The president of Trinidad and Tobago declared a state of emergency on Monday due to a rise in criminal activity, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The dual-island Caribbean nation off the coast of Venezuela is experiencing “heightened criminal activity which endangers the public safety,” the prime minister’s office said, following advice from the police service.
According to a report in The Guardian, the country’s murder rate climbed to 623 for the year. The report said the decision was made after a weekend of shootings that have brought the Caribbean nation to a breaking point.
As per the report, five men were shot overnight in an estate on the outskirts of the capital, Port of Spain, and a 57-year-old woman was killed on Friday while collecting her son from a hospital in San Fernando.
With a population of 1.5 million, Trinidad and Tobago now ranks as one of the most violent countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to news publication’s analysis of the 2024 murder statistics. The unprecedented number of killings this year has put a spotlight on the escalating crime problem.
The state of emergency, announced by Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s office, reportedly grants both the police and army expanded powers to address the crisis. Under the new measures, security forces have the authority to detain individuals without charge and search properties without warrants.
More to come
