Visit to Fort-de-France, Jean-François Carenco returned to the dismissal pronounced in this health and environmental scandal which arouses indignation in Martinique and Guadeloupe for two decades.
by Jean-Michel Hauteville (Fort-de-France (Martinique), correspondence)
A visit to a waste landfill site, a fishing port, a “cultural innovation project”, but also meetings with business leaders, or a discussion on the Purchasing power in a supermarket… Jean-François Carenco’s program was well filled, on the occasion of the three-day trip to Martinique of the Minister Delegate in charge of Overseas. However, a completely different theme was imposed during this ministerial visit, which ended on Saturday January 14: chlordecone, this toxic pesticide for humans and the environment used in bananaraies and prohibited in 1993. After the ‘Announcement of the non-Lieu decision rendered on January 2 by two investigating judges of the public health center of the Paris judicial court in this criminal file, after seventeen years of procedure, the subject is still in all Antilles heads.
The Minister was able to see this upon his arrival in the department, where he had been going for the third time since he entered office in July 2022. During a press conference organized after his meeting, Thursday evening in the evening, with, among others, the president of the executive council of the local authority of Martinique (CTM), Serge Letchimy (Martinican progressive party), Jean-François Carenco assured having approached “twelve to fifteen subjects” with elected officials , but it was on the chlordecone that he was immediately in a hurry to express himself.
“We have talked about it with Serge Letchimy,” said the minister. “I recognize the humiliation that people have been subjected to by dragging this case for thirty or forty years,” he added. Refusing, by republican tradition, to comment on the decision of the judges, Mr. Carenco said he nevertheless “touched” by this discussion with the elected officials of the community and indicated that he wanted to take the time to “think about the conclusions” of this exchange. The government must “say real things” and make promises “that [he] is able to hold”, insisted the minister.
“a joint action”
Serge Letchimy was satisfied with these conciliatory remarks. “Behind this humiliation there is a terrible suffering that extends: twenty-two years of pollution and almost forty years of procrastination to find solutions,” recalled this former deputy, who had chaired the parliamentary committee In place in 2019 to shed light on this scandal. The CTM, which formed a civil party in October 2021 in this criminal file opened in February 2006, after the filing of a complaint for poisoning, will “use all the ways of appeal,” assured Mr. Letchimy. Calling for the respect by the state of “the dignity of the” West Indian peoples and the entry into “the era of reparation”, the elected Martinican also mentioned the constitution of a “political front” with Guadeloupe elected officials.
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