MEXICO CITY (BN24) — A physical altercation broke out in Mexico’s Senate on Wednesday following a contentious debate over the possibility of U.S. military intervention in the country, underscoring growing political tensions between ruling and opposition parties.
The scuffle erupted near the close of the session when Alejandro Moreno, leader of the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), approached Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña of the ruling Morena party during the playing of the national anthem. In a moment captured on live television, Moreno grabbed Noroña’s arm, prompting a shoving match that quickly escalated as other lawmakers and aides intervened.
One man in a suit appeared to strike at Noroña, while Moreno shoved another man—later identified as a member of Noroña’s team—to the ground. That aide later appeared at a press conference wearing a neck brace and arm bandages.
Moreno claimed via social media that tensions boiled over after Morena lawmakers altered the legislative agenda to silence opposition voices during the session. “That cowardice provoked what followed,” Moreno wrote, accusing Noroña of initiating physical contact. “Let it be clear: the first physical aggression came from Noroña.”
Noroña rejected the accusation, blaming opposition senators for the violence and alleging they had “ganged up” on him. He claimed Moreno threatened to kill him and announced plans to file a formal complaint. Noroña also said he would seek the expulsion of Moreno and other opposition members involved.
The heated session had included debate on whether Mexico should allow or reject potential U.S. military involvement in its fight against drug cartels—an issue that has sharply divided Mexico’s political landscape. Noroña accused opposition parties of favoring such intervention, an allegation the PRI and its allies have denied.
While physical confrontations in Mexico’s Congress are uncommon, they are not unprecedented. In 2006, lawmakers clashed ahead of President Felipe Calderón’s inauguration following a disputed election.
As of Thursday, Moreno had not issued additional public statements, and no formal disciplinary action had been announced.
