Link to Article: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/italian-mafia-fugitive-arrested-colombia-drug-trafficking-2024-10-25/
This morning news broke of an Italian-national and fugitive has been arrested in Colombia for drug trafficking crimes, a known fugitive for his connection to the Camorra Mafia, he is now set to serve just under ~20 years in prison for his crimes and affiliations. Named Luigi Belvedere, the Italian police has stated that he has been on the run since December of 2020, almost five years ago! He was apprehended and arrested in Medellin, being one of Italy’s notable dangerous fugitives listed by its government. A photo of the fugitive was distributed by the Italian government of Belvedere posing next to the death of the infamous drug-lord, Pablo Escobar, following his arrest in Medellin.
Investigators broke the news that his arrested was prompted by information received from the aid of the European Union’s police agency, EUROPOL. Having already been convicted in absentia by the Italian judicial courts, Belvedere was found guilty in absentia of trafficking cocaine and acting as an intermediary between notable mafia groups, the Casalesi clan of the Camorra, and various Colombian drug cartels. The Camorra are known to be a remarkably organized mafia group in Naples and southern Italy, made up of a myriad of clans and families over the traditional Sicilian pyramid-based mafia-organizations. It is known primarily for its illegal drug trafficking, counterfeiting and money laundering operations.
This is a very important step for the region and for Italy as a whole as it is known to be extremely mafia-ridden, with a large portion of public infrastructure being owned, operated or in direct association with the Camorra’s myriad of clans in and around Naples. To have found, identified and arrested a major fugitive that was known to be an accomplice to drug trafficking and a “diplomat’ for the south Italian and Colombian drug trade, is a huge step of success for the future. It shows Italy’s efforts of striking back against corruption and its crime ridden streets, whilst also giving Colombia a major victory on the international scene, provided that it is gaining reputation as fittingly working with European governments to crack down on organized crime and the S. American – European drug trade.
As for how the Italian and Colombian governments could respond, it seems as if the Italian government is going to maintain a stance of its conviction in absentia for Belvedere where as the Colombian government has yet to make a public statement on the matter, especially on if it worked alongside the Italian police and EUROPOL. Given that Colombia responds positively and admits to working alongside the Italian government, it could spark an organized-crime, mafia, response to the situation that could unfold positively or ugly for the Colombian government.
This relates to class as it applies as apart of the realist theory, in that governments or state must maintain a military and enforce their own security, here and abroad, to keep anarchy at bay.