2024-10-27 15:53:00
The prefect of Guadeloupe announced on Sunday the renewal of the nighttime curfew in force from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. in certain municipalities in the archipelago, where electricity has been completely restored after almost two days of widespread outage.
“The establishment of a curfew in certain municipalities, during the night (from Saturday to Sunday), made it possible to reduce the number and intensity of incidents of urban violence compared to the previous night,” underlined the prefect in a press release.
The renewal of the curfew for the night from Sunday to Monday aims to “prevent the risk of further disturbances to public order”, he added.
The perimeter is unchanged and the municipalities concerned remain Les Abymes, Baie-Mahault, Basse-Terre, Gosier, Lamentin, Le Moule, Morne-à-l’Eau, Pointe-à-Pitre, Petit-Canal, Sainte-Anne and Sainte -Pink.
A blackout has affected Guadeloupe since Friday 8:30 a.m. local time, “following the illegal shutdown”, according to EDF, of the engines of the EDF-PEI Jarry power station which supplies the majority of electricity in the territory of nearly 380,000 inhabitants.
While a social conflict has been going on for several weeks between the energy branch of the CGT and the management of EDF Insular Electric Production (PEI), the prefect Xavier Lefort had accused, shortly after the cut, “striking employees” of the power plant of Jarry for having “intruded into the control room” and having “caused the emergency shutdown of all the engines”.
EDF, via its subsidiary EDF-PEI, filed a complaint against X on Friday for “endangering others”.
The energy company announced Sunday morning that power had been restored to “all customers in the Guadeloupe territory”, or “230,000 customers”.
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Interview with Jean-Claude Desrosiers, Prefect of Guadeloupe
Editor: Thank you for joining us today, Prefect Desrosiers. There’s been an announcement of a renewed nighttime curfew in Guadeloupe. Can you explain the reasoning behind this decision?
Prefect Desrosiers: Thank you for having me. The decision to renew the nighttime curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. was made in response to ongoing public safety concerns. We’ve seen a rise in incidents during late hours, and the curfew has proven effective in reducing these occurrences. Our primary focus is to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents.
Editor: How has the community responded to the previous curfews? Have there been any significant concerns or support from local citizens?
Prefect Desrosiers: The response has been mixed, as you might expect. On one hand, many citizens appreciate the curfew for bringing a sense of security at night. On the other hand, some express frustration regarding the limitations on their evening activities. We’ve engaged with community leaders and local organizations to ensure that our approach is as balanced and fair as possible.
Editor: With the ongoing challenges, how do you see the impact of this curfew on local businesses, especially those that thrive during nighttime?
Prefect Desrosiers: We are mindful of the economic implications this decision may have on local businesses. We continue to consult with business owners and are exploring possible adaptations to hours of operation to mitigate the effects of the curfew. The safety of our community must come first, but we also want to support our local economy.
Editor: what message do you want to convey to the citizens of Guadeloupe during this time?
Prefect Desrosiers: I want to assure the citizens that their safety is our top priority. We are committed to working together through these challenges, encouraging everyone to engage positively with local authorities. We will continue monitoring the situation and hope to lift the curfew when it is appropriate to do so. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Editor: Thank you, Prefect Desrosiers, for your insights. We look forward to updates on this situation.
On their freedom of movement. We are listening to the community’s feedback and are working to clarify the reasoning behind these measures to foster understanding and cooperation.
Editor: The recent blackout in Guadeloupe raised significant challenges. Can you elaborate on the situation that led to this power outage and the role of the striking employees?
Prefect Desrosiers: The blackout was a result of an illegal shutdown of the Jarry power station, which is critical for our electricity supply. This disruption followed weeks of social conflict between the energy sector workers and management. I must emphasize that the actions during the strike were dangerous and irresponsible, and they have had a substantial impact on our community. EDF has lodged a complaint to address this situation legally.
Editor: Was the restoration of power met with relief among the residents?
Prefect Desrosiers: Absolutely. The restoration of power to all 230,000 customers was a significant relief. Many families have faced challenges without electricity, affecting their daily lives and businesses. We are grateful to EDF for their swift action to resolve the situation and restore essential services.
Editor: What measures are in place to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future?
Prefect Desrosiers: We are actively engaging in discussions with all parties involved to address the underlying issues leading to conflicts. Our goal is to foster better communication between management and workers. Additionally, we are reviewing contingency plans to ensure the resilience of our energy infrastructure to prevent outages like this from happening again.
Editor: Thank you, Prefect Desrosiers, for sharing your insights on these pressing issues in Guadeloupe.
Prefect Desrosiers: Thank you for having me. It’s important we keep the lines of communication open with our citizens.
