Brazil’s Lula Cancels Russia Trip for BRICS Summit After Head Injury at Home

Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has canceled his trip to Russia for a BRICS  summit due to an accident at home, according to his office.

Lula was scheduled to depart for the summit on October 20 at 5:00 PM local time. However, while at his residence, he injured his head near the back of his neck. Medical personnel examined Brazilian President and determined that he did not require hospitalization.

Specifics about the incident leading to his injury were not disclosed, however, local reports indicated that Lula fell in his bathroom on Saturday night.

Hospital Sirio Libanês in Sao Paulo announced that while Brazilian President has been advised against long-distance travel, he can continue with his other activities.

In a separate statement, Brazil's presidency noted that Lula will participate in the summit via videoconference and will carry on with his duties in Brasilia this week.

The Brazilian President was scheduled to meet with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit. Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira confirmed he will represent Brazil at the conference instead.

The BRICS summit will take place in Kazan from October 22 to 24. Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov stated that representatives from 32 countries will participate in the summit, with 24 of them being represented by heads of state.

It was reported earlier that Russian leader Vladimir Putin will not attend the G20 summit in Brazil, a signatory of the Rome Statute and obligated to arrest him under an International Criminal Court warrant.