It all started a few weeks ago when we learned that the hospital in Kourou had gone bankrupt. This led to strikes and blockades around Kourou to protest against the horrible management and its consequences. Then, last week while attending a government meeting in French Guiana, Ségolène Royal, the French environment minister, was suddenly surrounded by a group of hooded men who had stormed the conference room. This anti-violence group actually wanted to show how insufficient police protection was in Guiana and how high the crime rate had climbed over the years. Guiana is now statistically France's most violent county.
The general population is very united and supportive of the strikes because the overall situation in Guiana is alarming. The demands are vast (more schools and teachers, more doctors and hospitals, more police and safety, more investment in the local economy to develop business, agriculture, fishing...) but they also show how disproportionate life in Guiana has become with life in France.
To make matters more confusing, French Guiana is actually a very rich place. Every year, about 6-10 tons of gold are illegally mined (rivers are poisoned with mercury, village inhabitants are dying...) and the French government extracts just as many tons of gold legally-- yet all these profits evaporate from Guiana and the local populations are just left with the pollution, insecurity, and health problems. What's more, the European Space Agency launches rockets from Kourou and the Guianese space industry generates billions of euros; however, local populations again feel deprived of the profits.
Anyways, here are a few pictures (click on photos to enlarge).
This roundabout near our home has become a meeting place for protestors.
The supermarkets are no longer supplied since the blockades severely limit traffic. Some ailes are almost completely empty.
This road is blocked... no traffic allowed.
Another roundabout blocked...
It is uncertain how long the general strikes will last...
