Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency due to increased violence

Published at: 31/12/2024 08:17 AM

The President of Trinidad and Tobago, Christine Kangaloo, and on the advice of the Prime Minister, Keith Rowley, have declared a state of emergency due to the increase in murders by criminal gangs as a threat to public safety.

The State of Emergency allows the island's authorities to carry out police searches without a court order and make arrests for at least 48 hours.

According to a statement issued by Minister Rowley's office, “the circumstances justifying the declaration of a public emergency are based on the notice from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service to the National Security Council about intense criminal activity that endangers public safety.”

The attorney general, Stuart Young, reported that in the month of December there were 61 murders, bringing the number of homicides to 623 in 2024. In 2023 the figure was 577 while in 2022 it was 599.

In this regard, he stressed that the measure does not contemplate a curfew and will not limit the movement of people, since the government wants to minimize the impact of the state of emergency on the country's economic activity.

Mazo News Team