Now Santa Maria villagers hold fiery road protest

Fiery protests erupted in another community in Moruga on Friday.

Scores of residents from the normally quiet Santa Maria Village blocked Penal Rock Road with burning debris to highlight its state.

They say landslips had "eaten away" almost the entire road, and only one car can pass at a time.

Parlour owner Claude Mike told Newsday vans, and trucks cannot enter the area because of the deplorable conditions.

"As you know, the people in this area are loyal and quiet. So for us to come out and protest means things are really bad.

"We need the road fixed. I have to spend extra money to get goods because the bread vans cannot come to drop off goods to the parlour," Mike said.

"If more rain fall now, that is it. We would be cut off from the rest of Moruga. Because of the bad road, we cannot pass through the teak (an area further along the Penal Rock Road)."

Mike said residents began gathering since 5 am near Blas Cha Cha Trace.

The Penal Rock Road runs from Basse Terre Village, Moruga, to Penal Junction in Penal.

From Monday to Wednesday, residents from La Lune Village, Chachipe Village, Grand Chemin and Rock River protested and called on the authorities to fix main roads like the Moruga Main Road and La Lune Road.

In solidarity on Wednesday, Santa Maria residents blocked the Penal Rock Road with trees, though without setting them on fire.

Another frustrated resident, Alloy Gilbert, said the road damages cars.

"Cars are mashing up, and every day, it is getting worse. Big vehicles cannot pass," he said.

Moruga police were on the scene.