Brazil’s far-right President Jair Bolsonaro was hospitalized in São Paulo Monday with abdominal pain that doctors said was caused by an intestinal blockage. It was the latest in a string of health problems Bolsonaro has faced since he was stabbed in the abdomen during a 2018 campaign event. He faces the prospect of surgery just nine months out from presidential elections.

Bolsonaro’s hospitalization came as environmentalists warned deforestation in Brazil’s vast Cerrado region last year spiked to its highest level since 2015, as Bolsonaro’s government encouraged large-scale development by agribusiness companies and cattle ranchers. This is environmental scientist Ane Alencar.

Ane Alencar: “Deforestation is the most naked and raw indicator of the terrible environmental policy of President Jair Bolsonaro’s government.”