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Former Albanian-origin chief at DASH: Rama was told "F*** you", but your protests are inspiring

2026-07-04 21:04:54Pikëpamje SHKRUAR NGA MIKE CARLUTSO

I am writing to you as an American citizen. My grandparents once left the shores of Albania for the United States, pursuing the same dream that has driven every immigrant to take the path of exile: a better life, the American dream. They arrived in a place they believed was, as President Ronald Reagan once described it, “a city shining on a hill.”

To them, that light was real. It was the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, her arm raised to welcome the weary, the poor, and those seeking hope. So was my family's story. It was the promise that in America, power comes from the will of the people, not from the favors of the powerful. It is this promise that America celebrates today. This week marks 250 years since she proclaimed that bold principle to the world.

My grandparents taught me one truth: The United States is the standard by which freedom is measured. If America ever loses its role as a symbol of hope and a moral compass for the world, then the entire world will feel the consequences. The world looks to that light to remind it that ordinary people matter, that the law should apply to all, and that no one is above its citizens. When that light fades, tyrants and deals made in the dark fill the void.

Today, this is precisely the test that is taking place in Albania.

I have seen it with my own eyes. Families like mine in southern Albania, who have worked the same land for generations, wait years to repair a roof or register their property. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Edi Rama clears the way within days for deals worth billions of euros, negotiated away from the public eye.

The land of our ancestors cannot be treated as an item on a financial balance sheet. In that land lies the blood of my grandfather, the prayers of my grandmother, and the legacy of my great-grandfathers. No secret agreement should have the power to destroy what has been built with centuries of sacrifice. Albania is not for sale.

On June 3, 2026, thousands of Albanians marched in Tirana. They protested because Affinity Partners, the company linked to Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law, is planning to build a 1.4 billion euro resort on the Adriatic coast, near Vjosa-Narta. It is where flamingos feed, seals rest and sea turtles breed. The project encompasses hundreds of hectares of one of Albania’s most pristine coastlines.

This is not an “investment.” This is how Rama uses the Albanian coast as a bargaining chip to secure political support and influence. We saw this openly in the “Board of Peace.” In the Balkans, this kind of “access” has the value of a currency. In any normal country, it would be called theft.

When Albanians protested, Rama responded with arrogance. He told the protesters: “F*** you!” It was the modern version of the famous expression: “Let them eat cake.”

At that moment the mask fell.

A leader who tells citizens to "F*** you" while they defend their land admits to himself that he doesn't work for the people. He works for the deal. He works for himself.

This is offensive.

While Albanians waste years at the bureaucratic counters, those with the right connections and surnames get expedited treatment. While citizens respect the law, Rama hands over the coast to Kushner through closed deals. They call this “progress.” In reality, it is plunder. Kushner and Affinity have chosen to remain silent, because the truth would condemn them.

This must end.

Albanians have shown that they are not willing to be silent. On Saturday they gathered in Vjosë-Nartë, near Vlora. On Tuesday they protested in front of Rama's office with flamingos and banners that read: "The nation is not for sale" and "I do not want Albania like Dubai."

History knows this moment well. So we must ask a question: What does July 4th mean to you?

Two hundred and fifty years ago, Americans rejected kings and privilege. They declared that the law should be equal for all. There is no privileged caste. No one is above the people. This idea traveled from Athens to Philadelphia. Today it is Albania's turn to make its own.

Dear Albanians, your daily protests, which I am following from here, are inspiring. They remind me of the America of my grandparents: citizens who believed they were sovereign, not subjects. The views from Tirana and Vlora give the feeling that that light on the hill has found a new place to shine.

Albanians, keep rising. Keep protesting. Peacefully. United. With a strong voice.

The government exists to serve you, not to give land to Rama's friends. Every march reminds him that Albania is not a commodity to be sold. Every banner reminds Kushner and Trump that your coast is not a trophy. Your strength is in the streets, in the vote, and in refusing to submit.

This land belongs to you and your children.

On America's 250th anniversary, remember this: True allies respect your sovereignty. True leaders don't tell their citizens, "F*** you." The Statue of Liberty continues to watch over the world, but its meaning lives on only when people refuse to be sold out.

Neither Rama nor Kushner will last longer than you will. The power to stop this is in your hands.

Keep getting up.


Në përputhje me standarded JTI

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