chamber of deputies

The rain was so intense local media reported that officials inside the Chamber of Deputies - the lower house of Brazil's congress - were forced to use umbrellas inside as water leaked through the roof.

But the idea was soon shot down by Luciano Laspina, a member of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies who belongs to the party of centre-right ex-President Mauricio Macri.

She was first elected in 1976 to the the Chamber of Deputies.

Martínez’s coffin, draped with the Mexican flag, was wheeled into the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, the seat of Congress, where lawmakers paid homage to a pioneer who had served as an ambassador, senator, and, at the time of her death, was president of the Chamber of Deputies.

The Chamber of Deputies overwhelmingly approved the reform with 359 votes in favour and 135 against after a session lasting more than 12 hours.