Caroline Machoro

Caroline Machoro-Reignier (born October 19, 1952) is a Kanak politician in New Caledonia. A member of the pro-independence Caledonian Union, she led the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front alliance in the Congress of New Caledonia from 2011 to 2014. In 1988, she was one of the signatories of the Matignon Agreements between New Caledonian loyalists and separatists.

Early life and family Machoro was born into the Nakéty tribe, situated between the villages of Canala and Thio, in 1952. Known as one of the principal organizers of actions during the independence struggle in the 1980s, he was killed by law enforcement officers in 1985. Jorédié had been her brother's No. 2 until his death, succeeding him as provisional minister of security, and became head of the Center Region from 1985 to 1988.

Machoro was part of a Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) delegation led by Jean-Marie Tjibaou that traveled to Paris to negotiate peace with the New Caledonian anti-independence movement, Jacques Lafleur's Rally for Caledonia in the Republic.

After the new institutions established by the accords were put in place, she became deputy director, under Raphaël Pidjot (from 1990 to 1991), then deputy director of the cabinet (from 1991 to 1992) of the president of the North Province's congress, who was none other than Jorédié. She returned to the Permanent Committee but was no longer its vice present.

Having previously served as vice president of the FLNKS alliance, she became its president after Roch Wamytan was elected president of Congress in April 2011.

In the 2012 French legislative election, she was nominated as an alternate candidate for the FLNKS in New Caledonia's 2nd constituency.

Machoro was reelected again in the 2014 New Caledonian legislative election, having been listed fourth on the local UC-FLNKS list. She became second vice president of the assembly for a period, as well as vice president of the Permanent Commission and president of the Foreign Affairs Commission. She was elected for another five-year term in 2019, which was extended when the 2024 elections were postponed amid unrest on the island.

Personal life Machoro is married to the Frenchman Gérard Reignier, a fellow UC activist who served as the party's general secretary from 2007 to 2017.