Italy-Ecuador Cooperation Day on the Fight Against the Mafia Held at the Parliament in Quito

Italy-Ecuador Cooperation Day on the Fight Against the Mafia Held at the Parliament in Quito

(ANSA) - QUITO, 08 OTT - General Alessio Nardi, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on security, justice, cooperation, and development policies, opened today’s proceedings at the National Assembly in Quito as part of a day entirely dedicated to cooperation between Italy and Ecuador against organized crime. At his side was Italian Ambassador Giovanni Davoli, the architect of a partnership that has made Italy Quito’s primary partner on the rule of law. Nardi—according to a press release—recalled his ten years of service in Palermo following the 1992 massacres and highlighted three lessons from the Italian model: targeting the organization rather than just individual crimes, following the money, and specializing and coordinating institutions. “A criminal organization cannot be considered dismantled as long as it retains the economic base that allows it to regenerate itself,” he stated. The advisor to Minister Tajani then expressed appreciation for the ‘Ley Antimafias’ promoted by the President of the National Assembly, Mishel Mancheno Dávila. Of particular significance was the resolution by which the National Assembly officially designated November 15 of each year as the “National Day of the Fight Against Organized Crime and the Commemoration of Victims.” This observance represents a solemn commitment by Ecuadorian institutions and society to preserve the memory of those who lost their lives at the hands of criminal organizations and of those who died in the line of duty. In this context, the “Giorgio Ambrosoli Award” was also presented to prosecutors César Suárez and Marcelo Vásconez, who were murdered in 2024; the award was accepted by their widows, Mayra Márquez and Magaly Oleas. The award highlighted the fundamental value of “intermediary bodies, associations, and organized civil society,” which are indispensable for transforming the memory of the victims into collective responsibility, democratic participation, and a culture of legality. The Italian experience—it was emphasized—demonstrates that the fight against the mafia cannot be limited to repressive state action but requires a permanent mobilization of social, educational, and civic forces capable of countering the isolation of those who defend the rule of law and of building trust in institutions. “The highest way to honor those who paid with their lives is to build institutions strong enough so that no one is ever left alone in the fulfillment of their duty,” said Nardi. For his part, Ambassador Davoli emphasized that Italy agrees with the remarks made by the President of Ecuador at the recent UN General Assembly regarding the need for states that cherish peace and democracy to cooperate against the war waged by transnational mafias against the rule of law. In the afternoon, at the “International Seminar on Transparency and Integrity” organized by the Consejo de la Judicatura, the discussion turned to cooperation with the Superior Council of the Judiciary. In attendance were President Mercedes Caicedo, President of the National Court of Justice Marco Rodríguez, and CSM council members Edoardo Cilenti and Dario Scaletta. Giovanni Tartaglia Polcini, Legal Advisor at MAECI and Deputy Director of the European program “El Paccto 2.0” against transnational organized crime, noted in his remarks that “an independent judiciary is a state’s primary security infrastructure.” Finally, the work of Judge Paolo Di Sciuva—Director of European and Italian programs in Quito and the driving force behind the IILA’s Itajus project, which has been active in Ecuador since 2024—has been instrumental. Read article...