Aimé Agat, who was an artist, manager, radio host and president of the union for the defence of Martinique artists (SDAM), has died of COVID-19.
According to the report by AFP, Aimé Agat died of Covid-19 on the same day as Alain Decaille, another figure in the protest movement on the island.
He was a face and a voice well known to Martinicans. Aimé Agat died on Monday, at the age of 48, from the consequences of Covid-19, according to Martinique La Première.
He was one of the figures of the mobilization against the health pass and the vaccination obligation on the island.
His death comes the same day as that of Alain Decaille , another leader of this protest movement. The president of the Federation of Independent Taxis died at the age of 61 at the Martinique University Hospital, after three weeks of hospitalization. The two trade unionists were allegedly infected during a working meeting with the prefecture.
Aimé Agat and Alain Decaille
Aimé Agat and Alain Decaille were important protagonists of the inter-union which had called for a general strike on November 22, 2021, to mark its opposition to the health pass and the obligation notified to caregivers to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
As part of this mobilization, numerous blockades on the island and dams were erected for several days. To appease the disputes, the authorities have set up discussions on various themes relating to life in Martinique (expensive living, health, chlordeconemia, etc.).
The two union representatives reportedly contracted Covid-19 during one of these workshops. Other participants, including the prefect of Martinique, Stanislas Cazelles, subsequently tested positive. “Indeed, several members of the intersyndicale had it. Me, I had it”, confirmed to AFP Olivier Labastide, the president of the Federation of taxis of Martinique.
Martinique is a rugged Caribbean island that’s part of the Lesser Antilles. An overseas region of France, its culture reflects a distinctive blend of French and West Indian influences.