambulance there was some movement (in the intestines), maybe a miracle from God because I believe in God. My (medical) team has been available from one day to the next and in two days (in hospital) surgery was ruled out. I had to go on a diet. I did what needed to be done, guided by Doctor Macedo. I wanted to leave on day one, they didn't let me go, and I hope that in ten days I'll be eating barbecue ribs. The fight continues and in Brazil there are many things to resolve." VARIOUS OF BOLSONARO SPEAKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO, SAYING: "With the talk about buying a vaccine in February, March of last year, of an offer of 400 million doses. There was no such thing on the market. The first vaccination took place in early December in the UK. Brazil started the following month. We are at the forefront of the vaccinations. If it's up to me the vaccine will not be mandatory, period." VARIOUS OF BOLSONARO WITH MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO, SAYING: "They (opposition) want to get me out of government and I've already said that only God can remove me from that chair (reference to presidency). They didn't understand that only God can remove me from that chair. If there is any corruption in my government then I will be the first to find ways to bring justice, for the person responsible to be punished. We've had two and a half years of no corruption." BOLSONARO OUTSIDE HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) BRAZIL'S PRESIDENT JAIR BOLSONARO, SAYING: "Fear aggravates the (COVID-19) virus. Take care of yourself and especially those with comorbidities. Stop with the panic. Unfortunately we are going to live with this virus for a long time, for a lifetime. Is there a medic that will say I was wrong? We have to face our problems." BOLSONARO PUTTING ON FACE MASK BOLSONARO WAVING TO SUPPORTERS FROM VEHICLE VEHICLE TRANSPORTING BOLSONARO EXTERIOR OF HOSPITAL SECURITY OUTSIDE HOSPITAL GENERAL VIEW OF HOSPITAL
- Embargoed: 1st August 2021 16:31
- Keywords: Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro Sao Paulo discharge hospital
- Location: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
- City: SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: South America / Central America,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001EMD8J7R
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Sunday (July 18) left the Sao Paulo hospital where he spent four days undergoing treatment for complications following a near-fatal 2018 stabbing, and said he will be back at his desk in Brasilia on Monday (July 19).
The hospital said in an earlier statement that Bolsonaro will remain under observation as an outpatient.
The 66-year-old president was taken to the Sao Paulo hospital for treatment relating to an obstructed intestine following the 2018 knifing. He did not require surgery.
Speaking to media outside the hospital, Bolsonaro defended his government's handling of the pandemic and vaccination rollout.
Brazil's federal police has formally opened a probe into President Jair Bolsonaro amid allegations of irregularities over the purchase of vaccines.
Bolsonaro has seen his polls numbers sag due to his handling of the world's second deadliest outbreak, in which over half a million Brazilians have died from the virus, second only to the United States.
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