There is controversy over the security costs for Coastal diplomacy Italy, the journey along the Italian coasts of the American ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence. “Italy cannot become the free escort of the private megayacht of the United States ambassador,” says the Avs deputy and co-spokesperson of Europa Verde, Angelo Bonelli, announcing a parliamentary question.
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Fertitta’s idea (born in Texas but of Sicilian origins) is to tour 13 regions on his yacht Boardwalk meeting local politicians, entrepreneurs and military representatives with the aim of consolidating relations between the United States and Italy. An initiative that is nevertheless engaging Italian security and causing some discontent within the opposition ranks. For example in Venice where Fertitta is expected on July 18 to attend the “Redentore fireworks”. A visit to the lagoon city whose details have so far been kept very confidential and for which protests are feared.
Fertitta is the owner of the Houston Rockets basketball team but his career spans hotels, restaurants, casinos and amusement parks. He was also a star in the reality show Billion Dollar Buyer on CNBC and in 2017 he bought the Rockets for 2.2 billion dollars. Married twice, he had four children from his first wife. In the past he has donated in a bipartisan way, to Democrats and Republicans, from the Clintons to the Bushes and in 2020 he gave 140 thousand dollars to Trump’s campaign and 5,600 dollars to Joe Biden’s.
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His vessel does not go unnoticed: the “Boardwalk” measures 117 meters and is worth about 450 million dollars. It hosts two helipads, swimming pools, a spa, a gym and a small golf course. “From Civitavecchia to Naples, Vibo Marina, Palermo, Cefalù, Gallipoli and Bari, up to the announced stops of Venice, Trieste, Genoa and Sardinia, the yacht – assures Bonelli – is accompanied and monitored by naval units of the Guardia di Finanza and the Coast Guard-Port Authority, helicopters and personnel of the Italian police forces.” Therefore, according to the Avs representative, it is not “a simple assistance, but a massive security and maritime police device” and “the ordinances of the Police Headquarters also specify that the ambassador is the recipient of a protection measure corresponding to the first level of risk, ensured by specialized personnel of the Rome Escort Unit.”
Bonelli therefore asks “for what reason the security of a United States ambassador navigating with his private megayacht must be guaranteed by Italian air and naval means with resources of the Italian State? Why are American security apparatuses not used? How many men and means are taken away from the control of the territory and coasts? And how much does all this cost Italian citizens?”.
