T&T MOST VIOLENT SMALL STATE IN THE WORLD

TRINIDAD and Tobago is officially the most violent small society in the entire world. 

With a rate of 71.63 crimes per 100,000 people – and climbing – the 5,128- kilometre nation is the most brutal small State on earth. 

Among countries of all sizes, little T&T is the sixth most murderous and vicious. 

Even though T&T is the 174^th in the world and 25^th in the Americas in terms of mass, it outstrips most countries with respect to human carnage and bloodshed. 

In fact, T&T is only marginally less homicidal and savage than the most crime-ridden country in the globe – Venezuela – which is ravaged by a corrupt administration, weak judiciary, appalling poverty and rampant gun-running. 

Venezuela’s population is 28.4 million, but many have escaped hardship under the Maduro regime in the world’s worst refugee crisis. 

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have fled for T&T, with many doing so through unmanned backdoor entry points. 

The distance between Trinidad’s most southwestern tip and Venezuela’s north-eastern coast – a channel known as Serpent’s Mouth – is a mere seven miles. 

There have been international reports by media and human rights organisations about the ongoing mass movement of Venezuelan refugees to T&T.  

Trinidad and Tobago, which is smaller than the American State of Delaware, is more barbarous than several countries that are in the throes of civil war, terrorist insurgency and political unrest. 

T&T is among a handful of countries subjected to strict travel advisories from developed societies, such as the United States, Britain, Canada and Europe. 

Respected international agencies are telling the world that in T&T there is “the negative influence of gangs, drugs, economic recession and an overburdened legal system”. 

“There is a great demand for illegal weapons, which drug trafficking and gang-related activities fuel,” according to Global Peace Index, an agency that evaluates crime rates in all countries. 

T&T’s listing as the world’s sixth most violent nation, big and small, is a decline from 12^th position a mere four years ago. 

That 12^th placed rating was made by the reputable organisation Business Insider, which named T&T alongside Yemen, Colombia and other historically violent countries. 

Business Insider urged travellers to exercise caution. 

Also in 2018, the United States Bureau of Diplomatic Security termed Port of Spain “a critical threat location” for crime. 

A 2021 study by the United States Department of State found that security forces were involved in “significant human rights abuses”. 

More recent US reports have told of continued trafficking in illegal drugs and firearms by transnational criminal organisations. 

Guns are “flowing” in T&T from both North and South America, with complicity from certain law enforcement and customs officials, one document said. 

Some Venezuelans living in T&T are said to be brokering deals for traffickers, it was revealed, confirming common street talk. 

In its 2015 general election manifesto, the People’s National Movement identified several critical factors and promised to tame the scourge of crime. 

The PNM expressed outrage, claiming T&T was “the tenth most homicidal and violent country in the world”. 

The political party stated that “violent crime is out of control” and had reached “epidemic levels”. 

There is “a proliferation of illegal handguns and small arms and sophisticated high-powered weapons…in the hands of criminals who are not afraid to brazenly display and use them for nefarious purposes”. 

The PNM proffered several measures, including “a whole-of-government approach to national security”. 

But almost seven years after its election to national office, raw statistics and anecdotal evidence indicate that there has been a horrible worsening of the crime culture. 

There have been increases in gang activities in spite of the enactment of relevant legislation. 

Acting Police Commissioner McDonald Jacob said a month ago that 134 gangs were responsible for most murders. 

Security officials have said that gangs are splintering and becoming more dangerous, partly because they are better armed and more vicious. 

The Government has touted its Anti-Gang Act as reducing the number of criminal groups in the country. 

But the incidence of serious crimes continues to climb. 

Figures indicate an overall steady escalation in horrendous offences, including homicides, home invasions, robberies, kidnappings and other serious criminal activities. 

There have not been any major arrests with respect to drug and gun trafficking or transhipment in several years, suggesting that these illegal activities are continuing to flourish. 

The dispensation of justice remains slow, and Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has groused that “there is something else in the mortar besides the pestle”. 

But there have been no discernible efforts to remedy the situation. 

Some months ago, Chief Justice Ivor Archie threw blame at the Director of Public Prosecutions. 

Among violent countries, T&T is keeping the company of Syria, which has been wracked by civil more for more than a decade. 

The T&T Government has not officially responded to the shocking report but National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds has said that “human lives are being treated like dogs on the road”. 

Hinds spoke of “tremendous initiatives” to counter crime, and that “the battle continues. It is a moving target”. 

Jacob said he was “not a bit surprised” at the sixth place among all countries, “because last year we would have ended up in ninth place in the analysis”. 

The police detection rate remains in single digits, one of the lowest in countries with functioning administrations. 

Only two other Caribbean countries – Guyana and Jamaica – are listed among violent nations, but they enjoy better ratings. 

Reports stress that being listed as a violent society not only has a potential effect on people, but also on the country’s international image. 

Trinidad and Tobago’s confirmation as a violent land has been widely reported internationally. 

T&T has been facing lower visitor arrivals in recent years and is virtually absent from the regional tourism map even as other territories have recovered after the CoVid-19 shutdown. 

In addition, the country has been steadily losing international business investors in all sectors, including energy. 

Only recently, the technology company WiPay, which is owned by a Trinidadian, revealed that it has moved its headquarters to Jamaica. 

“The end result is a massive reduction in the quality of life,” one study said about the effect of being a violent country. 

Canada, to which T&T nationals continue to migrate, was named as one of the safest countries. 

In its 2015 election manifesto, the PNM promised to “be accountable for the security and safety of the State”, and to “move swiftly” in all areas of crime-fighting. 

The party pledged “a new approach to crime-fighting”. 

Instead, little Trinidad and Tobago now has the most dubious title of the most violent small society in the world.