Argentine lawmaker suspended for conduct in virtual session

As other legislators debated a bill, deputy Juan Emilio Ameri of the ruling Peronist party could be seen pulling down the shirt of his wife and kissing one of her breasts. House president Sergio Massa interrupted the session to report "a serious offence by a deputy".

An Argentine lawmaker was suspended on Thursday for inappropriate conduct with a woman during a virtual session of the Congress, when he appeared on camera touching his wife as she sat on his lap. During the broadcast of the virtual session of Argentina's Lower House, the images of legislators participating appeared in boxes in rows on the screen. As other legislators debated a bill, deputy Juan Emilio Ameri of the ruling Peronist party could be seen pulling down the shirt of his wife and kissing one of her breasts.

House president Sergio Massa interrupted the session to report "a serious offence by a deputy". "There was a situation that has nothing to do with the normal decorum and operation of this house," he said and called for the immediate suspension of Ameri and the creation of a five-member commission to expedite his expulsion. His removal from the legislature was immediately endorsed. Ameri, from Salta province, said he did not realise he was still connected.

"I am very ashamed, very bad," he told Con Vos de Buenos Aires radio. "It is not that I was having sex with my wife. It was a 10-second circumstance," he said. "She came out of the bathroom and I saw her. I told her let's see how it is because she'd had an implant put in a few days ago." Ameri said he was convinced that he did not have an internet connection but was reconnected automatically.

"We are going to listen to the explanations of the deputy, but we cannot admit that this type of behavior occurs in a body of representatives in a democracy," Massa said..

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