Brazil’s President Lula diagnosed with vertigo-causing ear condition

Brasilia - Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was diagnosed on May 26 with labyrinthitis, an ear condition that can cause vertigo, in the latest health setback for the 79-year-old.

Mr Lula, who was hospitalised in 2024 for a haemorrhage under his skull

caused by a bathroom fall, was examined at a hospital in Brasilia before returning to the presidential residence with orders to rest, the government said.

He has faced several health issues. He suffered from hypertension, was treated for throat cancer in 2011 with chemo- and radiotherapy, and in 2023 had a hip replaced with a prosthesis.

A 2024 fall in a bathroom in his presidential residence left him with a concussion, several stitches and a hemorrhage that landed him on the operating table.

When he recovered, Mr Lula resumed a busy schedule of meetings and international trips, including to China, Russia, Vietnam, and Japan.

In the latest hitch, he “cancelled part of his schedule” due to discomfort, a presidency source who asked not to be named, told AFP.

Concerns for Mr Lula’s health have raised questions about his fitness to seek re-election in a vote in 2026.

He had already served two terms from 2003 to 2010. AFP