Brazilian Bodybuilder Arlindo de Souza Dies at 55

Arlindo de Souza, the Brazilian bodybuilder known as the "Brazilian Popeye" for his exaggerated arm muscles, died on January 13 at age 55 in Recife, Brazil, after complications from renal failure. He had been hospitalized since December at Otavio de Freitas Hospital in the northeastern city, where he succumbed to multiple organ failure, according to family members.

Relatives described a rapid decline in de Souza's health leading up to his death. His nephew, Denis Gomes de Luna, told local media that one of de Souza's kidneys failed first, followed by the second around Christmas week. Fluid then accumulated in his lungs, and he suffered cardiac arrest before doctors could administer hemodialysis, a treatment often used to manage severe kidney failure. An official death certificate has not yet been issued, but medical staff attributed the outcome to the progression of organ failure. De Souza, who lived in the Aguas Compridas neighborhood of nearby Olinda, was buried the following day at the local cemetery.

De Souza first rose to prominence in the early 2000s through television appearances across Brazil, showcasing arms that measured 29 inches in circumference. He openly admitted...