Unrest in Paradise
Growing taxes alongside falling exports threaten economical stability of Malden Republic
Several protests have mounted in La Trinité and Le Port after Président Moulin announced that trade agreements with the Autonomous Region of Madeira and the larger Portuguese government have failed to finalize. The Malden government, which promised these agreements to combat the harshly felt after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the wider populace, has announced a second date by which they plan to finish the trade agreement.
Shortly after a televised address by Président Moulin, several dozen people took to the streets in the capital of La Trinité and the Le Port, which houses the main shipping port of the island nation. The protests saw minor altercations with Military Police, during which 4 port workers and 2 servicemen were injured.
Government officials have harshly condemned these protests and appealed for the people’s sense of family and community. Conceding that the failure of securing the trade agreement was ‘regrettable’ and claiming to understand the economical realities of the island nation, a local newspaper published a reader’s letter that questioned that understanding, writing ‘How can they claim to understand us while officials have never had to hike to work because another bus broke down, yet again?’.
In a later interview, Colonel CĂ©sar Maçon of the ArmĂ©e de Republique called the protests ‘[…] a threat to societal security’ and appealed for ‘calm and rational behavior’ while the government renegotiates the exact terms.