Brazil’s Lula ‘well’ after head injury, minister says

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets with Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha and top foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, after he suffered a head injury at home that caused a minor brain hemorrhage in Brasilia, Brazil, October 21, 2024, in this handout image.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva meets with Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha and top foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim, after he suffered a head injury at home that caused a minor brain hemorrhage in Brasilia, Brazil, October 21, 2024, in this handout image.

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was doing “super well” on Monday after he suffered a head injury at home over the weekend that caused a minor brain hemorrhage, Institutional Relations Minister Alexandre Padilha told reporters.

The remarks came as Lula shared on social media a picture of himself smiling next to Padilha and his top foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, during a meeting on Monday to “discuss the national and international agenda for the coming days.”

The post did not provide details about Lula’s health.

The president’s injury forced him to cancel a trip to Russia for a summit of the BRICS group of major emerging markets, which is being held in Kazan, following medical advice to temporarily avoid long-haul flights.

Padilha said that Lula was in “close contact” with Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira, who is now representing him at the summit.

The diplomatic forum founded 15 years ago by Brazil, Russia, India and China has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.