Mexican lawmakers carrying firearms in Congress, Digi Mart USA News (Mexico): Mexico’s legislators have not fully abandoned a habit from the Mexican Revolution era of arriving at Congress armed. According to the report, the practice came to light in recent weeks after a dispute between deputies from different parliamentary groups revealed that at least 35 legislators enter the building carrying weapons.
Some deputies reportedly bring firearms through their bodyguards, while others carry them personally. The article notes that it is difficult to understand why a lawmaker, who is neither a police officer nor a member of the military, would need a weapon at work, and that it is almost impossible to explain why the Chamber of Deputies would be considered dangerous by those elected to serve there.
Brawls in the San Lázaro chamber are common and usually take place in the plenary hall. Parliamentary groups often stage protests to shout down rival parties, and occasionally these disputes turn physical.
The incident that exposed the armed deputies involved PRI deputy Carlos Gutiérrez Mancilla and Movimiento Ciudadano legislator Jorge Álvarez Máynez.
According to the report, Gutiérrez Mancilla went to Álvarez Máynez’s offices to protest the dirty water crisis in Guadalajara, a city governed by Movimiento Ciudadano. The complaint escalated, with both deputies using harsh language and threats, and their aides joined in with pushing.
The confrontation did not go further.
The brief clash led security personnel at San Lázaro to conduct a detailed review of who enters and leaves the building. Using explosive and weapons-detecting dogs, they carried out a search that uncovered the 35 armed deputies.
Since then, the building’s security directorate has tightened controls by requiring credentials from all lawmakers’ aides and reminding legislators that regulations prohibit bringing weapons into the premises, including those carried by bodyguards.
