Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency as gang violence continues to rise in the Caribbean nation.
President Christine Carla Cangalo made the announcement on the advice of Prime Minister Keith Rowley, who has come under increasing pressure to take action over worsening crime figures.
The two-island republic has one of the highest homicide rates in Latin America and the Caribbean, with the number of homicides reaching a record high of more than 620 this year so far in a population of 1.5 million.
Organized crime is responsible for the majority of murders, many of which are linked to the international drug trade.
According to the US State Department, the country's proximity to Venezuela, porous borders, and direct transportation routes to Europe and North America make it a “major drug transportation location.”
In the latest incidents of violence, five men were shot dead in a store in the poor Laventille area on Sunday. Police believe the killings were in retaliation for the killing of a prominent gang member the previous day.
Details of the state of emergency have not yet been revealed, but are expected to be announced at a press conference later on Monday.
The move comes as Trinidad and Tobago prepares to hold general elections, which must be held by August 2025.
Rowley's ruling People's National Movement party, which has been in power since September 2015, faces a strong challenge from the opposition United National Congress Party, led by former Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
