A visit to a landfill, a fishing port, a “cultural innovation site”, but also meetings with business leaders or even a discussion on the power of shopping in a supermarket… Jean-François Carenco’s program was full, during the three-day trip to Martinique by the ministerial delegate for overseas territories. However, during this ministerial visit, which ended on Saturday 14 January, a very different topic emerged: chlordecone, that pesticide toxic to humans and the environment, used on banana plantations and banned in 1993. Two investigating magistrates of the health department of the Paris court in this criminal case , after seventeen years of proceedings, the subject is still on everyone’s lips in the West Indies.
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The minister could see this as soon as he arrived at the department in July 2022, where he went for the third time since taking office. During a press conference organized after his meeting on Thursday, January 12 evening, with: Among others, the President of the Executive Council of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique (CTM), Serge Letchimy (Martiniquais Progressive Party), Jean-François Carenco, having discussed “twelve to fifteen subjects” with the elected officials, but c on chlordecon that he was promptly urged to speak.
“We have discussed this at length with Serge Letchimy,” said the minister. “I recognize the humiliation that people have endured for dragging this case out for thirty or forty years,” he added. Mr Carenco, in keeping with Republican tradition, declined to comment on the judges’ decision, but said he was “touched” by this discussion with the community’s elected officials and indicated he wanted to take the time to “consider the conclusions.” . this exchange. The government must “tell the truth” and make promises “that[il] is able to persevere,” emphasized the minister.
“Joint Action”
Serge Letchimy was satisfied with these conciliatory remarks. “Behind this humiliation is a terrible suffering that continues: twenty-two years of pollution and almost forty years of delay in finding solutions,” recalled this former MP, who chaired the parliamentary commission of inquiry set up in 2019 to shed light on this scandal. CTM, which filed a civil suit in October 2021 in this criminal case opened in February 2006, will “use all legal remedies” after filing a complaint of poisoning, Mr Letchimy assured. The Martinica elected official called for the state to respect the “dignity of the peoples” of the West Indies and enter the “era of reparations” and also mentioned the formation of a “political front” with elected officials from Guadeloupe.
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