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Roya News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
France to build $450M high-security jungle prison in South America
France has unveiled plans to construct a 400 million euro (USD 451 million) high-security prison deep in the Amazon jungle of French Guiana, aimed at cutting off dangerous criminals from their networks and cracking down on organized crime. The announcement was made by French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin during a visit to the South American territory, where he emphasized the need for a tougher approach to drug trafficking and extremism. The facility, expected to open by 2028, will be located in the remote northwestern commune of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni—once the grim entry point to France's notorious Devil's Island penal colony. It will house up to 500 inmates, including a specialized wing for the most high-risk individuals. In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), Darmanin described the upcoming prison as part of a broader national strategy to dismantle organized criminal operations. 'We want to incapacitate the most dangerous drug traffickers,' he said, noting that the prison would enforce an 'extremely strict carceral regime.' Crucially, the justice minister framed the facility as a tool to sever drug lords from their influence. 'Drug lords will no longer be able to have any contact with their criminal networks,' Darmanin told JDD, citing the prison's extreme isolation and security protocols. French Guiana, a French overseas region bordering Brazil and Suriname, has long been a key transit point for narcotics smuggling routes into Europe. Officials hope the new prison—strategically located along these routes—will serve as a choke point for traffickers at the early stages of the supply chain. The initiative follows a string of violent incidents across France in recent months, where prison staff and facilities have been targeted by armed attackers. In some cases, perpetrators set vehicles ablaze outside prisons or opened fire, claiming to act in defense of inmates' rights. French authorities suspect these attacks are a backlash to sweeping reforms aimed at dismantling criminal networks. Earlier this year, the government introduced new legislation to give prosecutors and investigators greater powers, and to offer special protections for informants. The law also provides for the construction of multiple high-security prisons, including the one in French Guiana. The new facility will address long-standing challenges such as the widespread use of smuggled mobile phones in French prisons—tens of thousands are believed to be in circulation—by enforcing stricter controls on inmate communications. French Guiana's unique legal status as an overseas region means its residents are full French citizens with voting rights and access to France's social services. Yet its remote geography makes it an ideal site, officials say, for detaining individuals deemed too dangerous to remain on the mainland. The jungle site also evokes echoes of history. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was the departure point for thousands of prisoners sent to the brutal penal colonies of the 19th and early 20th centuries, immortalized in Henri Charrière's memoir Papillon, later adapted into a film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman.
Middle East Eye
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
France plans to send criminals to prison in South America
France plans to build a prison in the middle of the Amazon rainforest to host some of its most dangerous criminals, according to France's Justice Minister. In an interview carried by Le Journal du Dimanche on Saturday, French Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that he plans to build France's third-most secure prison 7,000 miles away from Paris in the French overseas territory of Guiana, where he was visiting when the interview took place. The move has sparked an outcry from local officials and residents. Darmanin says the 500-inmate facility will house drug traffickers and "Islamic radicals" in the northeast of South America. Guiana, also known as French Guiana, is the only part of mainland South America that is still governed by a European nation. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The $607m facility is supposed to open in 2028. It will be built in an isolated location surrounded by a thick forest of trees in the Amazon rainforest in the region of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a town bordering Suriname, which once received prisoners shipped there by Napoleon III in the 19th century. Some of these prisoners were also sent to the French penal colony of Cayenne, commonly known as Devil's Island, off the coast of French Guiana, which operated between 1852 and 1952 and was only closed in 1953. Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche that the prison also aims to prevent drug traffickers from having contact with their criminal networks, limited contact with the outside world, regular searches, and constant electronic surveillance. Baz Dreisinger, a professor at John Jay College of criminal justice in New York, who wrote Incarceration Nations: A Journey to Justice in Prisons Around the World, told Middle East Eye that current incarceration policies were not being discussed enough. 'This banishment of people from one country to a prison in another is part of a long history of penal colonies and the fantasy you can exorcise and rid yourself of so-called criminals, normally poor people and undesirables of whatever variety. There's a long history of this. It is not a new thing." Dreisenger added that this is an "act of political theatre", as these countries are more than able to imprison people in their own lands. 'Of course, I think it's influenced by Trump - his conversation of reopening Alcatraz and sending people to the prison in El Salvador. A lot is being shaped by US domestic policy.' Cecot in El Salvador can hold up to 40,000 prisoners and is meant for permanent exile and permanent punishment. El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele bills the prison as the biggest in the Americas. It is also where the Trump administration has sent more than 200 Venezuelan migrants. It is described as a black hole from which no information escapes. The French justice ministry had not responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Why France is building a high-security prison deep in the Amazon jungle
With organized crime growing across Europe, France is planning a major move to take back control of its prison system. The government has announced plans to build a high-security prison deep in the Amazon rainforest, in its overseas territory of French Guiana. The goal is to keep some of the country's most dangerous criminals, like drug traffickers and extremists, completely cut off from the outside world. By placing them in such a remote location, authorities hope to stop these prisoners from running criminal networks even while behind bars. French Guiana: A strategic location French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America, has been a key route in the international drug trade for years. Its remote location and closeness to drug-producing countries like Brazil and Suriname have made it a hotspot for criminal networks. By building the new prison here, the French government hopes to isolate dangerous criminals, especially drug lords, and limit their ability to control illegal activities from behind bars. The new prison will be built in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a town with a long history linked to France's old prison system. It was once the gateway to the infamous Devil's Island penal colony. Now, it's set to house some of the country's most dangerous criminals. By choosing such a remote spot, the government wants to make sure these inmates stay cut off from the outside world, limiting their ability to influence or run criminal networks, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD), as quoted by BBC News. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like [Click Here] 2025 Best Luxury Hotel Prices Expertinspector Learn More Undo In recent years, France's prison system has faced growing problems with violence and gang activity inside jails. To tackle this, the government is stepping up efforts to break the grip of organized crime behind bars. The new prison will have space for around 500 inmates. As quoted by the BBC, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin told Le Journal du Dimanche (JDD) newspaper that, 'This new facility will be a lasting means of removing the heads of the drug trafficking networks.' A major focus of the new prison is its advanced security measures. Mobile phones and other illegal communication devices have been a big problem in French prisons, letting criminals stay in touch with their networks. This facility will use special technology to block these devices, as mentioned in the BBC report. The French government is also working to improve its legal and prosecution systems. New laws have been introduced to give law enforcement more power and create special teams in the prosecution office focused on breaking up organized crime networks. These steps aim to tackle crime both inside prisons and in the wider community. The future of France's prison system According to the report, the facility is expected to open by 2028, and the world will be watching to see if it can effectively disrupt criminal organizations. Though ambitious, the plan shows France's determination to take strong action against crime. Building this high-security prison is just one part of France's bigger plan to improve how it fights organized crime. With tougher laws, better security, and more resources focused on tackling criminal gangs, the government aims to bring order back to its prisons and stop criminals from spreading their influence. However, the success of this plan will depend on how well it can stop these criminal networks from operating. By isolating their leaders and cutting off their contact with the outside world, France hopes to weaken their control over the drug trade and other illegal activities. As this ambitious project moves ahead, the French government is making it clear that it is serious about fighting crime and stopping criminals from acting without consequences. Whether this new prison will solve France's prison problems is still uncertain, but it signals a new phase in the country's fight against organized crime.
LeMonde
20-05-2025
- Politics
- LeMonde
France plans to build maximum-security prison in French Guiana, angering local officials
France plans to build a maximum-security prison wing for drug traffickers and Islamic militants near a former penal colony in French Guiana, sparking an outcry among residents and local officials. The wing would form part of a $450 million prison announced in 2017 that is expected to be completed by 2028 and hold 500 inmates. The prison would be built in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a town bordering Suriname that once received prisoners shipped by Napoleon III in the 1800s, some of whom were sent to the notorious Devil's Island off the coast of French Guiana. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced plans to build the high-security wing during an official visit to French Guiana on Saturday, May 17. He said in a Facebook post that 15 of the wing's 60 spaces would be reserved for Islamic militants. Darmanin was quoted by Le Journal du Dimanche, a French weekly newspaper, as saying that the prison also aims to keep suspected drug traffickers from having any contact with their criminal networks. "We are seeing more and more drug trafficking networks," he told reporters in French Guiana. "We must react." The announcement angered many in French Guiana, an overseas French department located in South America. It was once an infamous colony known for holding French political prisoners, including Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was wrongly convicted of being a spy and spent five years on Devil's Island, from 1894-1899. 'Astonishment and indignation' Jean-Paul Fereira, acting president of French Guiana's territorial collective, an assembly of 51 lawmakers that oversees local government affairs, said they were taken aback by the announcement since the plan to build a high-security wing was never discussed with them ahead of time. "It is therefore with astonishment and indignation that the elected members of the Collectivity discovered, together with the entire population of Guiana, the information detailed in Le Journal Du Dimanche," he wrote in a statement posted Sunday on social media. Fereira said the move was disrespectful and insulting, noting that the agreement French Guiana signed in 2017 was for the construction of a new prison meant to alleviate overpopulation at the main prison. "While all local elected officials have long been calling for strong measures to curb the rise of organized crime in our territory, Guiana is not meant to welcome criminals and radicalized people from (mainland France)," he wrote. Also decrying the plan was Jean-Victor Castor, a member of Parliament in French Guiana. He said he wrote directly to France's prime minister to express his concerns, noting that the decision was taken without consulting local officials. "It's an insult to our history, a political provocation and a colonial regression," Castor wrote in a statement issued Sunday as he called on France to withdraw the project.
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First Post
20-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Is France repeating its colonial past by building a prison in the Amazon? The controversy, explained
France's plan to build a €400 million high-security prison in the Amazonian town of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni has triggered fierce backlash from French Guiana's leaders. Touted as a tool against narcotrafficking, the project has revived painful memories of colonial-era penal colonies and left locals asking why they weren't consulted before such a massive decision read more French President Emmanuel Macron speaks to residents (not pictured) at a cafe, during a walk in Cayenne, French Guiana, October 28, 2017. File Image/Reuters A newly announced plan by the French government to build a high-security prison in the heart of the Amazon rainforest in French Guiana has been subject to criticism, putting a spotlight on deep-rooted colonial-era grievances. French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin unveiled the project during a recent visit to the French overseas territory, presenting it as a strategic step in France's broader effort to disrupt organised crime, particularly narcotrafficking networks that originate in South America and reach into Europe. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The planned facility will be constructed in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a northwestern border town near Suriname, a region historically associated with France's penal past. Critics have described the move as both politically provocative and historically insensitive, while French authorities maintain it is a necessary and calculated intervention to counter escalating violence and drug crime in the region. What we know about the French prison Darmanin, known for his strict stance on law enforcement from his prior tenure as Interior Minister, said the new prison will play a key role in France's multipronged campaign against narcotics trafficking. In an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, Darmanin explained, 'My strategy is simple – hit organised crime at all levels.' He added, 'Here in Guiana, at the start of the drug trafficking route. In mainland France, by neutralising the network leaders. And all the way to consumers. This prison will be a safeguard in the war against narcotrafficking.' The facility, which will cost an estimated €400 million (approximately $451 million), is scheduled to open in 2028 and will include 500 inmate slots, of which 60 will be designated for high-security detainees under an 'extremely strict' regime. An additional 15 spots will be allocated specifically for individuals convicted of radical Islamist activities. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was selected because of its geographical significance as a trafficking corridor. The town is a primary point of departure for drug couriers, particularly those known as 'mules,' many of whom attempt to travel from neighbouring Brazil and Suriname to Paris's Orly Airport, often carrying cocaine internally or in their luggage. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A general view of the Oiapoque river, the border with French Guiana in Oiapoque, in the state of Amapa, Brazil, October 30, 2020. File Image/Reuters The justice minister said placing the prison in such a location would allow France to detain suspects at the earliest link in the supply chain. 'Crucially, the prison's location will serve to permanently isolate the heads of drug trafficking networks since they will no longer be able to contact their criminal networks,' Darmanin said. French prison aimed at tackling organised crime The proposed prison is also meant to alleviate chronic overcrowding in French Guiana's correctional system, which currently struggles to house both local and transferred inmates. Darmanin cited growing threats posed by powerful criminal gangs, saying they are often able to corrupt officials with illicit funds and continue orchestrating criminal activity even from within detention facilities. 'Citizens in overseas territories must be able to have the same level of security as those in mainland France,' the minister said, stating that French Guiana deserves the same level of institutional support and infrastructure as other French departments. According to French authorities, 49 high-level drug traffickers are already in custody in French Guiana and other French overseas territories. Darmanin noted that many of them are 'extremely dangerous' and are not being held under conditions secure enough to prevent continued criminal coordination from prison. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Recent national security legislation introduced by the French government is also part of this wider plan. It includes the creation of a special prosecutorial branch dedicated to tackling organised crime, increased investigative powers, stricter rules for prison visitation and communication, and protection protocols for informants. These reforms follow a string of violent incidents targeting prison infrastructure in mainland France, including attacks where vehicles were set ablaze and gunfire was reported, such as the incident at La Farlede prison in Toulon. Officials believe these assaults were orchestrated in retaliation against the state's tougher measures and may be aimed at intimidating the justice system. How local leaders have reacted The reaction among local political figures has been one of anger and disbelief. Jean-Paul Fereira, acting president of French Guiana's territorial collective, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the lack of prior consultation. 'It is therefore with astonishment and indignation that the elected members of the Collectivity discovered, with the entire population of Guiana, the information detailed in Le Journal Du Dimanche,' he wrote in a post on social media. Fereira stressed that while there is widespread support for stronger crime-fighting initiatives in the region, the original 2017 agreement with the French government outlined the construction of a standard correctional facility, not a high-security installation for France's most dangerous offenders. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'While all local elected officials have long been calling for strong measures to curb the rise of organised crime in our territory, Guiana is not meant to welcome criminals and radicalised people from (mainland France),' Fereira noted. Jean-Victor Castor, a member of the French National Assembly representing French Guiana, also denounced the move. In a written appeal to the French Prime Minister, he described the project as 'an insult to our history, a political provocation and a colonial regression.' Castor called on the government to reconsider and withdraw the plan altogether. What history tell us While the French government maintains the project is a rational response to escalating crime, its announcement has triggered significant backlash in French Guiana due to the region's infamous history as a penal colony. Between 1852 and 1954, France transported 70,000 prisoners to the area, including political detainees such as Captain Alfred Dreyfus, who was wrongfully convicted of espionage and exiled to Devil's Island — part of the now-defunct penal complex. Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni was the original disembarkation point for inmates, and many of the old prison structures remain visible today. The region's grim past has been immortalised in literature and film, most famously in Henri Charrière's novel 'Papillon', which was adapted into two Hollywood films, the first in 1973 starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD For many locals, the decision to reintroduce a carceral facility so close to this symbolic site is not only tone-deaf but a reminder of a traumatic legacy. Also Watch: With inputs from agencies
