Venezuela politicians in punch-up

The media bill aroused strong passions

Tensions between the government and opposition in Venezuela have reached new highs after a fistfight broke out during a session of parliament.

Rival members of the National Assembly traded punches as tempers frayed in a row over a controversial media bill.

Venezuelan television showed images of the brawl, which began after the bill was slipped into the agenda against the opposition's wishes.

The incident forced a 10-minute suspension of proceedings.

The uproar began when Nicolas Maduro, who belongs to President Hugo Chavez's Movement of the Fifth Republic, and Nicolas Sosa, of the opposition Movement for Socialism (MAS), started pushing and shoving each other while their colleagues tried to separate them.

No sooner had order been restored than another scuffle broke out, this time involving Mr Maduro and another opposition member, Roger Rondon.

Mr Maduro accused Mr Rondon, who once sat on the government benches but left to become an independent, of hitting him on the head with a folder.

Mr Maduro then ran after Mr Rondon and the two exchanged blows before other opposition members broke up the fight.

'Gag law'

The violence erupted over draft legislation known officially as the Radio and Television Social Responsibility Law, which Mr Chavez sees as a way of regulating the country's often stridently anti-government private media.

Opposition parties say it threatens freedom of speech and have nicknamed it the "gag law".

The bill was given initial approval by the National Assembly in February last year, but it was the government's attempt to re-introduce it that sparked uproar on Tuesday.

The opposition said it had been included on the agenda illegally and threatened to leave the chamber in order to deprive the government of the necessary quorum.

The row was finally defused after the government agreed to withdraw the bill from Tuesday's session.

Venezuela's newspapers, which are not covered by the bill, poked fun at the politicians involved.

"It all happened in a matter of seconds," said El Universal newspaper.

"Slapping and shouting gave way to pushing and shoving, and testosterone - in a location crammed with men - did the rest," wrote the paper's female reporter, Elvia Gomez.