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Le Moule, Guadeloupe demonstrators Julien Tack/AFP
France has agreed to give in to the demands of poor residents on its islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.
"I hope this will meet the demands for measures to address the high cost of living in the West Indies," French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said after announcing a plan that would increase low-paid islanders' payments by $253 per month.
The announcement came after a third consecutive night of rioting and shootings on the island of Guadeloupe, where a civilian was shot and killed earlier in the week.
Both islands depend heavily on tourism and on French imports, which cost significantly higher than on the mainland. Strikes, protests, and recently riots, have devastated the tourism industry in the past month.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy was scheduled to meet with elected officials from Guadeloupe in Paris on Thursday. He has come under intense criticism for his handling of the crisis.
Comments
We visited Guadeloupe a couple of years ago and it was a scary place. We felt in danger to the point that we avoided some of the beautiful sights on the Island. Flying back, we were seated next to a Soldier-of-Fortune type, who had been at Port au Prince for an Oil Company, to defend a plant against rioters. The French do not allow private citizens arms to protect themselves, but the Bad Guys all have guns. We won't go again.
leVieux
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