Overview
- A verbal confrontation between Carlos Castagneto (Unión por la Patria) and Andrés Leone (La Libertad Avanza) interrupted debate in the Chamber of Deputies' Budget and Finance Commission during a long session on Tuesday.
- The clash began when socialist deputy Esteban Paulón was criticizing government compliance with the Ley de Financiamiento Universitario and accusing officials of mocking protesters.
- Castagneto rose from his seat to confront Leone, accused him of insults, and demanded an apology or removal while colleagues including the commission president Bertie Benegas Lynch and several deputies stepped in to separate them and prevent a physical fight.
- The session resumed after the exchange with Education Secretary Alejandro Torrendell and University Policy Subsecretary Alejandro Álvarez defending the executive's handling of university financing and saying the government is acting within the law.
- Video of the face‑to‑face exchange circulated widely and has increased scrutiny of chamber decorum and the unresolved dispute over meeting the law's funding obligations, though no formal sanctions or procedural changes were reported.