Why did some demonstrators in the 2017 French Guiana strike demand more autonomy?

During the 2017 general strike in French Guiana, demonstrators demanded greater autonomy as a response to persistent economic hardship, rampant crime, and a perceived lack of adequate social support from the French government.1

While the French government offered pledges of increased funding to address these grievances, many protesters remained dissatisfied with these measures. They viewed the existing administrative relationship with France as insufficient to resolve the territory's deep-seated issues, leading them to call for increased autonomy as a necessary step toward achieving more effective local governance and addressing the systemic challenges facing the region.1