Female Lawmakers Grab Hair, Shake, and Throw Punches... Brawl in Bolivia's National Assembly

Public Outrage Erupts as TV Camera Captures Incident
Opposition Leader Detention Sparks Heated Dispute

More than 20 lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties in Bolivia, a landlocked country in South America, were caught on TV cameras engaging in a brawl inside the parliament, sparking public outrage.

On the 24th (local time), Bolivian daily newspaper El Deber reported that the previous afternoon, over 20 lawmakers from both sides were involved in a verbal dispute near the podium in the main chamber of the parliament in La Paz, which quickly escalated into a violent physical confrontation.

That day, the parliament received a government report related to the detention of Luis Fernando Camacho (43), governor of Santa Cruz.

On the 23rd (local time), violence broke out between ruling and opposition party lawmakers during a government report on the detention of the Santa Cruz governor at the plenary session of the Bolivian La Paz Congress.
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Camacho, considered a leading figure of Bolivia's prominent right-wing opposition party, was imprisoned on December 28 last year on charges including terrorism for leading large-scale anti-government protests in 2019. During the parliamentary session, Minister Eduardo del Castillo (34) responded to lawmakers' questions regarding the specific charges against Governor Camacho, his life in detention, and future legal procedures.

While continuing his response, Minister del Castillo fiercely criticized the lawmakers from Camacho’s party as "a radical and violent group that came to steal from the wallets of the Bolivian people." At that time, some opposition lawmakers were holding banners denouncing del Castillo.

This triggered a dispute involving over 20 lawmakers from both sides, which soon escalated into a heated physical fight. Amidst kicks and punches, female lawmakers grabbed and shook each other's hair, and the violent incident lasted for several minutes. This scene was fully recorded by TV cameras.

Despite the brawl involving more than 20 people, it was reported that no lawmakers were seriously injured.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, Governor Camacho had been under investigation by prosecutors since 2020 for actively participating in a nationwide popular uprising by raising allegations of election fraud against leftist former President Evo Morales (63), who was seeking a fourth term in 2019.

Afterwards, while serving as governor in Santa Cruz, Bolivia’s most populous and economically significant city, Camacho, who often clashed with the left-leaning current President Luis Arce (59), led strikes, rallies, and protests for over a month, expressing dissatisfaction with the timing of the population census.

The opposition is protesting, claiming that the leftist government is conducting a coercive investigation to eliminate their political rival Camacho.