Curfew extended in French Caribbean territory due to power outage

(Patria) - French authorities maintained a night-time curfew due to new unrest in the Caribbean territory of Guadeloupe on Saturday as they struggled to restore electricity, accusing energy workers who are on strike of sabotage, AFP reported.

Guadeloupe and the nearby French island of Martinique have been hit by violent protests over the cost of living for weeks. A night-time curfew has been in effect in Martinique for 16 days due to unrest there.

French authorities kept Guadeloupe under curfew for the second night "to guarantee security and tranquility" after a complete power outage on the island on Friday.

But looters took advantage of the blackout to rob the commercial center of Pointe-a-Pitre in
Guadeloupe. Looters broke through the windows of several stores with an excavator, in photos taken and published on social media, and about 50 people then gathered to steal goods.

"This is the second time in three years that my store has been destroyed," said jewelry store owner Carole Venutolo, her voice choked with sadness and anger.

Police said they were shot at with live ammunition, with bullets hitting one of their vehicles twice.

The EDF power company said two-thirds of the 380,000 people affected by the power outage had electricity again. Authorities accused striking workers of blocking the engines of the Jarry power plant and cutting off power to the island.

Regional government head Guy Losbar said he was "outraged" by the workers' actions. Authorities in Martinique, which has about 350,000 inhabitants, said that despite the curfew,
about 50 masked individuals set fire to roadblocks in two districts.

The previous night, shots were fired, trucks were stolen, and gas stations were looted, authorities said.