Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was admitted to hospital in the early hours of Monday with abdominal pain and was being examined to see if surgery might be necessary, Bolsonaro's doctor Antonio Luiz Macedo told the news website UOL from the Bahamas.

The Brazilian TV network Globo showed images of Bolsonaro walking down the stairs of the presidential plane after landing in Sao Paulo at about 1:30 a.m. Globo reported that Bolsonaro returned to the Brazilian capital during the night from a New Year break on the coast and was immediately taken to Hospital Vila Nova Star.

Globo said that Macedo was on holiday in the Bahamas and was waiting for a flight back to Brazil to see Bolsonaro, who reportedly had no public appearances scheduled on Monday.

Bolsonaro has been hospitalized several times since he was stabbed during his presidential campaign in 2018.

In July 2021, he was taken to Vila Nova Star due to an intestinal blockage after suffering from chronic hiccups.

The far-right leader's health became a concern after he was stabbed in the intestines during a 2018 campaign. Bolsonaro was seriously wounded in the attack and lost 40% of his blood. After being stabbed, he underwent several operations.

The attacker, a 40-year-old Adelio Bispo de Oliveira told investigators that he was acting "on God's orders" after being taken into police custody.