Trinidad lifts curfew, keeps state of emergency

The Trinidad and Tobago government Monday night lifted the five-hour curfew with immediate effect, but kept in place the state of emergency (SOE) that was first imposed on August 21.

At the same time, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar said her administration would move quickly to create some 20,000 jobs for low-income communities as part of the pushback against the influence of criminals.

Speaking after a meeting of the National Security Council, the PM said her five-party coalition had agreed to accept the recommendations of the security forces for lifting the curfew, adding that it had contributed to a significant decline in criminal activity.

"I wish to advise that the National Security Council has recommended, and the government has agreed, to remove the curfew on land and sea in Trinidad and Tobago immediately. The state of emergency will remain in effect and this will be reviewed on a continuous basis," she said.

The five-hour - 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. - curfews covered some 19 spots in Trinidad.

The Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce welcomed the lifting of the curfew, but a spokesman for the Joint Trade Union Movement, Vincent Caberara, said that the SOE was still hindering union meetings.

The private-sector organisation said that the small organisations and those within the hospitality industry had recorded significant losses as a result of the crime-fighting measure.

The chamber said it hoped the new initiatives announced by the prime minister would ensure some sustainability in the reduction in crime.

Persad-Bissessar said at the national security meeting that, over the past two months and 17 days, "we waged a war unlike anything seen before and every single soldier and law enforcement officer, and policeman gave it their all" in the fight against crime.

Battle almost won

She said that while there has not been a "complete victory", the battle has largely been won.

"When gang leaders tremble in fear, we have won. When the crime rate plummets, we have won," the PM said.

"When guns and ammunition are removed from the streets that could have killed one more innocent man, woman or child, we have won. When one family can sleep better at night, we have won. When justice prevails, we have won."

She said one month prior to declaring the SOE, there were 46 homicides committed compared to the 18 for the same period following the emergency declaration and curfew, an overall reduction of just over 60 per cent.

Persad-Bissessar said her administration also intends to move ahead on several initiatives to keep the momentum, including further strengthening of the Central Intelligence Command, expand law enforcement presence on the ground, install more CCTV cameras across cities, malls and vulnerable areas, and follow through on an employment programme to generate 20,000 jobs, as well as social programmes in low-income communities.