Mexican Senators Brawl — Punches Thrown, Lawmakers Shoved

Mexico’s legislature descended into chaos Wednesday when a heated debate over the role of foreign armed forces spiraled into violence. Opposition leader Alejandro “Alito” Moreno, head of the once-dominant Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), shoved and grabbed Senate President Gerardo Fernández Noroña during the closing moments of the day’s session.

The incident erupted as lawmakers stood to sing the national anthem. Footage from the official senate livestream showed Moreno storming toward the presiding officer, demanding recognition. “I’m asking you to let me speak,” Moreno shouted repeatedly before seizing Fernández Noroña’s arm.

“Don’t touch me,” Fernández Noroña snapped back as the two men shoved each other in front of stunned senators.

The clash quickly spiraled. Moreno knocked over a photographer as the scrum intensified. Another PRI lawmaker joined the fray, throwing punches as Fernández Noroña tried to pull away. Security officers and colleagues rushed forward to separate the men.

Fernández Noroña, visibly shaken, later described the melee in stark terms:
“He started pulling on me, touching me, pushing. He hit me and said, ‘I’m going to beat the sh*t out of you, I’m going to kill you.’”

Calling the violence “unacceptable,” the senate president announced he would convene an emergency session Friday to propose expelling Moreno and three other PRI lawmakers allegedly involved.
“This institution cannot tolerate threats of violence, much less physical aggression on the floor of the senate,” Fernández Noroña told reporters.

Moreno, however, rejected that account, claiming that Fernández Noroña had struck him first. In a post to X, translated from Spanish, Moreno argued that the PRI bloc had been provoked throughout the session:
“Ever since the PRI members arrived, they sought to disrupt the session: shouting, provoking, and insulting. But since they couldn’t prevent the debate, because we didn’t fall for the provocations: they began to surround Noroña. Here I show you what happened before the aggression.”

The PRI — once Mexico’s unrivaled political powerhouse — has seen its influence decline sharply in recent decades, though it still commands a significant opposition bloc. Moreno, long criticized for his combative leadership style, is no stranger to controversy. Fernández Noroña, a leftist firebrand allied with Mexico’s ruling coalition, also carries a reputation as a confrontational figure.

Wednesday’s outbreak of violence shocked even seasoned lawmakers. Videos of the fight went viral, sparking outrage and embarrassment across Mexico. Commentators called the spectacle symbolic of the country’s fractured politics, with some labeling it among the most disgraceful episodes in the chamber’s history.

Lawmakers across the political spectrum condemned the altercation, demanding accountability. Whether Moreno and his colleagues will actually be expelled remains to be seen, but the decision could prove a major political test for Fernández Noroña and Mexico’s fragile legislative order.