Since July, Apatou has been without its post office following a burglary, leaving residents destitute. The town hall and La Poste are working to reopen a new office, but damage and delays are complicating the return of essential postal services.
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©Eric LEON
Since July, the closure of the Apatou post office, following a burglary, has plunged residents into a precarious situation. For the town, isolated on the banks of the Maroni River, the post office represented much more than a simple service: it was a vital link, essential to financial exchanges and communications with the rest of the country. From now on, the absence of this service forces the population to find improvised solutions, often unsuitable.
The surrounding 10,000 inhabitants of the town face many obstacles. Some resign themselves to traveling more than 50 minutes by road to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni to carry out banking transactions. Others, due to lack of time or means of transport, entrust their bank cards to relatives to carry out these tasks for them. A practice which exposes the community to obvious risks, but which has become a sad necessity.
Faced with this local crisis, the town hall worked with La Poste to prepare for the reopening of the service. The project for a new office is underway, using old premises in the municipality. However, the work was delayed by acts of vandalism. Malicious individuals sabotaged the electrical installations during the renovation phase, further complicating the construction site. “Certain individuals sabotaged the electrical installations, slowing down the work”explains a representative of Apatou town hall.
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©Eric LEON
To help the most vulnerable, a shuttle was set up to transport them to Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni. But this initiative, although linked to the gendarmerie, has aroused little interest from residents, many preferring to manage differently rather than comply with the schedules and constraints of this service.
Despite the challenges, the work is progressing slowly but surely. While the town hall finalizes the exterior fittings of the building and the installation of new electricity meters, La Poste is responsible for the interior equipment, including the shielding necessary for the security of a full-function agency. “The new office could be ready by December”says Moïse Edwin, mayor of Apatou, although the final date depends on the progress of the work.
In the meantime, the residents of Apatou are eagerly hoping for the reopening of their post office. For many, it is a daily necessity that they are eager to see restored, to put an end to these months of uncertainty and logistical hassles.
