Trinidad and Tobago declares emergency as murder rate soars
Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency as gang violence continues to escalate in the Caribbean country.
President Cristina Kara Kangalu made the statement on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who has been under increasing pressure to take action over worsening crime figures.
The twin-island republic has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a record total of more than 620 murders among a population of 1.5 million so far this year.
The majority of murders are caused by organized crime, many linked to the international drug trade.
The U.S. State Department says the country’s proximity to Venezuela, its porous borders and direct shipping routes to Europe and North America make it a “prime location for drug transshipment.”
In the latest violence, five men were shot dead in a shop in the impoverished Laventille area on Sunday. Police believe the killing was retaliation for the murder of a prominent gang member the previous day.
During the state of emergency, police will have the power to arrest people suspected of committing crimes. They will also have the power to “search and enter public and private places as necessary.”
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said the move was aimed at “addressing individuals who pose a threat to public safety, particularly those involved in criminal activity and the illegal use of firearms”.
However, it added that there were no plans to impose a curfew.
It is unclear how the state of emergency will affect Trinidad’s world-famous Carnival, which features massive street parades on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in early March.
The event is a major tourist attraction, attracting tens of thousands of overseas visitors, but heightened security measures could hamper celebrations.
The move comes as Trinidad and Tobago prepares for general elections, which must be held by August 2025.
Rowley’s ruling People’s National Movement party has been in power since September 2015 and faces a strong challenge from the opposition National Congress party led by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
