In Guadeloupe, “why mobilize against the high cost of living when Martinique is doing the work?” – Liberation

While the neighboring island has been outraged over the cost of living for two months, Guadeloupe remains marked by the historic protests of 2009, which left their mark without bringing the expected results.

The roar of the fan partly drowns out the voice of Nathalie Minatchy, in the Joseph-Théodore-Faustin room, in the heart of Les Abymes, Wednesday October 30. In Creole, the spokesperson for the nationalist party Alyans Nasyonal Gwadloup (ANG) recalls the 2009 mobilization in Guadeloupe against the high cost of living: “The movement surprised Guadeloupeans with its scale. But despite our marches and our negotiations, more than fifteen years later, we are still talking about the same thing.” The specter of 2009 haunts minds. Forty-four days of an intense strike which ended in general agreements of 165 points.

But more than fifteen years later, this historic mobilization smacks of failure. As noted by INSEE in 2022, the price gap between Guadeloupe and mainland France is 16%. The highest level of all Drom. For food, it reaches more than 42%. However, in Guadeloupe, 34.5% of the population lives on less than 1,010 euros per month.