Mafia may threaten the integrity of Italy. The loss of state control in some southern regions of Italy was discovered from one of the materials of the American diplomatic correspondence, published on Wikileaks on Thursday.
Among the regions of Italy, where government control is much weakened now, American diplomats called Calabria. On many aspects of life in Calabria decisions of the Italian authorities practically do not apply. Along with the penetration of the Mafia in almost all the management structures of Calabria, in the diplomat's comments is also noted the general incompetence of the administration officials in the region and the slowness of the prosecutor's office.
Responsibility for the situation the U.S. diplomat puts on the supreme power in Italy, including the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. It is worth noting that the materials include correspondence of 2008. Since then in Italy were held several arrests of major Mafia bosses, both on Sicily and in Calabria. Nevertheless, significant changes in the crime situation have not happened.
Calabria is one of the poorest regions in southern Italy. A significant part of the local business is controlled by the criminal syndicate Ndrangheta. In addition, Ndrangheta is one of the largest suppliers of cocaine in Western Europe.
Also raises concern the fate of the project on building the longest bridge in Italy, which would connect Sicily and Calabria. The project worth of 5 billion euros could fall under the patronage of mafia structures and thereby become a leak of public funds.
In the materials of Wikileaks are presented extracts from the interviews of representatives of the U.S. embassy in Italy with several officials of Calabria. So, according to one of the prosecutors of Naples: “the desire to break laws is in the blood of the Neapolitans”.
Date: 19/01/2011
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