As his trial for embezzlement of public funds nears its end, Serge Letchimy, president of Martinique's territorial collectivity, advocates for the island's autonomy within the Republic. The political heir to poet Aimé Césaire, who served as mayor of Fort-de-France for over fifty years, he reflects on a career shaped by urban challenges. At 72, he remains committed to the island's governance.
Serge Letchimy, a prominent Martinican politician, is concluding a trial for embezzlement of public funds. Despite this, he persists in promoting Martinique's autonomy "within the Republic," drawing from the legacy of Aimé Césaire, the iconic mayor of Fort-de-France from 1945 to 2001.
At 72 years old, Letchimy has led the executive council of Martinique's territorial collectivity since 2021. His career features three terms as deputy for the 3rd constituency (2007-2021), a regional presidency (2010-2015), and ten years as mayor of Fort-de-France (2001-2010). In the 1980s, as a young municipal executive responsible for urban planning, he faced intense experiences, such as in the Texaco neighborhood of Fort-de-France.
This area inspired Patrick Chamoiseau's novel Texaco, winner of the 1992 Prix Goncourt, where an urban planner is nicknamed "the Christ" by residents, though stoned. Letchimy recalls with humor: "The residents didn't call me that. To them, I was 'Kouli-a' ['the coolie,' in Creole, a derogatory term for people of Indian descent in the Antilles]." He adds: "When I arrived in Texaco, they took me for a municipal policeman. A lady picked up a stone and threw it at me, but it didn't hit me."
These stories highlight the challenges he encountered in urban improvement efforts, underscoring his current political resilience.