Albanian cartels in Latin America have received the attention of the world at the United Nations. It was Ecuador's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gabriela Sommerfeld, who mentioned the Albanian cartels by name along with the Mexican ones 'Sinaloa' and 'Jalisco Nueva Generación'.
Foreign media write that Sommerfeld called for reform of the multilateral system to address the real challenges facing developing countries, particularly the threat of transnational organized crime as a risk to international peace and security.
“Multilateralism must evolve to respond to people's current demands and to confront new threats,” said Sommerfeld, who represented President Daniel Noboa at the United Nations General Assembly.
Sommerfeld argued that: The concept of international peace and security must be expanded to include transnational organized crime, a phenomenon that undermines governance, fuels corruption, perpetuates violence, and erodes prospects for progress.
"These organizations cause economic, political and social consequences similar to those of international armed conflicts. We are not talking about local gangs, but rather about international networks and logistical chains that move thousands of tons of drugs, exploit illegal mines, traffic weapons, people and even human organs," she denounced from New York.
Sommerfeld noted that President Noboa declared Ecuador a "non-international armed conflict" in early 2024, in order to curb the unprecedented escalation of violence linked to organized crime. This decision led to the classification of criminal gangs as terrorist groups, including organizations linked to the Mexican Sinaloa and Jalisco Nueva Generación cartels and the Albanian mafia in Europe.
"Without asking for it, due to its proximity to the main cocaine-producing countries in the world, Ecuador is on the front lines of the battle against transnational organized crime and is waging an existential war against narcoterrorism," the official said.
The minister also stated that the country has made extraordinary efforts and resources to protect security and put citizens first, achieving a record of 294 tons of drug seizures in 2023.
Sommerfeld also mentioned the referendum promoted by the head of state to reform the Constitution, which includes the possibility of allowing the establishment of foreign military bases.
"The reform will allow other countries to provide strategic points that can be used to control and monitor criminal activities for the benefit of international peace and security," she said.
She was welcomed to the UN halls by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and then held meetings with representatives of Paraguay, the European bloc, and participated in the US meeting called "Dismantling Transnational Criminal Organizations in the Western Hemisphere."
