Former Consul General of Saint Lucia to Martinique, Keats Compton, is urging citizens to avoid causing trouble in the neighbouring French Department.

Compton reminds citizens that they are a representation of their country while abroad and their criminal acts paint a negative picture of Saint Lucia.

“But occasionally you get a lot of people who come here to make mischief. I mean, it's very easy to come across the channel in a fishing boat or whatever. So there's always been this thing with the people who come over here to do mischief. They're the ones who give it a shot. You know, the bad reputation.”

Compton says conflict between Saint Lucians and French Nationals is inevitable due to the proximity of the.

“Some guys came over from St. Lucia and were attacking the [some guys] with guns and so on. So it's that kind of thing that happens and it really happens because, as I said, we are very close, you know, sort of next-door neighbours and you are not going to prevent socially the bad elements from coming over,” he said.

Saint Lucia’s proximity to Martinique led to the establishment of strong illicit trade routes between the two. These routes are well documented as part of the cocaine trade and are suspected of facilitating arms trafficking as well as the increase in gang violence currently plaguing some parts of the country.