Mexican senators clashed on Wednesday after a tense debate over alleged opposition calls for United States military intervention against drug cartels spiralled into a physical altercation.
The confrontation erupted when Alejandro Moreno, leader of the opposition PRI party, approached the podium at the end of the session to challenge Senate president Gerardo Fernández Noroña of the ruling Morena party for denying him the floor.
In a video shared by Mexico’s Senate on social media, Moreno is seen shoving Fernández Noroña several times, slapping him on the neck, and knocking another man to the ground as he tried to intervene.
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According to CBS News, the scuffle came after a heated exchange in which opposition parties PRI and PAN were accused of backing U.S. military involvement in Mexico, an allegation both parties rejected.
Following the incident, Fernández Noroña announced he would file a complaint against Moreno for bodily harm and seek the removal of his legislative immunity.
“The debate could be very harsh, very bitter, very strong… today when (opposition legislators) are exposed for their treason, they lose their minds because they were exposed,” he said.
Moreno, however, accused Fernández Noroña of instigating the brawl, writing on social media platform X: “He was the one who started the attack; he did it because he couldn’t silence us with arguments.”
“The first physical aggression came from Norona,” Moreno added. “He threw the first shove, and he did it out of cowardice.”
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