标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A fatal ambush in Valencia has claimed the life of 52-year-old Nancy Almarales, who was shot dead while traveling in a private hire vehicle during the early hours of January 4. The incident occurred as Almarales was returning to her Clarence Trace residence to retrieve an item.

According to eyewitness accounts and preliminary police reports, unidentified gunmen opened fire on the vehicle, unleashing a barrage of bullets that struck both occupants. Despite the sustained attack, the driver demonstrated remarkable presence of mind by maneuvering the damaged vehicle to the nearby Valencia Police Post, where he ultimately collided with the station’s perimeter wall.

Law enforcement personnel responding to the crash discovered both individuals with critical injuries. The driver managed to relay details of the ambush to officers before losing consciousness. Emergency medical services transported him to a medical facility where he remains under treatment, currently listed in stable condition. Tragically, Almarales succumbed to her injuries at the scene despite attempts to save her.

Family members revealed to news outlets that Almarales had been pursuing entry into the quarrying industry, reportedly forming a business partnership with a prominent attorney from the Sangre Grande region. Relatives disclosed they had previously expressed concerns about her involvement in this sector, citing specific death threats she allegedly received from rival quarry operators in December.

This tragedy marks the latest chapter in a series of violent incidents affecting Almarales’ family. Her common-law husband, Sherwin Coxall, was fatally shot on June 11, 2024, in St Albans Village, Valencia. The pattern of violence continued with the murder of her brother-in-law, Devon Coxall, who was killed at his Williams Trace Extension residence on May 31, 2025. Local authorities are investigating potential connections between these incidents and the recent attack.

CIBC Caribbean’s ComTrust Committee has launched a significant literacy initiative by providing substantial support to three non-governmental organizations in Trinidad. The program aims to strengthen foundational reading skills among both children and adults, recognizing literacy as a fundamental life skill essential for educational and professional development.

At a ceremony held at CIBC’s Maraval office on December 12, Mahadeo Sebarath, Head of Country for Trinidad, presented donations to three recipient organizations: Moms for Literacy, Rotary Club of Maraval, and ALTA (Adult Literacy Tutors Association). These groups represent decades of collective experience in addressing literacy challenges throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

Moms for Literacy, established in 1992, has developed customized programs focusing on reading, writing, critical thinking, and comprehension skills. Over the past twenty years, the organization has assisted more than 10,000 students while creating specialized programs for schools nationwide. Their community outreach initiatives have demonstrated measurable impact in reducing criminal activity by providing educational alternatives.

The Rotary Club of Maraval will utilize the funding to provide specialized SEA (Secondary Entrance Assessment) preparation lessons for Standard 5 students across four primary schools: Boissierre RC, La Seiva RC, Paramin RC, and Rampanalgas RC. The six-month program, running from October 2025 through March 2026, builds on previous successful interventions that resulted in La Seiva RC School’s removal from the Ministry of Education’s watch list.

ALTA, celebrating thirty years of service, will direct resources toward its online literacy program designed specifically for Caribbean life skills. The funding will provide essential books for 27 at-risk students at San Juan Boys’ Primary and Barataria RC School who risk scoring below 50% in their SEA examinations. Without intervention, these students face significant challenges in secondary education due to inadequate literacy foundations.

Sebarath emphasized CIBC’s institutional commitment to social development, noting that the bank contributes one percent of its net income to community enhancement projects. The ComTrust Foundation, CIBC’s charitable arm established as a registered charity in Barbados, supports initiatives across ten countries where the bank operates, distributing no less than US$1 million annually to educational and social development programs.

In a striking development within Trinidad and Tobago’s transportation sector, former Works and Transport Minister Jack Warner has issued a compelling challenge to current minister Eli Zakour regarding the implementation of newly doubled traffic fines effective January 1. While expressing support for the punitive measures designed to combat roadway lawlessness, Warner has raised critical questions about whether government fleets will be subjected to the same rigorous standards now imposed on citizens.

Warner’s open letter, composed during his tenure in the People’s Partnership administration (2011-2012), acknowledges the necessity of strengthened penalties to address the escalating disregard for traffic regulations. However, he pivots to two fundamental concerns: the alarming prevalence of jaywalking behavior and the roadworthiness of state-owned vehicles.

The former minister describes an emerging ‘bounce me nah’ culture where pedestrians immersed in mobile devices step into traffic with dangerous confidence, ignoring signals and crossings. This behavior, he notes, endangers both pedestrians and motorists alike, particularly elderly drivers navigating congested thoroughfares.

More significantly, Warner scrutinizes the maintenance standards of government vehicles spanning multiple agencies—including ministerial SUVs, NP tankers, T&TEC, WASA, TSTT vehicles, emergency response units, and PTSC buses. He questions whether these vehicles undergo regular inspections matching the newly intensified standards applied to private citizens. Warner emphasizes that public confidence in enforcement hinges on the perception of equal application to both citizens and government entities.

Calling for full transparency, Warner requested disclosure of inspection protocols, associated taxpayer costs, and implementation timelines if such measures exist. If not, he demands explanation for the exemption. The former minister concludes by commending Zakour’s courage while urging comprehensive, fair, and credible enforcement supported by functioning systems and visible accountability.

Trinidad and Tobago witnessed significant developments in wildlife conservation and environmental protection throughout 2025, according to a comprehensive report by the TT Field Naturalists’ Club. The year presented both encouraging advancements and disturbing violations in the nation’s ecological preservation efforts.

Law enforcement agencies conducted coordinated operations in March 2025 across Tabaquite, Rio Claro, and Guayaguayare districts to combat illegal hunting activities following the close of hunting season. The multi-agency operation involving the Praedial Larceny Squad, game wardens, and EMBD state patrol uncovered an illegal teak logging operation in Charuma. Subsequently, authorities charged an individual in Whiteland for illegally hunting protected species including a lappe and iguana.

The legal landscape regarding wildlife possession saw clarification when a Brasso Village nature park failed to convince courts that the 2021 seizure of a red howler monkey was unlawful. This ruling established that merely submitting a possession request to the Wildlife Section does not constitute legal permission to keep protected species.

Tragically, December 2025 marked the discovery of a fatally shot ocelot in Grande Riviere, reported by conservationist Len Peters. Veterinary experts at the University of the West Indies’ Zoology Museum conducted a necropsy confirming the animal had been shot, extracting eight shotgun slugs. As Trinidad’s only native wild cat species designated as Environmentally Sensitive since 2013, harming ocelots carries penalties of $100,000 fines and two-year imprisonment.

Marine environments faced parallel challenges, with a distressed whale shark bearing visible injuries found dead near Chaquacabana hotel after being spotted at Peake Yacht Services marina. Meanwhile, proposed development of a 200-room hotel complex at Tobago’s Rocky Point threatened coral reefs serving as nesting sites for protected sea turtles and habitat for endangered elkhorn corals.

Positive developments emerged through judicial and policy channels. The High Court overturned the Environmental Management Authority’s 2018 approval of a massive housing project near St Augustine Nurseries, citing insufficient environmental impact assessment. Justice Robin Mohammed emphasized the EMA’s failure to obtain crucial information regarding micro-climate impacts and agricultural concerns.

July 2025 brought multiple policy advancements including Trinidad’s commitment to the Ocean Coordination Mechanism, International Coral Reef Initiative, 2030 National Biodiversity Targets, and a new National Climate Change Policy. December introduced fireworks regulations prohibiting usage within half-mile radius of forest reserves, national parks, zoos, and animal shelters.

The Solid Waste Management Company’s proposed engineered landfill at Forres Park generated mixed reactions, promising modern waste management while raising community concerns about localized pollution.

Educational initiatives flourished with the publication of the Field Guide of Selected Native and Exotic Medicinal and Edible Plants, while the 2025 Bioblitz event in Maracas documented over 1,000 species through collaboration between the TT Field Naturalists’ Club and University of the West Indies, supported by First Citizens funding.