Overview
- French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced the €400 million project during a May 2025 visit to French Guiana, confirming a 2028 completion target.
- The facility will include 60 maximum-security cells, with 15 reserved for Islamist militants, aiming to isolate dangerous criminals and disrupt drug trafficking networks.
- French Guiana, a key transit point for South American cocaine, has the highest homicide rate among French territories, driving the security rationale for the prison.
- Local officials, including Jean-Paul Fereira and Jean-Victor Castor, condemned the lack of consultation, calling the plan disrespectful and a colonial regression.
- The prison’s proximity to the infamous Devil’s Island penal colony has reignited painful historical memories, intensifying opposition to the project.