A session in Mexico’s Senate descended into a physical altercation on Wednesday following a highly charged debate regarding allegations that opposition lawmakers had called for United States military intervention to combat powerful drug cartels.
The incident occurred as the session was concluding, when opposition leader Alejandro Moreno of the PRI party approached the Senate president, Gerardo Fernandez Norona of the ruling Morena party, apparently angered that he had not been allowed to speak.
Video footage disseminated on social media shows Moreno pushing Norona several times, striking him on the neck, and then shoving another man to the floor when he attempted to intervene and separate the two.
The brawl was the culmination of a fierce debate during which the ruling party accused the opposition PRI and PAN parties of treason for allegedly advocating U.S. military action on Mexican soil, a claim both opposition parties firmly deny.
In the aftermath, Senate president Norona announced his intention to file a formal complaint for bodily harm against Moreno and to request the revocation of his legislative immunity.
Norona defended the intensity of the debate but condemned the physical response, stating that the opposition “lost their minds” when their alleged treason was exposed. Moreno, however, countered these claims on social media, asserting that Norona was the initial aggressor and acted out of an inability to silence his opponents with arguments.
The confrontation also brings separate controversies surrounding both men into sharper focus. Moreno is currently facing potential impeachment proceedings over allegations of corruption from his time as a state governor.
Simultaneously, Norona is under public scrutiny following reports of his ownership of an expensive property, which conflicts with President Claudia Sheinbaum’s call for public officials to adopt modest lifestyles.
The underlying policy debate remains intensely sensitive, especially after recent U.S. media reports suggested former President Donald Trump had explored using military force against cartels, a move Mexico has repeatedly stated it would not accept on its sovereign territory.
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cc: Daily Trust NG
