Brazil's Bolsonaro in hospital after feeling discomfort

BRASILIA: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was taken to hospital for tests on Monday after feeling abdominal "discomfort", his Communications Minister Fabio Faria said.

"He is alright," Faria told Reuters, confirming earlier local media reports that the president was taken to the Army Hospital in Brasilia for tests.

Faria said the president felt unwell, with abdominal discomfort, and went to the hospital to be tested as he has a history of intestinal obstructions.

He will stay in hospital overnight under observation.

Bolsonaro was hospitalised in January for an intestinal obstruction that was cleared and he did not need surgery. The blockage was his latest complication from a stabbing in the stomach at a campaign stop in 2018.

Since then he has undergone six surgeries due to the stabbing and to correct a hernia in the wounded area. In July last year, after 11 days of hiccuping, he was hospitalised with strong stomach pains that were treated without needing surgery.

Bolsonaro, who has begun campaigning for re-election in October, was due to attend a political meeting of the Republican Party but did not appear, local media reported.

The party's president Marcos Pereira said at the event that the president had instead gone to hospital feeling unwell, an aide to Pereira said.