Unusual mistake: The Uruguayan Senate observed a minute’s silence for a former lawmaker who was not dead

An unusual event occurred this week in Uruguayan Senatewhen a lawmaker announced that a former colleague had died and everyone in the room did a minute of silence to pay him homage. But the news was false and after a few minutes, the same senator who had given the warning had to apologise.

It all happened on Tuesday, when the first session of the legislative year was taking place in the Senate, which discussed, among other things, some benefits for rural producers, who are experiencing a long drought in the countryside.

In the middle of the debate, Senator from the Broad Front Liliam Kechichian asked to speak Former Congresswoman Ivonne Passada was dead. All those present were shocked by the news and, visibly moved, Vice President Beatriz Argimón took the floor to recall that Passada “had been suffering from an illness for some time”.

Argimón – who is the president of the Senate – recalled Passada as a “true vocationist” in professional politics, “a militant in her sector, an excellent colleague and with a very important role in the Interparliamentary Union”.

After giving a brief summary of the former senator’s political career, he called on all lawmakers to get up from their seats and they will give Passada a minute’s silence.

Afterwards, some senators briefly paid tribute to the former deputy and senator of the Popular Participation Movement (MPP). For this reason, Germán Coutinho, from Colorado, Carlos Camy, a nationalist, and Guido Manini Ríos, from Cabildo Abierto took the floor.

Also echoed the institutional account of the Senate on social networks of the moment, realizing the minute of silence in homage to the former legislator.

But at that moment, Kechichian spoke again and the amazement could be clearly seen on his face. “We are in a crazy world,” she said, visibly upset.

“It seems that the networks are communicating unconfirmed things”he continued, and explained that former Senator Passada was still hospitalized and the information given was wrong.

Trying to pass the bad drink, he tried an explanation. “I’m sorry, because Senator Della Ventura gave it to me, when they ask me we confirm it, and now it would seem that this is not the case”.

“The truth is that you can’t live at the pace of social networks. But I would ask you to make a dead end, let’s see, let’s talk about it with the family, thanking everything that has been said here, but it seems that we are faced with information we don’t know what it happens to people. We are in a very crazy world, “the senator told President Argimón.

“I don’t know what happens to people who want to be the first to break bad news,” Kechichian added. You suggested “cancelling” everything that happened around Passada’s “death” and waiting for confirmation from the ex-senator’s family.

After a while, the former senator’s family sent a message to lawmakers stating that “in the face of some misunderstandings” that have occurred in the last few hours, Passada “is hospitalized in serious condition and is accompanied by her closest friends.”