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Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Ecuador's Foreign Minister puts the 'Albanian mafia' on the same level as Mexican drug cartels; Albania at the crossroads of diplomatic response and international image...
A strong and surprising statement by Ecuador's Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, has put Albania in the spotlight at the United Nations General Assembly, alarming Albanian public opinion and raising serious questions about the extent of organized crime with Albanian links abroad. Sommerfeld mentioned the 'Albanian mafia' as part of transnational criminal networks that, according to her, have captured economies, politics and institutions in Latin America, alongside well-known cartels such as the Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación.
"We are dealing with criminal organizations with names like Sinaloa, Jalisco Nueva Generación, the Albanian mafia and others, which fuel corruption, destabilize states and hinder development," she said in her official speech at the UN, according to a report by the VoxNews.al portal. She further added that during 2023 alone, Ecuador has seized over 294 tons of drugs and is pushing for reforms that foresee allowing foreign military bases to help control the territory.
This statement cannot be seen as a mere rhetorical comment: it is representative of a deep concern of countries affected by transnational crime, where Albanian networks have been described by agencies such as Europol and the DEA as "one of the most sophisticated actors in cocaine trafficking from Latin America to Europe". (Europol SOCTA Report, 2021).
For its part, Albania should react with diplomatic acumen. Silence or denial without concretely addressing the accusations could be interpreted as evasion or incompetence. A dignified reaction would be for the Foreign Ministry to officially address the statement, requesting clarification from Ecuador on the basis of this statement, but also publishing reports that demonstrate the commitment of Albanian institutions in the fight against organized crime.
The analysis of the context shows that in addition to Ecuador, countries such as Italy, Belgium, Spain and the United Kingdom have often mentioned Albanian networks as part of serious crimes in Europe, using expressions such as "Albanian mafia". But the difference lies in the use of this term on the highest diplomatic stage in the world, the UN Assembly, which in itself carries serious consequences for the image of Albania as a state and for Albanians as a diaspora.
This moment can be used as an opportunity by official Tirana: not only to clarify its stance on crime, but also to position itself as a reliable partner in the fight against global organized crime. Otherwise, the narrative that others construct will continue to shape the perception of Albanians in the world./ Pamphlet
Po pse ju nxi bytha ketij shteti kriminal?Po te kishin principe,parime dhe te ishte shtet serioz nuk do lejonte kete katrahure ,njerezit populli do duhet te reagonte. I cmenduri i etur per pushtet dhe para ka gjetur terren ,ne nje vend me pak dinjitet ky zdap dhe satrap nuk do ishte ne krye te shtetit por ne burg te sigurise larte
Keta qelbesirat latino espanjolle duke filluar qe nga mamaja e tyre Spanja kane nje urrejtje nga Shqiptareve e Shqiperise. Duke iu referuar thenies se Skenderbeut kur erdhi ne Kruje 'Lirine nuk ua solla une por e gjeta mes jush', u thoni tere qelbasheve te botes se 'drogen nuk ua sollen e mesuan Shqiptaret por e gjeten mes jush e ua mesuat ju'.