Brazil’s ex-president hospitalized in Central Florida during the country’s political riots

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — While his country faces political turmoil, Brazil’s former president is hospitalized in Central Florida.

Brazilian authorities vowed to punish the thousands of people who stormed the country’s congress on Sunday. Supporters of Brazil’s former president Jair Bolsonaro want him back in office.

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Bolsonario was not in Brazil during those violent protests; he was here in Orlando. Bolsonaro is staying at AdventHealth Celebration due to an episode of abdominal pain related to a stabbing he endured during a 2018 campaign event.

Bolsonaro has condemned the attacks against Brazilian government buildings over the weekend, during which 100 buses full of Bolsonaro supporters arrived for a planned protest.

Read: As Brazil reels from riots, Bolsonaro finds home in Florida

Bolsonaro has been compared to former president Donald Trump. He has claimed president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, widely known as Lula, won in a stolen election. Bolsonaro has gone so far as to advocate for a military coup.

A source close to Bolsonaro’s family says his condition in the hospital is not worrying.

Read: Brazil cracks down after riot and vows to protect democracy

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