Highlights: France: what the Guyanese expect from Emmanuel Macron's visit. This is the French president's second visit to this overseas department, where he had already visited in October 2017 in a tense social climate. In Cayenne, on the Place des Palmistes, we are giving a little facelift to welcome Emmanuel Macro n. The benches are repainted green and white before the arrival of the president, who is to participate in a ceremony in front of the Félix-Éboué monument.

France: what the Guyanese expect from Emmanuel Macron's visit

Emmanuel Macron arrives this Monday March 25 in Guyana. This is the French president's second visit to this overseas department, where he had already visited in October 2017 in a tense social climate, just after his accession to the Élysée. This new visit, the first since his re-election in 2022, serves as a test for the President of the Republic against Guyanese who had voted more than 60% for his opponent, Marine Le Pen, in the second round of the last presidential election, and who expect changes in their daily lives.

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View of the Cayenne market, in Guyana, March 24, 2024. © Valérie Gas, RFI

By: Valérie Gas Follow

With our special correspondent in Cayenne

In Cayenne, on the Place des Palmistes, we are giving a little facelift to welcome

Emmanuel Macro

n. The benches are repainted green and white before the arrival of the president, who is to participate in a ceremony in front of the Félix-Éboué monument.

A little further, on the market, the Guyanese are divided on the interest of this presidential visit. Honorine doesn’t want to hear about it: “

Macron, he won’t bring anything.

» Nadine wants to see it as an opportunity: “

We are going to bring our grievances to him, in the hope that he will do something better.

And among the grievances, security is at the top of the list: illegal immigrants,

illegal gold mining

, drug trafficking... In Guyana, these subjects are on the agenda for the head of state's trip. Emmanuel Macron wants to show that he is looking for solutions,

he who said in 2017 that he was not “

Santa Claus
”

. Dominique had heard it well: “

As they say in Guyana: ''Débouya pa sin.'' That means that we should not expect anything from him, we must move forward.

And at the same time, the president wants to send a positive message about the potential of the territory, in particular thanks to forest resources and exceptional biodiversity. The environmental dimension is the common thread of this trip, the one through which Emmanuel Macron will make the link with the visit he is following to Brazil. A second step that did not escape Daniel on the market: “

The president will spend more time in Brazil, ultimately. He's not coming to see us, he's stopping over.

Emmanuel Macron has a day and a half to convince the Guyanese.

Read alsoThe mayors of France launch a manifesto to save overseas territories from a “strong crisis”

France: what the Guyanese expect from Emmanuel Macron's visit

France: what the Guyanese expect from Emmanuel Macron's visit

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