The land confiscated from the mafia and assigned by the Municipality of Valenzano to the “Semi di vita” association directed by Angelo Santoro has been almost completely destroyed. An arson attack broke out in the early afternoon yesterday, destroying most of the structures on the grounds, where a self-financing dinner had been organized for this evening.
The cooperative, which takes care of land confiscated from organized crime, has long been involved in social agriculture, carrying out urban inclusion and regeneration projects. At the moment, the causes of the fire are unknown.
«Gentlemen, everything is destroyed – explains Angelo Santoro in a video on social media, showing images of the land damaged by the flames – we saved the chicken coop, the caravan is destroyed, the fire is starting to spread behind, chemical toilets destroyed, the whole area of dinners destroyed. What can I say, we were in deep shit but now we can’t see the light anymore.”
«The Semi di Vita Cooperative is one of the rare examples that manage to make an asset confiscated from the mafia a factor in the legal economy for many young people. That fire cannot be considered damage to private individuals but an affront to a different Puglia, finally free from the mafias. Valenzano and its mayor as well as the cooperative are not left alone. Otherwise honest citizens will draw conclusions that are difficult to refute”, declared the Vice President of Public Notice, Michele Abbaticchio.
«What happened yesterday in Valenzano worries us a lot. The land that went up in smoke is an asset confiscated from local clans and entrusted to the Semi di Vita association. The continuous attacks on confiscated assets are a symptom of a dangerous conflict between mafiosi and those who work daily to stem the phenomenon”, is the comment of Corrado De Benedittis, Provincial Coordinator of Public Notice and Mayor of Corato, on the natural fire arson that destroyed almost all the land.
«The case of Valenzano is extremely serious, because it affects a confiscated asset and the will of civil society to deal with it. What is annoying is the demonstration that the mafia can be fought with legality. It is clear that in this way we want to discourage other cooperatives and other local institutions from dealing with these public goods. And all this must be vigorously opposed”, concludes Corrado De Benedittis.
