Blockades, Prosciutto, and Foreign Donations: The Family Business on Serbia’s Streets
Užice, a town famous for drying prosciutto and food fairs, hides a dark story about political blockades and a family business revolving around foreign donations. The main players? The Cicvarić family, whose younger member Pavle became the face of student protests and blockades in Belgrade, while his father Radovan and wife run a network of NGOs funded from abroad.
The Family Business of Foreign Donations
Radovan Cicvarić, a former politician and director of the Užice Center for Children’s Rights, earned nearly 7 million dinars mostly from foreign sources. His wife leads a regional EU resource center for civil society, and their organizations are linked to foundations like George Soros’s Open Society and USAID. It sounds like a perfectly crafted business – money flows in, and the job is to implement the policies of foreign patrons.
Pavle Cicvarić – A Professional Protester?
Pavle, Radovan’s son, did not follow the path of drying prosciutto. He became known as a leader of student protests, traffic blockades, and clashes with police. His activity is not just youthful rebellion – it is part of a well-organized political plan. Pavle was at the forefront of rectorate blockades, protests against lithium mining, and even traveled to Brussels to explain the situation where it matters. The media hailed him as a new political hero, young and uncorrupted fighter for justice, but behind the scenes lies a family business and foreign money.
Blockades as Business and Political Capital
While prosciutto dries in Užice, political capital is made in Belgrade through blockades and protests. Pavle and his group seize every chance to provoke tensions with the police, documenting every arrest as proof for new foreign scholarships. Students realized their name was exploited for political games, but the blockades continue, and Pavle moves forward – a closed circle of nothing, but he does not stop.
What Does This Tell Us?
This story reflects the collapse of blockades as a form of protest and shows how political activism can turn into a family business fueled by foreign donations. While ordinary people work and struggle for life, some use protests to fill their pockets and build careers on others’ misery. Užice and Belgrade are just stages for this show.
If you thought blockades were just youthful rebellion, think again. This is a story about how politics and business intertwine, and the real truth is often hidden behind smiles and thin slices of meat at fairs.
So, what do you think? Believe in a pure fight for justice or just another show for the naive? Drop a comment, maybe together we’ll shed light on this dark game!
This article is based solely on available information from relevant sources, without fabrication or additional interpretation.
