On October 20, a statement from the Brazilian presidential office announced that President Lula has decided to cancel his trip to Kazan, Russia, where he was scheduled to attend the 16th BRICS summit, based on recommendations from his medical team. Instead, he will participate via video link.
According to the statement, Lula was advised to avoid long-distance travel for health reasons. As a consequence, he will not make the journey to Kazan but will still be engaged in other normal activities.
Earlier that day, the Syrian-Lebanese Hospital in Brasília released information indicating that Lula sustained an injury to the occipital region while at home on the 19th and was subsequently hospitalized. After assessing his condition, the medical team recommended against long flights.
The 16th BRICS Leaders’ Meeting is set to take place from October 22 to 24 in Kazan, Russia, and Lula had originally planned to depart for Russia on the afternoon of the 20th.
