Assassination of union leader Pierre Alessandri in Corsica: Impunity must end!

Pierre Alessandri, secretary general of Via Campagnola, an agricultural union affiliated with the Confédération paysanne farmers' union, was murdered. He was shot twice in the back at dusk on March 17. No one has claimed responsibility for the killing.

This assassination took place a few weeks after his union became the majority in Corsica following the Chamber of Agriculture elections.

For years, Pierre Alessandri had been strongly denouncing the excesses of Corsican agriculture.

Sitting for many years on Safer—a collective body that decides on land allocation—Pierre Alessandri never stopped denouncing speculation on agricultural land. "He also courageously stood up against fraud involving CAP subsidies, a corrupt system that allowed a few people to line their pockets. He simply called for a fair system for all Corsican farmers, " says Laurence Marandola of the Confédération Paysanne farmers' union.

"This tragedy is part of a climate of mafia-like practices and corruption that plague Corsica and undermine the rule of law," says the French anti-corruption association Anticor, adding: "Fighting for the public interest should not cost lives."

He had already been the target of numerous threats, and in 2019, his distillery was destroyed by arson. He told the press at the time: "We farmers are now pretty much on the front line when it comes to land speculation. And when we get in the way a little, there is a systematic personalization on the part of a 'mafia-like' system, a 'secret' system that is very effective in, to use a somewhat strong term, 'terrorizing' a number of economic actors."

These murders have provoked numerous expressions of support, but the French government has said very little, with the exception of the Minister of Agriculture. The Confédération paysanne farmers' union is outraged by the lack of response from other members of the government. Neither Gérald Darmanin, Minister of Justice, nor Bruno Retailleau, Minister of the Interior, have made any statements on the matter.

"We are faced with the murder of an active union leader, and there has been no public reaction. This silence is appalling. There has been no mention of it in the chamber, " says Laurence Marandola. "His murder is a blow to democracy, to free speech, to the commitment to a land that so many conflicting interests are seeking to monopolize. The investigation must move forward and be brought to a successful conclusion." This is the fourth murder in Corsica since the beginning of the year .

Source: Basta! March 25, 2025 https://basta.media/silence-Etat-meurtre-Pierre-Alessandri-agriculteur-syndicaliste-militant-anti-mafia-en-Corse