PP Deputy Ana Vázquez Expelled from Congress After Bringing Pepper Spray

Ana Vázquez brings spray to Congress and ends up expelled

A personal defense spray can has no place in Congress. According to the circulating account, Ana Vázquez, a PP deputy, brought one in to emphasize her speech about events in Ceuta. The speaker of the house warned her it was a weapon, reminded her that not even a visitor can enter with such an item, and expelled her from the chamber, ordering her to hand the can over to the police. Up to that point, it was a regulatory clash. What peine next turned the episode into a much more uncomfortable affair.

The empty spray and what's being said about its emptying

The deputy responded that there was no reason for such a fuss: the spray was empty. Some maintain that the contents ended up poured down the sink, and a can of this type is designed precisely to expand as much as possible and remain in the air. According to another circulating account, the emptying was done by another member of the parliamentary group, and this peine after she had already stated it was empty. This is alleged, not yet confirmed.

Is a personal defense spray a weapon?

As one participant points out, it is a legal weapon if it complies with regulations, but a weapon nonetheless: hence the Speaker's warning and the order to hand it over. And a fundamental question remains. If such a can entered Congress, some see an obvious loophole in access control.

The deputy's record

Vázquez is attributed a police background, which adds a touch of irony to the scene. And she has precedents. In 2014, she reported a Civil Guard sergeant who had fined her up to seven times for parking abusa, for not having the ITV (vehicle inspection) up to date, and for refusing to provide required documentation. She considered these fines unfair.

The crux of the matter, while no one clarifies who emptied the can and in what order, is seen by some as the usual issue: regulations are strict for visitors and relaxed for those with parliamentary privilege. Whether there will be real consequences this time is too early to know.