On August 6, 2021, the municipality of Foggia was dissolved due to mafia. Interior Ministry experts discovered that a large part of public markets were infiltrated by members belonging to the Foggia Society, the family-divided criminal consortium that runs the city. Following the mandate of commissioner, the work of the police intensified.
But there is a lot of work to be done, the entire captaincy has been in the hands of organized crime for many years. They control the territory with the violence of bombs and murders. Hundreds of traders are victims of blackmail and are afraid to come forward. Additionally, over the past two years, several senior members of organized crime have been murdered in the streets, in broad daylight or at night.
Despite the city administration, the atmosphere is always the same. In October 2023, the municipality returned to voting, after a poor electoral campaign in which many faces from the previous administration also participated.
Through investigative documents, unpublished audio, testimonies from mafia victims and entrepreneurs who denounced their tormentors, “Burning the Earth” tells of a forgotten territory in the hands of organized crime, the failure of institutions and politics.
The investigation was carried out by Youssef Hassan Holgado And Tommaso Panzavideo and editing by Giovanni Culmone, thanks to the contribution of the Amici di Roberto Morrione association as part of the twelfth edition of Roberto Morrione Prize for Investigative Journalism under 30 years old. The investigation was also carried out with the support of the journalistic tutor Enzo Nucci, the lawyer Giulio Vasaturo for legal supervision and Pietro Ferri as musical tutor.
Morrione and announcement of the 2024 Academy Award
The Friends of Roberto Morrione association has opened two calls for tenders reserved for those under 30: one for 13th edition of the Prize Roberto Morrione for investigative journalism (deadline for sending investigative projects: January 21, 2024) and one for the PRM Academy (deadline for sending applications: February 21, 2024).
