Spanish
Port-au-Prince - The Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this Monday the death of four Haitians, missing since last Saturday, in the sinking of a dugout canoe in the Maroni River, near Grand Santi, in western French Guiana.
At least seven passengers were traveling aboard this dugout canoe, including six Haitian citizens, all of them teachers returning from a party they attended on the weekend.
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Three of the passengers were rescued and attended to by emergency services, according to a statement from Haitian authorities. The victims were identified by Haiti as Wantho Lambert, born August 26, 1992, in Port-au-Prince; Mackteison Jerome, born March 23, 1995, in Aquin (southwest); Jean Ritchy Doirin, born December 27, 1995, in Port-au-Prince; and Vercius Rooseley Console, born August 27, 1990, in Leogane (south). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dismay at the shipwreck, paid tribute to the victims, and conveyed its deepest condolences to their families. For several decades, the Haitian community in French Guiana has been one of the most important in this area, to the point of contributing to the economic development of Guiana. Their arrival in Guiana began in the 70s and it is estimated that their presence represents 30% of the immigrant population.
