Brawl breaks out in Bolivian parliament over $900m loan approval

A brawl broke out in the Bolivian parliament in La Paz on Thursday night (29 March), with lawmakers exchanging blows, pushes, and hair-pulling during a heated debate over the approval of credits for $900m that the government needs to carry out infrastructure works.

Shouts and physical confrontations between pro-government legislators and their allies against those of the opposition and another part of the ruling party, close to former president Evo Morales, erupted due to a dispute over controlling the debate.

Supporters of the credits temporarily locked the entrance to the legislators' chamber to demand that they approve the measure.