Vicente Pazos, a Bolivian writer and politician, writes to the President of the French Republic, Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, with a bold vision: to make French Guyana a center for trade and navigation along the Amazon. He highlights the unique position of French Guyana near the Amazon’s main outlet, which could allow France to lead commerce across South America. Inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte’s early recognition of Cayenne’s potential, Pazos points to French naval officers who mapped the river and confirmed its strategic importance.

Although the French government initially supported the idea, it was ultimately dismissed in 1848. Pazos, however, continued to urge Louis Napoleon to revive the plan. Drawing from explorers’ insights and his own experience, Pazos saw this project as a way to strengthen France’s presence in the Americas while breathing new life into its colonies.