Brazil's Lula undergoes a second procedure to stop brain bleed

SAO PAULO -- Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had a second procedure on Thursday morning to stop a brain bleed, his doctors said.

Lula, 79, first had surgery at the hospital on Tuesday for a kind of slow bleeding that resulted from a fall at home in October. Thursday's procedure was to plug an artery that continued to leak blood onto the surface of the brain, according to his doctors at the Sirio-Libanes hospital.

The president is awake and fine, they said, and is expected to leave the hospital and return to Brasilia at the beginning of next week when he will be able to slowly resume his activities.

Marcos Stavale, one of the doctors on the medical team, said Thursday's procedure was low risk. “He’s neurologically perfect. He’s fine, he’s talking,” Stavale said of Lula.

“He didn’t have any brain damage,” said Dr. Roberto Kalil, who has been monitoring the president’s health for years.

After the accident, his office said Lula canceled a trip to Russia for a summit of the so-called BRIC alliance of nations, which consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

It left him with a visible cut on the back of his head, slightly above his neck.

Doctors have said in recent days that the president’s health is good, but many Brazilians remain concerned, with some gathering near the hospital to show their support. Local media reported that some politicians have expressed concerns about the future of his coalition in the 2026 presidential election.

Lula has said he would seek reelection if needed, but would consider his health before deciding whether to run in two years.

There is no clear successor to his leadership. Ricardo Kotscho, a press secretary in Lula’s first administration, told local news outlet UOL that in his third term, the president has concentrated power more than ever.

Vice President Geraldo Alckmin has taken part of Lula's agenda but has not officially assumed the role of president.

Alckmin said Thursday, during a regular meeting between the presidency and civil society representatives, that he spoke with Lula by phone on Wednesday night. According to the vice president, Lula “sent a fraternal hug” to the meeting’s participants.

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