Trinidad and Tobago imposes state of emergency over gang wars. What to know
Al Jazeera
The dual island nation has recorded hundreds of murders linked to gang violence this year.
Authorities in the dual island nation of Trinidad and Tobago imposed a nationwide state of emergency on Monday following a spate of recent killings linked to gang violence.
The move followed what a local official dubbed an “outbreak of gang violence” over the weekend that saw multiple people shot dead in public areas. Authorities believe the brazen tit-for-tat shootings are between rival gangs seeking to expand territory in the capital city, Port of Spain.
More than 60 people have been murdered so far this month, bringing the total number of people killed in gun violence so far this year to 623 – the highest in more than a decade.
There is no doubt in my mind that we are dealing with an epidemic,” National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds told reporters at a news conference on Monday after the state of emergency was imposed.
The violence comes as the country gears up for tense elections between Prime Minister Keith Rowley’s People’s National Movement party, and the opposition United National Congress.
