Brazilian president Lula in intensive care after brain surgery

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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is in intensive care after brain surgery and is recovering “well”, the government announced on Tuesday.

The 79 year old, commonly referred to as Lula, underwent a craniotomy procedure to drain a haematoma on his head after an MRI scan showed an “intracranial haemorrhage”, according to a medical note shared by the government.

The injury related to a fall at home on October 19 and Lula had been suffering headaches, the note said.

The surgery was “uneventful”, the note added, and Lula was being monitored in intensive care at the Sírio-Libanês hospital in São Paulo. Doctors will hold a press conference at 9am local time on Tuesday. 

Lula cancelled his attendance at the Brics summit in Russia in October, citing health reasons. His surgery comes at a challenging moment for his presidency after he returned to power for a third term last year, with a pledge to lift welfare spending and expand the role of the state.

His administration has sought to reassure investors over his plans by promising to eliminate Brazil’s so-called primary budget deficit, which does not include debt interest payments. However, it has already watered down its own targets for achieving a surplus from next year onwards.

The Brazilian real hit an all-time low last month, falling below six to the US dollar, because of mounting concerns over the country’s public finances. On Tuesday it was flat in early trading at 6.08 per US dollar.