Brawl Erupts in Mexican Senate After Heated Debate on U.S. Military Intervention
A session in the Mexican Senate turned violent on Wednesday after tensions flared between opposition and ruling party members, leading to a physical confrontation on the chamber floor.
The incident unfolded near the end of the session, which had already seen heated exchanges over the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Mexico. As the national anthem played, opposition Senator Alejandro Moreno, leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), approached Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña of the ruling Morena party and grabbed his arm, sparking a shoving match.
Senators Clash During Live Broadcast
The scuffle, captured live on television, showed chaos erupting as other lawmakers rushed in. One suited man appeared to swing at Noroña, while Moreno pushed another man—later identified as a member of Noroña’s staff—onto the ground. That staff member later appeared at a press conference alongside Noroña, wearing a neck brace and with his arm bandaged.
Moreno defended his actions on social media, claiming the ruling Morena party had deliberately changed the legislative agenda to silence the opposition.
“That cowardice provoked what followed. The first physical aggression came from Noroña,” Moreno wrote, insisting that the Senate president shoved him first.
Noroña, however, rejected the accusation and argued that Moreno and his allies orchestrated the confrontation.
“They ganged up on me. They will say this is freedom of expression, but this was violence,” he said, adding that he plans to file a formal complaint against Moreno.
According to Noroña, opposition parties had backed the idea of U.S. military involvement in Mexico, a proposal he strongly opposed during the debate. He further alleged that Moreno threatened to kill him during the clash. Noroña also announced he would seek Moreno’s expulsion from the Senate, along with other opposition members involved in the altercation.
Violence in Mexican Politics Not New
Although rare, physical confrontations in Mexico’s Congress are not unprecedented. In 2006, lawmakers clashed in a brawl ahead of then-President Felipe Calderón’s inauguration following a hotly contested election.
This latest Senate brawl highlights the growing political tensions in Mexico, particularly as debates intensify over issues of national security, U.S.-Mexico relations, and the future of domestic governance.