Fourteen days after the hearing on March 19 in Rome, Anna and Pino Paciolla, Mario's parents Paciolla, the aid worker found dead in Colombia on July 15, 2020, renew their request: “If there has to be a case closed, let it be for murder.”
The couple, who do not believe the suicide theory advanced by the Colombian authorities, are asking that the investigation continue to clarify Mario's role in Colombia and the circumstances of his death. "The judge was very careful and took a lot of notes," said Anna Motta, "we hope he will take more time to investigate."
Mario Paciolla's parents have stressed the importance of greater collaboration from the Colombian government and ask the current Italian government to commit to this. "The defense of human rights is universal and has no political color," said Pino Paciolla.
Mario Paciolla's death was filed as suicide by the Colombian government, but his parents have raised doubts and inconsistencies, also supported by the autopsy they requested. The disappearance of the aid worker's personal effects, the cleaning of his home with bleach and the hypothesis of an agreement between governments to keep the documentation on his death secret fuel suspicions of murder.
Meanwhile, at the Oriental University of Naples, where Mario studied, a new website dedicated to him was presented. Daniele Grano, of the collective that created it, reiterated his commitment to supporting the Paciolla family in their search for truth and justice. “We are certain that Mario did not kill himself,” Grano said, “and we will not stop until he is officially recognized.”
The demand for truth is shared by a vast network of representatives of civil society, including the association Articolo 21, the Campania Joint Journalists' Union and the Fnsi.
Article published on 2 April 2025 - 19:02
It is very sad what happened to Mario Paciolla and his parents are right to want the truth to come out. We hope that the investigations continue and that there is justice for him and his family, it is important.