Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has been forced to cancel his trip to Russia after sustaining a head injury in an accident at home. The 78-year-old leader was set to attend the Brics summit, a gathering of major developing countries, but has been advised by a top hospital in Brasília to avoid long-haul flights temporarily.
The Sírio-Libanês Hospital in Brasília stated that President Lula suffered a laceration to the back of his head and has been advised against long-distance travel. Despite this setback, he will still participate in the summit via video link from Brasília and continue his other activities as normal.
Details about the president’s injury have not been disclosed by his office, but local media reports suggest he received five stitches and was sent home from the hospital on Saturday. He returned for a follow-up on Sunday morning before being discharged once again.
President Lula’s absence from the summit means he will miss his first face-to-face meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin this year. Putin, who recently announced he will not attend the G20 summit in Brazil next month, cited concerns about disrupting the conference and denied that the ICC warrant for his arrest played a role in his decision.
The Brics summit, which serves as an alternative to the G7 group of advanced economies, will take place in the Russian city of Kazan from Tuesday to Thursday. Despite President Lula’s absence, the meeting is expected to address key issues facing major emerging markets and strengthen cooperation among member countries.
