In French Guiana, virus exposes inequality, colonial legacy

PARIS (AP) — France’s most worrisome coronavirus hot spot is on the South American continent, in its former colony of French Guiana. The territory of about 300,000 people, which is still administered by France, has rampant poverty and scarce health care resources. More than 6,500 cases have been recorded in the territory, although officials fear the number of infections is actually much higher. The outbreak is exposing deep economic and racial inequality that French Guiana residents say the mainland has long chosen to ignore. Its hospitals reached capacity in June, and the French military intervened to take the sick to the French Caribbean island of Martinique.