The controversial resort that Trump's daughter wants to build on a paradise island in a European country

Pink flamingos and images of the US president's daughter are central elements of protests against a tourist development in Albania
REUTERS
For days, protesters have been protesting through the streets of Tirana, the capital of Albania, attracting thousands of people to the streets to demand the cancellation of a luxury tourist development allegedly linked to Ivanka Trump - daughter of American President Donald Trump - and her husband Jared Kushner.
There are Albanian flags and anti-corruption slogans, but There are also many images of Trump's daughter and bright pink flamingos, as part of a campaign calling on her and her husband, Kushner, to "go home."
Clashes between police and protesters in the region have been frequent, with people shouting "Cancel the development" and holding banners reading "Albania is not for sale." an area that is home to flamingos, seals and sea turtle nests.
The Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, supports the 4 billion euro (R$24 billion) plan that, according to him, would bring jobs and infrastructure to the region.
The island that caught the attention of Ivanka Trump
The proposals envisage developments on the island of Sazan and close to areas that are home to animals
REUTERS
The uninhabited island of Sazan, 5.7 square kilometers, is situated in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Vlora, a city in southwestern Albania.
The island served as a strategic military base during World War II, later becoming part of the Soviet Union-aligned defense network in the 1950s, and remaining a highly fortified outpost even after Albania's break with the USSR.
As a result, in addition to thousands of bunkers and underground tunnels on the island, large Quantities of unexploded ordnance remain scattered on the seabed and along its rocky coast.
In an interview with a podcast in the US, Ivanka Trump said she and her husband found the island by chance.
"We were on a friend's boat and stopped to swim," she told David Senra's podcast.
"We identified the opportunity to help realize its potential and transform it, but with great moderation and care, because the place is very beautiful."
This provoked comments on the video, such as "Albania is not for sale!" or "Hands off", alongside Albanian flag emojis.
Why are residents opposed to the development?
Sazan Island and Vlora Bay: the points linked to the development project
BBC
In January, 40 environmental organizations called for plans for the resort to be suspended, citing threats of irreversible damage to local biodiversity.
"We want construction to stop and heavy machinery to leave the protected area," said Joni Vorpsi, ecologist from the organization PPNEA-Birdlife Albania, told Reuters.
"This will completely destroy this wild region."
The initial protests began at the end of May this year, after the installation of barbed wire blocking access to Zvernec beach, a strip of coastline in front of the island of Sazan that is close to a protected area.
The construction of luxury hotels and villas in this area, as well as on the island of Sazan, was part of the plans announced by the son-in-law of Trump in 2024.
Videos of the protests show security guards dragging people away from the site, as well as people suffering injuries allegedly related to pepper spray.
This led authorities to revoke the licenses of two private security companies and suspend several police officers.
But not everyone is skeptical of the venture, like local resident Brian Negatorre, who works in tourism.
"Everyone will get to know Albania in the coming years.

It's something we all dream about."
He met Ivanka when she visited the Vlora region in January, accompanied by architects and investors, and hosted both her and Prime Minister Rama at her family's seaside resort.
Who is behind the project?
Private security guards and protesters on Zvernec beach
REUTERS
In late 2024, the government granted "strategic investor" status to Atlantic Incubation Partners, a company linked to Kushner.
This status guarantees access to accelerated administrative procedures and support from ministries, according to a document seen by the AFP agency.
Questioned by the BBC, Kushner's partner, Asher Abehsera, said the project focuses on "responsible management" and improving the environment, as well as creating jobs and value for local communities.
The BBC contacted the Trump Organization, but received no response.
Prime Minister Edi Rama defended the project and said there was "no chance" of the venture being halted while he was in power.
He said he was open to dialogue with "anyone who has concerns" and invited protesters to choose a delegation of around 20 people to discuss possible solutions.
The proposal was rejected by protest organizers, who are now calling for the prime minister's resignation.
Albania's state anti-corruption agency confirmed it had opened an investigation into the project, but did not disclose it. details.
Kushner has been pursuing similar development projects in the Balkans. A proposed luxury development in Serbia became the subject of controversy over the site's heritage status.
The arrest of a government minister for abuse of office in connection with the project ultimately led to Kushner withdrawing from the proposal earlier this year.
Disputed lands
Ecologists warn that the developments could cause irreversible damage to the Vjosa-Narta zones and the species they contain. depend on them
REUTERS
The government claims that the land earmarked for the project is privately owned - especially along the Zvernec coast - but there are lawsuits questioning the privatization, which is a common type of legal dispute, according to Vladimir Karay, a journalist with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network.
"The ownership conflict is one of the biggest conflicts in the country. More than 10 years ago, at least a third of homicide cases in Albania were related to property disputes, and even today there are such cases at least once or twice a year, every year," he says.
Following the fall of Albania's totalitarian communist regime - under which all property belonged to the state - the country underwent a chaotic transition to private land ownership in the 1990s, with some disputes leading to violence.
"From the beginning this created conflicts, even within small villages, from village to village, from house to house. People said that this was their father's land and took it. This is not right."
We used artificial intelligence to translate this report, originally written in English. The text was reviewed by a BBC journalist before publication. Find out more here about how the BBC is using artificial intelligence (link to English text).
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