Former President Jair Bolsonaro was moved from his cell to hospital earlier this month with pneumonia.
Rio de Janeiro's iconic Carnival parades began with a tribute to Brazil's President Lula, illustrating his rise from poverty to power.
The former leader is serving a 27-year sentence for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 presidential election.
Former president is granted permission to leave jail for a hernia operation on Christmas Day.
If passed, the bill would see the ex-president and others receive shorter sentences for coup-related crimes.
It comes as the White House welcomes a conservative-led effort to cut the former president's prison sentence.
President Lula's government recognises 10 new Indigenous lands in an effort to protect their culture and environment.
The 79-year-old says he has "the same energy I had when I was 30" as he announces plan to run in 2026.
Brazil's government said the two "reminisced about the good chemistry" they had at the UN in New York.
