Italy celebrates this Thursday (21) the day in “Memory of the Victims of the Mafia”, “a significant anniversary for the national community”.
In a speech, the Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, said that the fight against mafia organizations is the task and duty of all those who love the country.
According to him, this is “a day that highlights the commitment to liberate populations and territories from mafia organizations and to overcome the indifference and resignation that always benefit criminal groups”.
“When we defend the dignity of being free citizens, when we rebel against violence and injustice, when we do not look the other way when faced with abuses, we contribute to the fight against mafia organizations”, added the head of state.
Mattarella, who also had his older brother, Piersanti, murdered by Cosa Nostra mobsters in the 1980s, stated that reading the names of innocent victims “is an act that reunites us with those who paid with their lives for the inhumanity of mafia and a sign of closeness to their families.”
Furthermore, he emphasized that the practice “is a strong and collective expression of that desire for justice that constitutes the vital energy of a democracy”.
During his speech, the Italian president called on institutions to “fulfill their duty to combat, at all levels, criminal organizations”, while also stating that the action of citizens and social forces is essential to build and spread culture of legality and freedom”.
For Mattarella, “mafia organizations are a heavy burden for Italy due to the way they have insinuated themselves into all illegal criminal trafficking activities.”
“The Day reminds us that combating mafia organizations is the task and duty of all those who love the Republic and want to give it a better future”, he concluded.
In addition to Mattarella, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, recalled the date and stated that “the memory of the victims of organized crime must be the guide for all of us”.
In a post on social media, Meloni explained that the celebration “is an important occasion to pay tribute to those who lost their lives at the hands of the mafia, to gather around their families and pass on their stories to the youngest and renew the commitment daily of each one of us and our institutions against all forms of organized crime”.
“The memory of those who paid such a high price and the example of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of legality must be the beacon that guides the actions and work of all of us”, he concluded.
The commemoration in memory of the victims of the mafia in Italy has taken place annually on March 21 since 1996 by associations belonging to the anti-mafia Libera network. In 2017, however, it became an official day by law. (HANDLE).
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