Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency as gang violence continues to escalate in the Caribbean country.
President Christine Carla Kangaloo issued the declaration on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who has been under increasing pressure to take action due to worsening crime figures.
The two-island republic has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a record number of murders of more than 620 this year in a population of 1.5 million people.
Organized crime is responsible for the majority of murders, many of which are linked to the international drug trade.
According to the US State Department, Venezuela’s proximity, porous borders and direct transport routes to Europe and North America make it a “prime location for narcotics transshipment”.
In the latest violent incident, five men were shot dead in a shop in the poverty-stricken Laventilla area on Sunday. Police believe the killings were in retaliation for the killing of a prominent gang member the previous day.
In a state of emergency, the police will have the power to arrest people suspected of involvement in crimes. They will also have the power to “search and enter public and private premises as necessary”.
The Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying the intention was to “target individuals who pose a threat to public safety, particularly those involved in criminal activities and the illegal use of firearms.”
However, it added that there are no plans to introduce a curfew.
It is not clear how the state of emergency will affect Trinidad’s world-famous carnival, which is set to culminate in a huge street parade on the Monday and Tuesday before Ash Wednesday in early March.
The event is a major tourist attraction, bringing tens of thousands of visitors from abroad, but heightened security measures could jeopardize the festivities.
The move comes as Trinidad and Tobago prepares for a general election that must be held by August 2025.
Rowley’s ruling People’s National Movement party, in power since September 2015, faces a strong challenge from the opposition United National Congress, led by former prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
