The little legislative theater that unleashed a war on the web
It seems that the Senate of the Republic has found a new function beyond legislating: serving as an improvised set for the most dramatic reality shows. On this occasion, the spotlight was monopolized by Lilly Téllez, who, in a burst of theatrical inspiration worthy of an old soap opera, decided that the best tribute to a murdered mayor was to chant his name from his seat as if he were at a rock concert, but with less rhythm and much more morbid.
The senator, in a display of spontaneity that smacks of a redone script, could not help but consult with her benchmate, Ricardo Anaya, to confirm the name of the mayor. “Is it Carlos Manzo?” he asked, in what will undoubtedly be remembered as the most genuine moment of the day: needing a prompter for a speech that was intended to be visceral. Immediately afterwards, as if he had discovered the fire, he began to shout “Long live Carlos Manzo!” with the vehemence of someone who orders the last piece of bread at a bakery on sale.
And the response was immediate, with a taste of sarcasm
Of course, in the digital zoo that is social networks, such a spectacle could not go unnoticed. Saskia Niño de Rivera, the activist, entered the scene, who with the subtlety of an elephant in a china shop released a comment that resonated like a whiplash: “Palera, I think they call Lily.” Neither quick nor lazy, Téllez, far from maintaining a dignified silence or responding with dignity, decided that the best thing was to drag the debate into the hells of morbidity and insinuation.
His reply was a gem of black comedy: “They killed Carlos Manzo’s murderer, but you can now prepare your interview with the murderer’s murderer. So you can continue profiting from the morbidity.” Because, clearly, the most appropriate way to honor the memory of a public official who was a victim of violence is to throw hints about who could commercially exploit the tragedy. The irony, of course, was that he took a day off.
The confrontation between these two public figures revealed the level of debate in the public sphere: a crossroads of accusations and insults where substance is conspicuous by its absence. While Téllez took advantage of the Senate rostrum to scream slogans and insult colleagues like Gerardo Fernández Noroña—whom he called a coward and imbecile with the delicacy that characterizes him—, Niño de Rivera responded from the digital trench with acid humor. A duel of egos where, as often happens, the only loser is common sense.
What does this painful episode leave us? Confirmation that, in the era of political spectacle, any gesture, no matter how well-intentioned it may be, can become the trigger for a pitched battle of disqualifications. A senator who chants a name as if that would solve national insecurity and an activist who responds with a biting barb. A full-blown circus where, for a moment, we all gape, wondering if this is governance or just the prologue to a new trash TV show.
Did this duel of wits on the networks entertain you? Don’t be left wanting, share this article and explode the interactions. And if you like acid humor to digest current events, explore more of our content, where politics has never been so tragicomic.
