The family of Angola's President Emeritus, José Eduardo dos Santos, may authorize this Wednesday that the machines that keep him alive be turned off, according to the international press.

José Eduardo dos Santos has been in a clinic in Barcelona for five days and is in a coma after suffering a fall and already having recovered from a covid-19 infection.

"The situation is being closely monitored by Angola at the highest level," writes the DW portal citing a source close to the case.

His wife, Ana Paula dos Santos, his sister Marta Sousa dos Santos, and some of his children are expected to meet at 1 p.m. today in Barcelona, Spain, where "Zé Du", as the former president is known in his country, is hospitalized, reports the Club-K.

"The family will be informed in detail about the MRI report that indicates brain death and that the machines have to be turned off for ethical and professional reasons," reads the website.

A copy of a medical report on the health of José Eduardo dos Santos was forwarded to the Angolan Head of State, João Lourenço, taking into account that José Eduardo dos Santos is a State figure under the Presidency of the Republic.

The report does not clearly specify what can clinically be considered "brain-dead", however, it indicates that the patient is in an irreversible condition that in the experts' judgment no further investment is recommended.

In the event that the family rejects the medical recommendation (to turn off the machines), there are predictions that they may propose or decide to pay between seven and eight thousand euros per day in intensive care for a situation with no return, but which may be refused by the medical team citing ethical and deontological issues.

However, there is no consensus within the former President's family. His daughter, Welwitschea José dos Santos, better known as "Tchizé dos Santos," disagrees with this procedure, stating that "she will not allow them to turn off the machines.

"I, as a daughter, will never allow them to turn off the machines of a living father, who has a heart that is beating normally, a heart that is fine, he didn't have a heart attack, he didn't have a stroke," says the businesswoman and former MPLA deputy.

In an audio file circulated on social networks, Tchizé dos Santos accused the current Angolan executive, led by João Lourenço, of making a political management of the case.

He also accused João Lourenço of wanting to take political dividends, "to appear in a big way and put MPLA flags on top of the coffin" of José Eduardo dos Santos.

The Angolan authorities are already preparing to organize the funeral arrangements, SIC reported, citing Expresso's correspondent in Angola. The same source says that the daughters of the former Angolan president do not want it to be held in Luanda.

The Angolan Minister of Foreign Affairs is heading today to Barcelona where he will monitor the health condition of the former president.

"The clinical situation worsened and the Minister was sent to Barcelona by the President" João Lourenço, who is in Lisbon to participate in the Oceans Summit, said an official source from the Angolan diplomatic service.