Residents of the village of Hotolisht in Librazhd today escalated protests against the Elbasan-Qafë Thanë road project, which is expected to pass through the village, dividing the community and destroying homes and agricultural land.
In the third protest in a row, they blocked the “Librazhd-Prrenjas” road with an empty coffin, symbolically expressing their concern about the “death of the village” if the project continues as planned.
“The hotolis is ready to respond, either us or you,” was the clear message accompanying the protest, reflecting the residents' determination to protect their community.
"We do not oppose the road, but we ask that it not pass over our lives, our ancestors. Why doesn't the state have money for a 30-meter-long tunnel to save the village?" said one of the protesters.
Residents have submitted a petition with 511 signatures, demanding that the road be diverted through a tunnel or run along the Shkumbin River, in order to avoid the division of the village and the destruction of homes. But to date, they have not received a response.
A meeting called on March 17 with Infrastructure Minister Belinda Balluku, where residents' claims were expected to be reviewed, did not take place after the senior official did not show up.
The Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) has stated that the project is being reviewed to minimize the impact on the community, but on the other hand has emphasized that the road diversion is technically difficult due to the terrain and proximity to the Shkumbi River.
However, residents express dissatisfaction with the lack of information and transparency so far and demand a clear answer and a solution that does not affect the village and their livelihood.
The protests have continued since 2024, when road works approached the village of Hotolisht. The residents have been against it since the beginning, stressing that they were not consulted. For this, they have sought alternative solutions by addressing the institutions, from which they have so far found disregard.
The segment that affects the village of Hotolisht is the eighth phase of the “Elbasan-Qafë Thanë” project and starts about 140 meters from the turn to the place called “Rrethi i Bardhë” and ends about 300 meters from the turn to the village of Xhyrë. The winning company for this segment is “Fusha” shpk, which signed the contract in July 2024.
The residents of Hotolisht continue to seek a solution that respects their rights and preserves the integrity of the community, emphasizing that they are not against development, but demand that it be done in a fair and sustainable manner.
Read also:
- The "Elbasan-Qafë Thanë" road divides the village of Hotolisht
- Over 500 residents of Hotolisht petition against the road
- No information about the road project, Hotolishti in protest
Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
