"Explosions, shame and great damage"/ Rama with the director of "Art Explora" at the former dictator's villa: The situation could have escalated

2026-03-01 16:21:00, Aktualitet CNA

"Explosions, shame and great damage"/ Rama with the director of

Prime Minister Edi Rama has made another reaction on social media regarding the incidents recorded yesterday during the opposition protest, where explosives were thrown towards the villa of former dictator Enver Hoxha.

In a video posted from the former dictator's villa alongside the executive director of the "Art Explora" Foundation program, Bisej Kapo, Rama said he expressed his regret to the artists who found themselves faced with that situation last night.

He further added that the artists are traumatized by what had happened, while describing everything as a "great shame and harm."

"I am here with the executive director of the "Art Explora" program, one of the most prestigious foundations in the world for artist-in-residence programs. For some time now, this former dictator's residence has been turned into a residency for artists who come from all over the world here in Tirana, in a destination that gives value and makes Tirana and Albania precious in this regard as well. I came to meet with the artists and to express to them all my feelings of regret, to apologize for what happened last night when they were under an attack by homemade bombs, which, if far from it, could have brought tragedy here. They are traumatized. They are not able to speak for the public. I completely understand them and what has happened is a great shame, it is a great damage, it is an open wound in what is the face of the new Albania and which this residence represents, which these talented boys and girls who come from all four "The sides of the world here. I have no words for what a shame this is. I want to tell you that those who sympathize with the barbarians of last night, their instigators, more precisely those who throw those homemade bombs, are totally manipulated. I want to tell you that from this, from this, all those who want to do work, who want to have tourists, who want to develop their small economy, with their small business or who want to raise children here in peace, lose out because an open Albania cannot be closed and these crackles simply and only bring grist to the mill of the past and have nothing to do with the future", the prime minister said.

Meanwhile, the director of "Art Explora" said during her speech that the situation could have escalated and there could have been greater damage because the building is all made of wood.

"It was only at dinner when we heard the explosion and the artists immediately entered the corridor that is the most protected. We took the fire extinguishers and tried not to let anything happen to us. The building is all wood and the situation could have escalated. For me, the fact that they did not know that it was the arts residence is not an excuse at all, and I even find it shameful to use it as an element that ignorance justifies the action ," said Kapo. /CNA