Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency following a violent weekend that pushed the nation’s murder toll for 2024 to a staggering 623. Nearly half of these deaths are tied to gang activity and organized crime. The violence peaked with five men shot on the outskirts of the capital, Port of Spain, and a series of high-profile killings, including a woman fatally shot outside a hospital and a man gunned down outside a police station.
With a population of around 1.5 million, Trinidad and Tobago has become one of the deadliest countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The murder rate has spiked dramatically this year, prompting Prime Minister Keith Rowley to grant emergency powers to the police and military, giving them broader authority to detain suspects and conduct searches without warrants.
Rowley expressed frustration over the surge in crime, stressing the need to disrupt criminal networks. “We need to make life uncomfortable for criminals,” he said. Despite calls for curfews, Attorney General Stuart Young confirmed there would be no curfew, but emphasized the seriousness of the crisis, warning that gang violence could escalate further, endangering public safety.
Gang violence and organized crime have fueled the rising death toll, with 42.6% of murders this year linked to criminal groups. This marks the second state of emergency in recent years, following one in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. President Christine Kangaloo officially declared the situation a public emergency, stating the safety of citizens was at immediate risk.
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