Video: Brawl With Senior Lawmaker Gets Chilean MP Booted From Republican Caucus

Following a physical altercation with a colleague in the Chamber of Deputies, Chile’s lower legislative chamber, independent MP Gonzalo de la Carrera was ejected from the right-wing Republican caucus.

"These types of actions are unacceptable, as caucus leader and with the support of the caucus deputies, we have decided to expel independent deputy Gonzalo de la Carrera from the Republican Party caucus," Cristóbal Urruticoechea, the head of the Republican caucus, said on Tuesday afternoon.

The fight happened earlier on Tuesday, during a meeting with several other leading lawmakers behind the dais in an otherwise-deserted chamber, after the end of the special session on drug trafficking.

In security camera footage of the incident, Carrera can be seen pointing angrily at Radical Party MP Alexis Sepúlveda, the chamber’s vice president. After what appears to be two large shoves by Sepúlveda, Carrera takes a swing at him and misses. Grabbing his arm, Sepúlveda pushes Carrera back and other lawmakers react by rushing to restrain him as well before separating them.

"I defended myself!” Carrera told reporters after the incident.

"He hit me twice on the head and I reacted to his aggression. I defended myself," he added.

MP Marcela Riquelme, who was standing nearby, recounted the dispute afterwards. She said that after an attempt to reprimand Carrera for insulting Interior Minister Izkia Siches, he had approached the podium to consult with Sepúlveda and MP Claudia Mix about the rules.

"Our conversation ended and before we left, Gonzalo de la Carrera crossed in front of us and took Congressman [Raúl] Soto away by a few centimeters, and told him that 'there are stupid women who are late and come to attract attention', referring to me," Riquelme said.

"I told him, 'Hey, what's wrong with you, why are you treating me stupid?' And Raúl Soto told him to stay calm," she said, adding that Carrera "continued insulting me."

At that time, he indicated that he asked the president of the House and next to him, Claudia Mix, that "they certify the fact that they had witnessed."

“Deputy Alexis Sepúlveda comes and says to Deputy De la Carrera 'why so violent?' At that moment Deputy De la Carrera punches Deputy Alexis Sepúlveda in the face, in the eye, gives him a kick," Riquelme said. "No one expected that. No one could have foreseen such a circumstance.”

Chilean Minister for Women Antonia Orellana also called Carrera’s behavior “pure machismo.”

"Gonzalo de la Carrera's is not a disease. It is an exercise in pure machismo and it is not the first expression,” Orellana wrote on Twitter. “My sisterhood and affection to Minister Izkia Siches in the face of repeated attitude and congressmen Marcela Riquelme and Alexis Sepúlveda for their courage.”

Sepúlveda also said "there cannot be spaces for violence ... I hope there are recordings to be able to have the context. In fact, I intervened between him and my colleague Marcela, to whom he was yelling, and I pointed out why he was getting so aggressive.”

Meanwhile, the Radical Party chose not to ban Sepúlveda for his part in the violence, writing on its Twitter account that Carrera’s violence was “outrageous and out of all context” and announcing its support for “all legal actions that are undertaken.”