Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency as gang violence in the Caribbean nation continues to escalate.
President Christine Carla Kangaloo made the announcement on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who has been under increasing pressure to take action on worsening crime figures.
The two-island republic has the highest homicide rate in Latin America and the Caribbean, with a record of more than 620 murders this year so far out of a population of 1.5 million.
Organized crime is responsible for many of the murders, many of which are related to the global drug trade.
According to the US state department, the country’s proximity to Venezuela, seamless borders and transit routes to Europe and North America make it a “prime destination for drug shipments”.
In the latest incident of violence, five men were shot dead at a shop in the poverty-stricken area of ​​Laventille on Sunday. The police believe that the killings were to pay back the murder of a known gang member the previous day.
Details of the emergency have not been released, but it is expected to be announced at a press conference later on Monday.
The move comes as Trinidad and Tobago prepares for national elections, due to be held in August 2025.
Rowley’s ruling People’s National Movement, which has been in power since September 2015, faces a strong challenge from the opposition United National Congress, led by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
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