PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jun 6, CMC -Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar says she welcomes the debate surrounding proposed stand your ground legislation even as the main opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) urged her administration to “tread carefully” on the matter.
“I think the debate is very healthy….it helps people to understand the issues. However, we will go through with stand your ground laws as we promised during our campaign, we will do it,” she told a post cabinet news conference on Thursday night.
Late last month, she announced that a committee will create the legislation looking at models worldwide, including from nearby Florida and that her administration would not be seeking to push the legislation on all citizens, because as in a democracy, everyone is entitled to their position.
But Opposition Leader, Pennelope Beckles, who is also expected to take over the leadership of he opposition party having being nominated unopposed for the post, told reporters that the new government, which came into office following the April 28 general election, needs to tread carefully.
She warned that Florida recorded an increase in homicides after such a law was introduced.
Beckles said the introduction of this law saw a 24 per cent rise in homicides, plus a 31 per cent rise in homicides by firearm. The worst affected cohort of victims, she said, were people aged 20-34 and advised government to first hold consultations.
Beckles warned that the Florida law also talks of “public spaces” in the context of stand-your-ground principles
Opposition legislator and former minister kin the ministry of national security, Keith Scotland said the government has not yet given any context for its stand-your-ground proposals.
Former attorney general, Faris Al-Rawi said Trinidad and Tobago has a very large squatting population and many people living in government owned developments, which include close living and common areas like play parks.
“So what is ‘your ground’?,” he said asking if stand your ground laws would apply in a public spaces and in someone’s car.
“It is an eco-system to be looked at. It must be applied proportionately.”
But Persad Bissessar told reporters that the question should be asked “why do you have to retreat in your own home.
“That’s the old law, you retreat. Why should you have to retreat in your own home when you and your family are being threatened? Why should you have to decide between defending your family or not defending your family because you are fearful that you will be prosecuted later.
“There are frivolous arguments about aiming for the criminal’s foot, hand and leg and whatever it may be. That is unrealistic. In home invasions situations you are already terrified that you will be such a marksman you could aim for the toe.
‘So we will bring the stand your ground laws to defend yourself and your families. I say to citizens stand your ground if passed, if criminals invade your home, stand your ground for your loves ones, do not hesitate, send them straight out to the hospital”.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Persad Bissessar told reporters that drug and human trafficking is on the increase along the southern and south west areas of the country.
She said there is also an increase in female traffickers, adding “let me be clear, some Venezuelan women are main persons who run the human trafficking ring.
“Members of the Venezuelan community are also escorting Trinidadian gang members from Trinidad…into Colombia to do direct illegal business with cocaine producers. Some Trinidadian gangs are now cutting out the middle men, they are going straight to Colombian producers, facilitated by those in Venezuela who are being welcomed into this country”.
Persad Bissessar said a lot of Venezuela identified in the human and drug trafficking trade have legal registration documents from Trinidad and Tobago “so they are here apparently legally.
“Clearly they have duped the system. We are waiting on a migrant plan to be rolled out in the coming months,” she said, adding “I warned you all before elections…that if you do illegal activities in TNT you will be sent back and yet the crimes involving Venes (Venezuelans) continue to increase”.
She said in the interim she has invited Venezuelan migrants here “to begin to return to your country”.
CMC/pr/ir/2025