Dear readers

Currently on holiday in French Guiana, my childhood friend, her family, all the Guyanese population and I are facing an unprecedented strike with a blockage of all major road, port and airport axes. Just so you know before the beginning of the strike on Monday 20^th March, the French Minister of Environment, Energy and Sea decided to shorten her stay in French Guyana because the collective of the 500 brothers broke into the Cartagena Convention in the presence of 25 foreign representatives (Source from TV channel Guyana Premiere http://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/guyane/segolene-royal-ecourte-son-sejour-ne-va-pas-inaugurer-pont-oyapock-454369. Html). Our beloved minister became frightened and departed the day before the inauguration of the Oyapock Bridge linking French Guyana to Brazil, which she was supposed to inaugurate on Saturday 18th March. None of the national and international media reported this incident until the situation deteriorated and various trade unions and a part of the Guyanese population mobilized and took to the streets, an Air France Paris Orly flight to Cayenne turn around after 4 hours of flight and that the take-off of a Rocket in Kourou is now postponed to a later date that the media began to take an interest in the problems affecting the whole Guyanese population for years. In addition, schools, colleges, high schools and some administrations are closed until further notice.

What’s more, it took three weeks of strikes and unprecedented violence in Mayotte causing the death of a father of family for the national media to react. As we speak Mayotte has been facing a water shortage for more than 3 months and only the local media inform the local population (source http://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/crise-sociale-guyane-reveil-medias-nationaux-456617 .html). On the other hand, the media rush to every comical discovery of François Fillon’s private life  one month before the French presidential election.

Would it not be normal to focus on the presidential election candidate’s programs and on how they plan to solve problems that matter to the entire French population, including the Overseas population that is to say employment, social cohesion , education, health, retirement or the media’s favourite subject insecurity?

Sometimes I wonder whether this is a strategy for the media and politics to distract us  while they continue to defend their own interests and to stay in power.
My friends citizens of the world please be committed and continue to use social networks wisely not to be the forgotten of the French Republic. Generally speaking, I am not in favor of strike movements, because in my view, paralyzing the population and the economy is counterproductive and this should be the last resort to obtain what we want and I think that each one of us is more than capable to sit around a table and solve any problem by being realistic that all problems do not settle with magic wand. However, this time I support the Guyanese population because it is the only way to attract the media’s attention and the French authorities by preventing the launch of the rocket in Kourou and restraining all means of transport giving access to French Guyana. Despite this support for my compatriots, I call on all citizens of the world to be mindful and to take an active part into social and political life of our countries before opting for radical often violent measures. This is what we plan to do through the Festival in Mayotte in August.