An expected visit. Emmanuel Macron returned to Guyana from March 25 to 26, six and a half years after his previous visit, during which he affirmed that he was not "Santa Claus". This remark, made in the context of a general strike in Guyana, remains engraved in the collective memory of residents, who largely voted for Marine Le Pen (60%) during the last presidential election against Emmanuel Macron.
A territory with both departmental and regional jurisdiction, Guyana is located in South America, sharing its borders with Brazil to the southeast and the south, as well as with Suriname to the west. France 24 looks back at the five main issues of this presidential visit.
The Amazon, a Franco-Brazilian common ground?
France, via Guyana, is the only European country to have a portion of the Amazon, adjacent to Brazil. “This geographical proximity offers prospects for particular cooperation with important challenges, especially since this border represents the longest French land border,” explains Hervé Théry, emeritus research director at the CNRS and professor at the University of São Paulo. .
The president's trip to Guyana – then to Brazil from Tuesday to Thursday – is an opportunity to “outline means of local and regional cooperation” between Guyana and the Brazilian state of Amapa, and to “reintegrate France in the discussions on the Amazon Cooperation Treaty [with the aim of preserving the Amazonian forest, Editor's note] from which the country has always been excluded".
The border also symbolizes the meeting of Mercosur and the European Union, two major economic blocs. But the negotiations between the EU and the Latin American Mercosur countries (Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina) on a free trade agreement are raising concerns in France.
See also Agricultural crisis: what does the agreement between the EU and Mercosur consist of?
Fishing and agriculture, suffering sectors
Upon his arrival in Guyana, Emmanuel Macron committed to confronting several major challenges, including the fight against illegal fishing, which threatens not only the department's marine resources but also the activity of local fishermen. Questioned on the issue of unfair competition from illegal fishing during a visit to a fish market on Monday morning, the president denounced “predation from neighbors” and a “lack of investment”. He also pledged to “renew at least 25 fishing boats” from “this year”.
See alsoIn Guyana, the difficult hunt for illegal fishermen in the open sea
The precariousness of the agricultural sector in Guyana is also a major issue. The department relies heavily on food imports, particularly in sectors such as beef and poultry. Products imported from neighboring countries, often cheaper, make it difficult for local farmers to compete. Emmanuel Macron thus promised to take “rapid decisions” to support local agricultural sectors and strengthen their economic viability.
The question of opening up, a priority for many elected officials
For their part, local elected officials intend to address the issue of opening up the territory with the president. During the 2022 electoral campaign, candidate Emmanuel Macron included the construction of the river road, from Saint-Laurent to Maripasoula, among his promises.
Guyana, despite its size equivalent to that of Portugal, only benefits from 400 kilometers of national roads, which creates isolation zones impacting employment. In these isolated regions, one in three young people aged 15 to 29 is neither in employment, education nor training. In addition, 53% of the Guyanese population lives below the poverty line.
Furthermore, the liquidation of Air Guyane in 2023 deprived certain isolated municipalities of their air links. Last November, a citizen collective named Apachi organized the Opening Up Conference, emphasizing the urgency of developing "priority road infrastructure", to facilitate regional planning and economic growth.
The debate on territorial autonomy relaunched
Inspired by Corsica's march towards greater autonomy, local elected officials also expect progress on the evolution of the status of their territory. A “working dinner” with the political representatives of Guyana is planned to discuss the “institutional question” and possible developments.
The president of the Territorial Collectivity of Guyana (CTG), Gabriel Serville, insisted on the need for the central government to “grant them the same status as Corsica”. He even threatened to boycott the presidential visit, just like the elected separatists.
During the great social crisis of March-April 2017 in Guyana, some of the demonstrators demanded institutional development to make up for the territory's structural delay compared to France in all sectors.
Nevertheless, Hervé Théry tempers. “The Guyanese population has repeatedly expressed its wish to remain French during referendums”, the last of which took place in 2010, recalls the expert. “This desire reflects a deep attachment to the Republic,” according to him.
For Hervé Théry, autonomist movements exist in Guyana, but they only represent a minority of the population. By accepting the merger of the region and the department in 2015, the Guyanese "recognize the numerous advantages linked to the continued support of the metropolis, particularly in terms of prosperity and development, compared to neighboring Surinam and Guyana."
Illegal gold panning, a scourge to be eradicated
Another major challenge in Guyana: the fight against illegal gold panning, one year to the day after the death of GIGN major Arnaud Blanc, killed in the jungle on March 25, 2023 during an operation. For forty years, Guyana has been facing this problem, which has repercussions on the environment and the health of residents exposed to mercury, used to agglomerate gold flakes.
“The infiltration of Brazilian gold miners into Guyana is the main point of friction between the two countries,” analyzes Hervé Théry. This illegal activity “causes significant environmental damage and fuels local tensions”.
See alsoIllegal gold miners continue to poison Guyana with mercury
The territory, which extends over 90,000 square kilometers, represents an immense area and is difficult to monitor. “Brazilian gold miners travel in canoes and use sophisticated techniques to extract gold,” continues the expert. “Their pyramid organization is well-established and relies on a solid logistics network. The price of gold, currently very high, encourages the expansion of this activity.”
The statistics presented during the 2023 assessment of the fight against illegal gold mining in Guyana, unveiled at the end of February, are alarming. The document lists 400 illegal sites, 7,200 illegal gold prospectors, and between seven and eight tons of gold extracted illegally.
French soldiers and gendarmes on the Maroni River to carry out an operation against illegal gold panning, in Saint-Jean-du-Maroni, French Guiana, October 20, 2021. © Jody Amiet, AFP
Despite the deployment of considerable military resources from 2008 as part of Operation Harpie, worth 70 million euros annually, France has not succeeded in stopping this gold rush from neighboring Brazil and Surinamese. , vector of insecurity. In total, 60 homicides were recorded in 2023, which represents more than 20 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, almost fifteen times the national average.
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