Tensions Escalate in Mexico’s Senate as Lawmakers Clash Over Foreign Troop Debate
Mexico’s senate descended into chaos this week as two prominent politicians exchanged shoves, grabs, and heated words following a debate over the presence of foreign military forces in the country.
Alejandro “Alito” Moreno, leader of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), confronted Gerardo Fernández Noroña, the senate president from the ruling Morena party, shortly after lawmakers concluded the national anthem at the end of Wednesday’s session.
“I’m asking you to let me speak,” Moreno insisted repeatedly in a live-streamed video.
“Don’t touch me,” Fernández Noroña fired back.
As Fernández Noroña attempted to pull away, Moreno was seen grabbing him again, sparking a physical altercation that escalated into shoving, with Moreno striking Fernández Noroña on the neck. An aide to Fernández Noroña intervened but was knocked to the floor by Moreno.
When Fernández Noroña attempted to leave the podium, another lawmaker joined the fray, swinging at the senate president.
“[Moreno] provoked me, touched me, and pulled at me,” Fernández Noroña later stated during a press conference. “He struck my arms and said, ‘I’m going to beat the shit out of you, I’m going to kill you.’”
“When Moreno crossed the line, he knew what he was doing,” he added. “I will always respond directly, with strength and without fear, to defend Mexico and guide it properly.”
The clash followed a heated debate in which the ruling Morena party and its allies accused opposition parties PRI and PAN of advocating for U.S. military involvement in Mexico—claims both parties rejected.
Earlier this week, a PAN senator appeared on a U.S. news network, stating that “assistance from the United States to combat cartels in Mexico is absolutely welcome.”
The issue has intensified amid reports that the U.S. may classify drug cartels as terrorist organizations, potentially justifying military action in Latin America.
Fernández Noroña announced plans to convene an emergency session on Friday to consider expelling Moreno and three other PRI lawmakers over the incident. He also confirmed filing a criminal complaint against Moreno.
In a statement, Moreno accused the ruling party of altering the session’s agenda at the last minute to suppress opposition voices.
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