Paraguayan lawmaker threatens to fight colleague, disrupts session

A session of Paraguay's Chamber of Deputies was suspended for the second week in a row due to the aggressive conduct of ruling party legislator Yamil Esgaib. Esgaib escalated tensions by first threatening to have opposition lawmaker Raúl Benítez suspended for 60 days and then challenging him to a physical fight.

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I would love for him to 'rest' for at least two months, but without pay. I will pay his salary so he stops bothering people here and disrupting the work we are doing.

Esgaib admitted his threats stemmed from annoyance with Benítez's criticism of the ruling "cartismo" party. He stated he would pay Benítez's salary for two months if it meant the opposition lawmaker would stop bothering them. Esgaib, who had previously been suspended for assaulting female colleagues and journalists, appeared emboldened, possibly by recent party primaries and a lack of reprimand from the Chamber's president, also a member of the ruling party.

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As a man, I told him: if he (Benítez) is going to keep insulting me, I want him to respond like a man and we go to the patio for a little while.

During the heated exchange, another deputy, Johanna Ortega, suggested Esgaib "take his pill" to calm down. Esgaib dismissed this and reiterated his challenge to Benítez, claiming he could knock him out in 30 seconds if Benítez didn't "dare" to fight. He also threatened to physically assault Benítez if the criticism continued and if "justice" was not served through suspension.

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go take your pill