PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Mar 3, CMC – Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar Tuesday said she is not afraid to take tough decisions in defence of law abiding citizens as she thanked also the United States “for its continued partnership in combating this scourge of crime”.
In a statement posted on X, Persad-Bissessar her administration is “cleaning up the lawless mess left behind by the PNM (Opposition People’s National Movement) and its dangerous tolerance of criminal elements.
“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 (SoE) – to eliminate threats and prevent Trinidad and Tobago from returning to the killing fields that existed under the PNM,” Persad-Bissessar said.
Government declared a SoE early Tuesday after warning of credible evidence linking criminal gangs and former detainees to increased crime in the country.
Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar said that following the end of the previous state of emergency on January 31st, 2026, “there has been an increase in violent criminal activity across the country, most of which has been carried out by members of organized criminal gangs”.
In her latest statement, she commended the heads of the police and army as well as all other protective services “for their diligence and devotion to safeguarding our citizens.
“I also thank the United States for its continued partnership in combating this scourge of crime,” she added.
Earlier, Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles, speaking at a news conference questioned the whereabouts of Prime Minister Persad -Bissessar, saying that as the chair of the National Security Council (NSC) she should have been present at the news conference where the Attorney General spoke to reporters.
“Because I’m sure that you, the members of the media, would have had a lot of questions to ask.So we continue to have a missing Prime Minister from these press conferences. And I call on the Prime Minister again to make herself available to take questions from the media as it relates to this very important matter of the state of emergency.
“In this recently concluded state of emergency, we must ask ourselves how many of the hundreds of persons that were arrested and kept in custody, how many of those persons were charged?
“How many of those persons were convicted? But here again, they are calling another state of emergency,” she told reporters.
Former junior minister of national security and criminal defence attorney, Keith Scotland said this latest SOE is proof that the UNC administration cannot solve the crime problem facing the country.
“While we were sleeping, the government declared yet another state of emergency. It’s critical because this is the implementation of a series of extraordinary powers by this administration, which we see demonstrates the lack of capacity of this government to govern Trinidad and Tobago and to deal with crime.
“Is the government’s crime plan merely a recycling of declarations of states of emergency and blaming the opposition?,” he asked.
Meanwhile, the Communications Workers Union (CWU) said it notes with “grave concern” the implications of the recently declared SoE “particularly as it relates to restrictions on movement and the consequential impact on citizens’ constitutional right to peaceful protest”.
The CWU said that while it “unequivocally supports decisive and lawful measures to combat crime and protect national security, we caution that emergency powers must not be used intentionally or inadvertently to curtail legitimate democratic expression, including protest against the Government of the day.
“The Constitution guarantees citizens the fundamental rights of freedom of expression, freedom of movement, and freedom of assembly and association. These rights form the cornerstone of participatory democracy and are especially critical during periods of national uncertainty.”
The union said that a state of emergency “is an extraordinary measure designed to address extraordinary threats. It is not, and must never become, a substitute for comprehensive crime policy or a mechanism that insulates public authorities from scrutiny and accountability.
“The right to peaceful protest including protest against government policies is not an act of defiance against the State. It is a lawful and essential feature of democratic governance.
“Any blanket restriction that prevents workers from organizing or assembling in defence of their economic and social interests undermines industrial democracy. Workers must not be made collateral casualties of emergency governance.”
The statement by the CWU comes as the Trinidad and Tobago Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) announced plans to stage protest action from Friday over wage demands for its members.
In a statement the TTRNA said that it had “confirmed with our battery of lawyers” that nothing exists in the …SoE proclamation – Legal Notice No. 39 and The Emergency Powers Regulations – Legal Notice No. 40, to deny the peaceful assembly of workers gathering to publicly highlight our dissatisfaction on being kept on 13-year-old salaries”.
The union said that it has also formally written to the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General “seeking approval of all our planned actions, inviting them to indicate to us, if they have any issues whatsoever.
“To date, no notice of disapproval from either office has been forthcoming. At this time, no denial of our democratic right to peaceful protest has been made known to us. In fact, we are encouraged with the Honourable Prime Minister – Kamla Persad-Bissessar remarks at the opening ceremony of the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Basseterre, St Kitts.”
The union said “the Prime Minister highlighted the “contradiction for some within CARICOM to make statements on the issue while their nations enjoyed democracy and the Cuban people remained without freedom”.
The union said there it “is confident that the Prime Minister is fully aware that Democracy goes beyond the mere ability to vote for the party of your choice every five (5) years but comprises so much more.
“Inclusive of Unions and citizens engaging in peaceful protest action to highlight issues that they may not be in agreement with the Government of the day on. The Association has been able to successful engage in peaceful public demonstrations over the last 12 years.
“Therefore, it does not envision that this SOE was called with the remote possibility, that it will be used to muzzle workers dissatisfaction. But rather, solely to treat with Criminal activity, as stated in the Government’s press releases. ”
For its part, the CWU said that it is calling on the government to “ clearly articulate the specific objectives of the SOE; measurable benchmarks for success; the duration and sunset provisions and safeguards against misuse of expanded powers”.
The CWU said that it “hereby affirms that we support effective and lawful measures to ensure public safety, however we reject any attempt to suppress peaceful protest under the guise of emergency regulation.
“We demand transparency, accountability, and clear timelines. We insist that lawful industrial and civic expression be explicitly respected and protected. Security and democracy are not opposing forces. A safe society must also be a free society.”
CMC/pr/r/2026