Trinidad and Tobago's murder emergency

For many, Trinidad and Tobago is the epitome of a Caribbean paradise, but soaring homicide rates in the dual-island nation have pushed the government to declare a state of emergency following a "spate of murders"

Killings in the last weekend of December took the country's murder toll for the year to 623, an "unprecedented" number in a nation with a population of only 1.5 million, said The Guardian. Of these, police believe "nearly half" are tied to gang violence, with "almost all linked to organised crime", making Trinidad and Tobago "one of the most violent countries" across the Caribbean and Latin America.

A 'surge' in gangs and violence

"Tit-for-tat killings" across the nation's capital, Port of Spain, and beyond, are largely responsible for the nation's first state of emergency over crime "in more than a decade", said The New York Times. The declaration did not impose a curfew, but the military have been given additional powers to make arrests, and authorities will be able to "enter suspects' homes without warrants" and prevent the granting of bail.

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Trinidad and Tobago has "struggled" to contain gang violence for "more than 25 years", but the past decade has seen a "surge" in deadly conflicts between its estimated 186 street gangs. The latest string of murders saw a man gunned down outside a police station in Port of Spain, with five people also killed in a nearby suburb. Authorities confirmed gangs had been using high-powered AR-15 and AK-47 weapons.

But Caribbean nations, including Trinidad and Tobago, "do not manufacture firearms themselves", said Al Jazeera, which has led to finger-pointing over the illegal importation of weapons. One source that "stands out" is the United States, the largest weapons exporter in the world, whose guns have been connected to crimes "from Haiti and Jamaica to Trinidad and Tobago".

However, with much of the republic's crime linked to the international drugs trade, the US state department believes "close proximity to Venezuela", alongside "porous borders", is to blame for the spike in violence, said the BBC.

A 'national sore'

The duration of the current state of emergency has not been confirmed, but in any case the measure may only be a "bandage on a national sore", Derek Ramsamooj, a political analyst, told The New York Times. Critics say the "societal causes for gang violence" must be directly tackled to see any significant lasting improvement.

The incumbent People's National Movement party may be wise to act quickly as Trinidad and Tobago "gears up" for an election that must be held by August, said the BBC. With the government under scrutiny for a perceived failure to stop the explosion of violence, it faces a "strong challenge" from opponents.

An ongoing state of emergency may also "put a damper" on the nation's "world-renowned Carnival" scheduled to wind through the streets in early March. A "major tourist attraction", Carnival is the country's annual highlight, but this year's celebration is likely to unfold with strict security measures in place.