The French West Indies are the epitome of paradise. Crystal clear blue waters juxtaposed against the natural, lush vegetation that covers the majority of the land. Cool breezes perfect for sailing around the islands or relaxing on a balcony overlooking the shore. Unfortunately, for the French West Indies, there’s more than meets the eye.
As of December 21, 2020, the United States government placed a Level 4 travel advisory on the region, barring Americans from travelling to the holiday hotspot destination, citing both “health and safety measures” as well as “COVID-related conditions”. Despite having a low population, the Indies have nearly 30,000 COVID cases and each of the four overseas territories are rated as Level 4, the most dangerous rating, by the CDC.
Despite the United States’ restrictions, the Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC) has listed the French West Indies as a Level 1 risk in terms of safety, advising travelers, those from outside the United States, to “exercise normal precautions”.
Neither the US government nor OSAC recognize the recent pesticide poisonings which was publicized by the BBC in November 2020. The region is known by tourists for its tropical getaway climate, but is known by companies as being an exploitable region in terms of agriculture. For decades, farmers across the French West Indies used chlordecone, an insecticide and fungicide, on their crops and are just now finding out it is carcinogenic. The chlordecone says in the soil for years which makes its effects more dangerous. Side effects include both premature births as well as developmental defects in children, prostate cancer, and other underlying health conditions. What’s worse, almost everyone in the region is affected by the use of those pesticides. A study found that over 90% of island inhabitants had chlordecone in their blood. Thankfully, there is a silver lining as French President Emmanuel Macron recently acknowledged the dangerous use of pesticides and passed a law to give reparations to those affected by it.
While the French West Indies may seem like a dream, there is a catch. If you somehow manage to make it there, we do advise you to beware.
https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-54992051
https://www.osac.gov/Country/Grenada/Content/Detail/Report/9adf46ca-ddc8-4721-a80d-1848e97f20c8
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/french-antilles
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