Andrea Becerril and Néstor Jiménez
La Jornada Newspaper
Wednesday, October 22, 2025, p. 8
Today, Morena senator Gerardo Fernández Noroña will request leave from his position for 10 days, in order to make a trip to the Middle East to meet with Palestinian authorities and give first-hand testimony about what is happening in the area occupied by Israel.
At a press conference, he explained that he is attending at the invitation of the Palestinian authority last July, when he presided over the Senate, and decided to go now, since despite the agreed ceasefire, the genocide continues.
He specified that the plane ticket will be paid for by the United Arab Emirates, where he will have a meeting and two more scheduled in Jordan, “but the bulk of the time will be spent on tours to see what the people of Palestine are experiencing.”
–Do you plan to go to the Gaza Strip?
–I think it would be reckless, but if the Palestinian authority plans a visit to Gaza, I will do it. Whatever they have scheduled, I will do it.
Fernández Noroña maintained that he does not fear retaliation from the United States, since the worst that can happen to him is that his visa is withdrawn.
He explained that he was not obliged to ask for leave, since it is a work trip, but since he has constant media monitoring, he decided to do so in today’s session. It will be valid starting tomorrow and until November 2.
Separately, the president of the Foreign Relations Commission, Alejandro Murat, commented that parliamentary diplomacy is the responsibility of the Senate and part of the legislators’ tasks is to exercise it, so Fernández Noroña’s decision to attend is legal.
Debate with Gil Zuarth
In another order, Fernández Noroña assured yesterday that the former senator of the National Action Party, Roberto Gil Zuarth, intended to join Morena to seek a multi-member candidacy for the Senate. A couple of hours later, the PAN member confirmed that it is false and called Fernández a “compulsive liar.”
Among the topics he addressed at the press conference, Fernández Noroña was asked about the complaint that Gil Zuarth announced against him, in which he accused him of alleged money laundering. After ensuring that he has not been notified of any legal process, the Morenista stressed that the PAN member “wanted to come to the movement, but there was no room. We did have the stomach, but that was too much.”
On social networks, the PAN member responded to the former president of the board of directors: “Let this compulsive liar prove his statements. He won’t be able to, because it is false.”
