How a Mexican senate session turned violent over US military presence
A routine session of Mexico’s Senate descended into chaos on Wednesday as a debate over US military presence in the country spiraled into a physical confrontation between lawmakers.
The clash erupted at the close of the session during the national anthem, when PRI leader Alejandro “Alito” Moreno confronted Board President Gerardo Fernández Noroña. What began as a dispute over parliamentary procedure quickly spiralled into shoving, shouting, and accusations of death threats in full view of cameras.
Debate over US troops
Opposition senators accused the ruling Morena party of allowing Washington to increase its influence over national security, while Morena lawmakers accused the opposition of using the issue to score political points.
Moreno said he was silenced when trying to speak on behalf of his party about the risks of Mexico following Venezuela’s path.
“I claimed my right to speak on behalf of the people we represent… But Morena and this coward Fernández Noroña changed the agenda to silence us,” Moreno said. “We cannot allow in Mexico what happened in Venezuela: a corrupt narco dictatorship with foreign backing.”
Accusations of violence
Fernández Noroña, for his part, accused Moreno of provoking him and even threatening his life.
“He grazed me, hit my arms, and said, ‘I am going to beat you, I am going to kill you,’” Fernández Noroña alleged. “My colleague Emiliano González, who was filming with a 360° camera, was attacked, his equipment destroyed, and then Moreno went to finish him off with punches,” he told the press.
Videos from the chamber show senators pushing each other as staff tried to intervene.
Fernández Noroña said complaints would be filed and called for Moreno’s immunity to be lifted. “What happened today is very serious; regardless of the political force, this should never happen under any circumstances. None is none,” he told reporters.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
