Caption: Kamla Persad-Bissessar. AZP News/Prior Beharry

 

Summary

• Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar defended the State of Emergency, saying it is not a “band-aid” but a response to credible intelligence and real threats.
• She accused the opposition PNM of lacking a sustainable anti-crime plan and described its past SoE as a “spectacle” and “political gimmick.”
• Persad-Bissessar said criminals will not be allowed to “hold Trinidad and Tobago to ransom,” and vowed to use all lawful tools to dismantle criminal networks.
• She questioned the motives of opponents of her security measures and cited past PNM resistance to initiatives such as the US radar system and ZSO legislation.
• The PM praised security leaders, said work is under way to reduce court backlogs, and thanked the United States for continued cooperation against crime.

 

By Alicia Chamely

THE State of Emergency (SoE) is not a “band-aid” fix to crime, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said as she hit back at opposition criticism.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Persad-Bissessar said she was “not afraid to take tough decisions in the defence of law-abiding citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”

She said she had received media questions about the opposition’s criticism of the SoE and added: “The former PNM administration had no tangible, sustainable plan to confront crime. Their State of Emergency was not a strategy — it was a spectacle. It was a political gimmick designed to create the appearance of action, not to deliver results.”

Persad-Bissessar also accused the opposition of turning a blind eye to the trafficking of drugs, arms and humans.

“They failed to take meaningful action to strengthen national security while thousands of women were raped or sexually assaulted, more than 5,000 people were murdered, and thousands more were terrorised in violent robberies,” she wrote.

Defending her decision to call an SoE, she said: “The States of Emergency declared under my government are not band-aids. They are triggered by credible intelligence of threats to our nation. Criminals will not hold Trinidad and Tobago to ransom. They will not dictate terms to those in authority, and they will not overpower law-abiding citizens.

“Both the Attorney General and I have outlined in detail the basis for this State of Emergency. We will not be threatened by criminal elements or by those who seek to shield and protect them. We will use every lawful tool available to us to confront and dismantle criminal networks.”

Persad-Bissessar said her government had promised to restore “law and order” and was doing so by implementing “comprehensive, holistic plans” aimed at the root causes of crime.

Questioning the motives of the opposition and other critics of her national security decisions, she wrote: “The people of Trinidad and Tobago must ask themselves: why is there such a coordinated and focused effort by the opposition and certain President-appointed Senators to act as representatives of criminal interests? It is telling that every serious effort to tackle crime is met with fierce resistance from these quarters.”

Referring to the People’s National Movement’s (PNM) past opposition to the US radar system and the Zone of Special Operations legislation, she asked: “Why is the PNM so determined to obstruct policies designed to target criminals?”

Persad-Bissessar said her government had taken decisive steps against crime and lawlessness, adding: “We are cleaning up the lawless mess left behind by the PNM and its dangerous tolerance of criminal elements.”

On efforts to repair the justice system, she said: “We understand that every arm of law and order must function effectively. That is why we are working collaboratively with the judiciary to address the backlog and strengthen the criminal justice system.

“There is no sleeping at the wheel. There is no political interference. There are no backroom machinations. There is decisive action on all fronts — including the State of Emergency — to eliminate threats and prevent Trinidad and Tobago from returning to the killing fields that existed under the PNM.”

Persad-Bissessar commended the Commissioner of Police, the Chief of Defence Staff and the heads of the protective services for their “diligence and devotion” in safeguarding citizens.

She also thanked the United States for “its continued partnership in combating this scourge of crime.”

Concluding her post, she reaffirmed her commitment to dismantling criminal networks: “I will continue to seek further cooperation and assistance to ensure that gangs and organised criminal networks are eradicated from our country. We will not surrender this nation. We will not retreat. We will restore law, order and safety — and we will do so without fear or favour.”