Brazilian President Lula da Silva has unfortunately sustained an injury, resulting in a laceration to the back of his head that required stitches. As a result, he will not be attending the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24, where he was expected to meet with over 20 leaders from emerging economies. Doctors have advised him to avoid long flights, leading him to announce on October 20 that he will participate via video conference instead.
According to reports from the Sirio Libanes hospital in Brasília, the 78-year-old president suffered the injury on October 19 after falling at home. The injury involved a tear in the occipital region of his brain, along with minor bleeding. Dr. Roberto Kalil, Lula’s physician, revealed in an interview with GloboNews TV that the president’s fall caused a “significant” wound that required stitches and resulted in slight bleeding in the temporal lobe area.
The Brazilian government confirmed via social media that Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira will lead the delegation to the summit in place of President Lula.
The BRICS summit, initiated 15 years ago by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, has since expanded to include South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. This summit marks the largest gathering that President Putin will host in Russia since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, as he seeks to challenge Western dominance. Notable attendees are expected to include Chinese President Xi Jinping, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
