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标签： Trinidad and Tobago

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  • UTT under fire for Emancipation Day Indian acts

    UTT under fire for Emancipation Day Indian acts

    A public firestorm has broken out in Trinidad and Tobago after the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) included East Indian music and dance performances in its official Emancipation Day commemoration, with opposition politicians and community leaders accusing the institution of deliberately disrespecting the historical significance of the occasion honoring African emancipation from chattel slavery.

    The event, branded “Uhuru: Celebrating Freedom”, was held last Wednesday at Port of Spain’s National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA). Alongside scheduled performances from African heritage artists including Patrice Inglesbirth, the Onilu Brothers, Dr Edward Cumberbatch and Nkosi Waldron, UTT added segments from the Shiv Sangeet School of Music and dancer Susan Mohip, the programming choice that triggered widespread criticism.

    In a viral video circulated to social media this Friday, Opposition Member of Parliament Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly condemned UTT’s decision as outright disrespectful and deeply disappointing. She argued that culturally specific commemorative days are meant to center distinct histories, rather than blending community experiences. “African Emancipation Day is literally and simply about African emancipation. Indian Arrival Day is literally and simply about the arrival of the East Indians in Trinidad and Tobago. And you know what, we are big enough as people to celebrate them both separately,” Gadsby-Dolly stated.

    She further pushed back against growing narratives that equate the history of African chattel slavery with the system of East Indian indentureship, drawing a clear line between the two experiences. “African slavery was a totally different thing; totally different experience, and we noticing more and more that it’s being equated, like on some level it’s similar. No, no, and we’re drawing a line in the sand today. Stop doing that. UTT you should have known better,” she said.

    Speaking to local outlet TV6 on Sunday following a street renaming ceremony honoring activist Kwame Ture, Gadsby-Dolly doubled down on her criticism. She reiterated that Emancipation Day is not the appropriate venue to frame a shared cross-community struggle, emphasizing the fundamental difference between the two historical systems: “The enslaved Africans—their experience can never be compared to indentureship. The East Indians came here, they chose to come and those conditions were not ideal. It was still a choice. It was not a choice for the Africans who are here and their ancestors. They didn’t choose to come, and the conditions they endured coming here and being here should not ever be compared to indentureship. And the attempt to do that is disrespecting the struggle of our ancestors and we will not stand for it.”

    Pennelope Beckles, political leader of the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), also weighed in, noting the outsized contribution of Afro-Trinidadian communities to every sector of the nation’s development. “Whether it’s the energy sector, whether it’s in the housing sector, any particular sector that you mention, African people have played a very critical role in making what Trinidad and Tobago is today. And I want to remind us there’s every reason to be proud about your heritage, about the work that you have done, what you have contributed to make Trinidad and Tobago what it is today,” she said.

    Another PNM opposition MP, Kareem Marcelle, argued that the incident is part of a growing pattern of eroding respect for Emancipation Day commemorations. He said that well-meaning pushes for cultural unity often come at the expense of downplaying the unique trauma and significance of African history in the country. “Can we just be allowed to celebrate our ancestors? Can we just be allowed to remember our painful history? Can we just be allowed to teach our children about our rich history pre- and post-slavery?” Marcelle asked, questioning repeated efforts to dilute the focus of the annual observance.

    Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the leader of the ruling government, hit back at PNM critics, accusing the party of irrational and inconsistent hostility toward her participation in African cultural events. “If the PNM MPs and their supporters don’t want East Indians to participate in Emancipation events, that’s their democratic choice. Maybe next year the PNM could lobby UTT to invite Star Sabga and Jenna Hadeed for a spoken word performance instead,” Persad-Bissessar said. She went on to complain that she faces criticism no matter how she engages with Emancipation events: “When I wear African clothing, they curse me; if I don’t wear it, they curse me. When I participate in African cultural activities, they curse me; when I don’t participate, they curse me. When I speak to praise the contributions of Afro-Trinidadians, they curse me; if I don’t speak to praise, they curse me. I don’t know what the PNM MPs and their supporters want. They appear consumed with irrational hatred that is sending them deranged.”

    Commentator Paolo Kernahan also criticized UTT’s decision in a viral social media post, arguing that the misstep reveals a disconnect between formal education and cultural awareness. “The fact that people at a university couldn’t appreciate how wildly inappropriate it was to shoehorn an East Indian cultural presentation into what was meant to be an Emancipation Day event shows the massive difference between education and intelligence,” Kernahan wrote.

    UTT has defended the programming choice in an official media statement, saying the event was designed to honor Emancipation while reflecting the country’s diverse cultural heritage. “UHURU: Celebrating Freedom reflects UTT’s ongoing commitment to preserving and promoting the history, culture and the diverse heritage of Trinidad and Tobago. Through initiatives such as this, the university continues to foster cultural awareness, strengthen national pride and inspire a deeper appreciation of the values, traditions and shared experiences which shape our nation,” the statement read.

    The university added that the event, held in partnership with the Ministry of Tertiary Education and Skills Training, the Ministry of Culture and Community Development and NAPA, was intended to honor the enduring legacy of emancipation and celebrate the fundamental role of African heritage in the nation’s social, cultural and artistic development. Named for the Kiswahili word for freedom, the event featured theatrical readings, dance and music that paid tribute to the courage of freedom fighters and reflected on how emancipation shaped Trinidad and Tobago’s national identity, the release said. At the event, UTT executive chairman Prof Selwyn Cudjoe noted that one of the university core responsibilities is to help build national identity and foster national pride by integrating arts and culture into education. When contacted for comment on the controversy Sunday, Cudjoe declined to speak immediately, saying he would issue a response at a later date.

  • T&T, Israel eye cyber partnership

    T&T, Israel eye cyber partnership

    In a landmark diplomatic milestone, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) recently hosted its first-ever visit from the head of Israel’s International Development Cooperation Agency (MASHAV), kicking off formal bilateral discussions on a range of targeted development projects spanning cybersecurity, smart city infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, and public healthcare.

    The visit, which took place across two days of high-level meetings with T&T government ministers and senior officials, marked a renewed commitment between the two nations to deepen their long-standing diplomatic and development ties. Ambassador Eynat Shlein, Director General of MASHAV, confirmed after the talks that T&T has been identified as a critical strategic partner for regional development efforts, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that face disproportionate climate and food security challenges.

    Addressing widespread public speculation about the scope of the discussions, Shlein emphasized that all proposed cooperation frameworks are rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a multilateral agreement that T&T has formally joined. Meetings covered cooperation in 10 core priority areas: national security, development planning, digital technology, public healthcare, foreign affairs, infrastructure, education, agriculture, climate resilience, and food security.

    A core focus of the talks centered on addressing shared global challenges that hit SIDS particularly hard: local and regional security stability, long-term food security, and climate change adaptation. Shlein noted that Israel’s global reputation as a global innovation and startup hub remains intact decades after it earned that title, and the country aims to leverage that innovative ecosystem to build collaborative government platforms that drive inclusive growth across T&T.

    Following the visit, MASHAV will initiate follow-up engagements with T&T authorities to assess specific partnership opportunities, working within the agency’s existing mandate to design flexible, tailored cooperation frameworks. Shlein highlighted that MASHAV’s core approach centers on capacity building: to date, more than 350,000 professionals from across the globe, including a number of participants from T&T, have completed MASHAV training programs across multiple development sectors.

    Shlein stressed that the overarching purpose of her historic visit was to listen first to T&T’s top policy priorities and development objectives, rather than pushing pre-determined projects. “This is not aid, but partnership,” she clarified in a post-meeting telephone interview, adding that both nations stand to gain valuable insights from working together. “We’re always interested in hearing from the Government what their priorities are, and then we offer various partnerships in this regard.”

    The MASHAV delegation’s mission also prioritizes inclusive sustainable development, including strengthening marginalized vulnerable groups and expanding women’s participation as a foundation of resilient, self-sustaining communities. To ensure proposed partnerships align with local needs, the team held meetings with dozens of T&T state agencies to gain on-the-ground insight into the needs of the country’s population.

    Shlein pointed to food and water security as two particularly high-potential areas for expanded cooperation, noting that the Covid-19 pandemic and ongoing global geopolitical conflicts have exposed critical supply chain vulnerabilities across the Caribbean and Latin America, a region already marked by high economic and climate vulnerability.

    As a UN member state with decades of specialized experience in arid-region sustainable development, Israel has proven expertise to share with the region, Shlein said. She emphasized that long-term water security requires urgent, sustained action across the Caribbean, including expanded domestic rainwater harvesting and widespread wastewater recycling for agricultural use.

    On climate resilience, Shlein noted that climate change-driven extreme weather, from catastrophic flooding that destroys staple crops to prolonged drought, has already severely disrupted regional food production, requiring coordinated action at both the community and national government levels. For decades, Israel has led global innovation in food security, from cutting-edge research and development in grain and livestock production to high-yield intensive cropping systems.

    “We’re here to share the things that we know,” Shlein said, adding that Israel’s development model prioritizes collaborative partnerships with host governments, local communities, and non-governmental organizations to ensure projects deliver tangible, long-term benefits to local populations.

  • Police probe alleged kidnapping of girl, 15

    Police probe alleged kidnapping of girl, 15

    Law enforcement officers from Trinidad and Tobago’s Western Division have opened a formal investigation into a brutal alleged kidnapping and sexual assault targeting a 15-year-old minor, an incident that unfolded in the coastal community of Cocorite.

    According to official police accounts, the teenage victim was en route to a neighborhood mini-mart close to her residence on the day of the attack when she opted to cut her journey short by taking an isolated path behind a local building. It was in this secluded spot that she came face-to-face with an unknown male attacker.

    The first suspect, described by the victim as wearing a black athletic jersey and black three-quarter length jeans, grabbed the teen before forcefully dragging her to a waiting black sedan parked nearby. He then shoved her into the vehicle’s rear passenger seat, where a second accomplice was already positioned. That second man, clad in a white sleeveless vest and full-length white trousers, pinned the victim’s head down as the car pulled away and traveled to an undisclosed location.

    Within minutes of departing the original abduction site, the driver pulled the vehicle onto a neglected, abandoned plot of land. The man in the white vest then dragged the teenager out of the car and into a nearby derelict house, where he forced her to the ground and raped her, according to the victim’s official statement.

    After carrying out the assault, the two attackers returned the minor to their vehicle and drove her back to Cocorite, dropping her off near the area’s well-known walkover. Before fleeing the scene, the pair threatened the victim, warning her that she “better not tell nobody about this” to avoid retaliation.

    Terrified but unharmed in any other physical sense, the teenager walked straight home and immediately disclosed the full details of the attack to her father. The pair wasted no time in traveling to the St James Police Station to file an official report with authorities.

    Following the filing of the report, a female acting corporal named Durham escorted the victim to the St James Medical Centre, where she underwent a full forensic medical examination to collect evidence for the ongoing investigation. As of the latest update, no arrests have been announced, and detectives are continuing to canvass the area for witnesses and review any available surveillance footage that could help identify and apprehend the two attackers.

  • A hard-won victory

    A hard-won victory

    On the annual observance of African Emancipation Day, Trinidad and Tobago President Christine Kangaloo delivered a nationally broadcast address framing the historic occasion as a lasting testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a reminder of unfinished work to advance true freedom across the nation.

    Kangaloo opened her message by emphasizing that this year’s commemoration carries unique urgency, coming against the backdrop of months of emergency public safety measures implemented across the country. The emergency period, she argued, offers a critical opportunity to reaffirm a core truth: public safety and individual liberty are not competing goals, but interconnected responsibilities that societies must uphold in tandem.

    Recounting the brutal history of chattel slavery, Kangaloo paid tribute to generations of enslaved Africans who resisted systemic dehumanization. Torn from their home continents, trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean, and reduced to property to be bought and sold, enslaved people were systematically stripped of their names, cultural traditions, family ties, and basic human dignity. Yet every attempt to break their collective spirit failed: through persistent resistance, enormous sacrifice, and unwavering hope, they challenged the exploitative system that oppressed them, ultimately forcing the end of legal slavery with the 1834 Emancipation declaration, followed by full emancipation in 1838.

    This hard-won victory, Kangaloo stressed, is not only a milestone for the African diaspora—it is a universal win for all of humanity. “Slavery was an offence against the entire human family, and Emancipation proved that no people can be permanently denied their inherent dignity,” she said. “Its message belongs to every citizen, regardless of faith, ancestral background, or cultural identity. All of us inherit both its promise and the responsibility to uphold it.”

    Beyond the physical end of chattel slavery, the president argued, true emancipation requires intellectual and cultural liberation. Invisible chains, she noted, persist in harmful inherited prejudices, biased patterns of thought, and the language used to marginalize groups. Racial slurs, for example, reinforce the dangerous falsehood that ancestry determines an individual’s worth, loyalty, or place in society—harming not just targeted groups but the entire nation by eroding shared trust and solidarity.

    Kangaloo pushed back against the idea that prejudice can be countered with reciprocal bias, warning that responding to hate with hate only validates the core falsehood that race defines a person’s character. Resentment may offer short-term emotional reward, but it ultimately undermines the collective social fabric that binds all citizens together.

    Mental emancipation, she explained, demands the rejection of all forms of racism, exclusion, and hatred, and a refusal to use race as a metric of merit or belonging. She pointed to everyday examples of cultural marginalization: a society that is truly free will never force Black children to feel ashamed of their natural hair texture or traditional African cultural practices, nor will it require citizens to downplay their African identity in clothing or appearance to gain acceptance in schools or workplaces.

    “While standards of discipline and public decorum have a legitimate role, they become harmful when they perpetuate inherited discomfort with African features, clothing, and culture,” Kangaloo said. “We cannot meaningfully celebrate African heritage in formal ceremonies while treating its visible, everyday expressions as something that needs to be corrected or hidden.”

    Returning to the ongoing state of emergency, the president reaffirmed that when temporary restrictions on freedom are required for public safety, those measures must always be implemented with intentional gravity and restraint. They must never weaken the nation’s core commitment to liberty or erode public vigilance in defending individual freedoms.

    Kangaloo concluded by noting that the work of emancipation remains unfinished, requiring ongoing effort across every sphere of national life: from the laws legislatures uphold, to the public institutions that communities strengthen, to the language individuals choose, to the daily choices that either expand or restrict the freedom of others.

    “Our ancestors broke chains that were visible to all, but the chains we must resist today are often hidden,” she said. “Even so, our duty to identify and oppose them is just as urgent. On this Emancipation Day, may we work together to build a Trinidad and Tobago where freedom is not just a historic memory, but a way of life that all citizens get to live fully.”

  • ‘Africans an endangered species’

    ‘Africans an endangered species’

    In a provocative, unflinching address to mark Emancipation Day, Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander has drawn widespread attention by declaring that people of African descent have become “an endangered species” — blaming internal cycles of violence, criminality and intergenerational neglect for the community’s ongoing stagnation nearly two centuries after the formal abolition of slavery.

    Delivering his remarks in a virtual presentation titled for his hard-hitting thesis, Alexander challenged the value of annual Emancipation Day observances, questioning whether the popular celebrations have translated to tangible, meaningful progress for African communities globally. He argued that far too many people remain trapped in what he described as a slave-era mentality that continues to hold the community back generations after emancipation.

    “ I have more questions than answers because why after so long we are celebrating Emancipation but still mentally we are still on that slave ship making that same trip,” Alexander told his online audience. He pressed community leaders and members to examine their own inaction, asking: “What are we doing differently to change the hearts and minds of our people, to richly educate them, prepare young men to be adults, to be fathers and women to be able to manage their career and their family at the same time? What are we doing?”

    Alexander pointed out a stark disconnect in how African identity is practiced: while communities proudly showcase their culture, heritage, traditional clothing, distinctive hairstyles and unique talents during Emancipation events, these values are rarely upheld consistently through the rest of the year. He also leveled criticism at individuals and organizations that he says only lean into public African identity when pursuing grants or financial backing, all while ignoring the deep-rooted structural and social issues eroding the community from within.

    Acknowledging that his blunt assessment would likely stir controversy and alienate some listeners, Alexander insisted that uncomfortable, honest dialogue is a necessary first step to drive change. “I know some of us will not be impressed with what I say because most African males do not have the testicular fortitude to say it. We are endangered species, not just young men but Africans on a whole whether we like it or not. And who is doing all of this? We. We are doing it to each other. So what really changed?”

    To illustrate the ongoing crisis facing young people in the community, Alexander shared a recent anecdote: he recently spoke with a 30-year-old man who had managed to secure stable employment, yet still saw his life derailed by addiction to drugs and exposure to gang violence — a case, he says, that proves systemic problems within the community continue to undermine individual progress.

  • Party’s wealth exceeds income

    Party’s wealth exceeds income

    In a landmark legal ruling that marks the first major use of Trinidad and Tobago’s 2019 asset recovery legislation, High Court Justice Margaret Mohammed has publicly released her detailed written reasoning for granting a preliminary Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) against the People’s National Movement (PNM) and its board of trustees. The order compels the opposition political party to disclose the full origin of funds used to redevelop its Port of Spain headquarters, Balisier House.

    The release of the judgment followed a formal request from PNM’s legal team, who sought clarity on the court’s decision to greenlight the preliminary order. In her explanation, Justice Mohammed emphasized that this ruling does not pre-judge whether any criminal offense has been committed. Instead, the court’s only role at this procedural stage is to determine whether enough evidence exists to meet the statutory threshold for forcing the party to account for its assets.

    The proceedings originated from an ex-parte application submitted to the court on behalf of Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro by Assistant Superintendent of Police Ramdath Phillip, who acted under formal delegated authority granted by the 2019 Civil Asset Recovery and Management and Unexplained Wealth Act. Justice Mohammed also noted that a follow-up order issued July 17 authorized substituted service of court documents after law enforcement officers were unable to serve PNM trustees personally. The court directed that all legal documents be sent via registered mail to PNM political leader Pennelope Beckles at the Office of the Opposition in Port of Spain.

    Investigators anchored their case on the PNM’s own constitution, which explicitly states the party’s lawful income comes exclusively from four sources: membership dues, subscription payments, public donations, and mandatory levies imposed on the party’s elected public officials. In his sworn affidavit, Phillip calculated that levies collected from the party’s 22 Members of Parliament and 16 senators during the 2020-2025 parliamentary term generated approximately TT$532,782 in annual revenue for the party.

    To support the claim of unaccounted wealth, investigators also relied on a independent forensic audit conducted by UK-based Berkeley Research Group Ltd. The audit estimated that the full redevelopment of Balisier House would cost roughly TT$118.4 million, with already completed construction works valued at approximately TT$73.27 million – a sum that far outpaces the party’s documented annual lawful income. After reviewing this evidence, Justice Mohammed concluded that there were reasonable grounds to suspect the total value of the project substantially exceeded the PNM’s confirmed lawfully obtained income, meeting all statutory requirements to grant the preliminary UWO.

    Phillip’s affidavit laid out additional suspicious context around the project. It alleges that construction on the new headquarters halted immediately after the PNM lost the April 28, 2025 general election, a timeline that investigators argue supports their suspicion that corruptly linked funding dried up once the party left office.

    The affidavit also raises questions around connected government contracts awarded to the construction firm that won the Balisier House bid. Woodgreen Construction Services Ltd initially secured the headquarters contract for TT$68.3 million, later renegotiating the sum down to TT$59 million. After winning the PNM headquarters contract, the firm went on to receive multiple large contracts from the state-owned Housing Development Corporation (HDC), including a TT$170 million housing project that was awarded even though another bidder submitted a lower-priced offer. Investigators further allege that an investigation into the improper contract award launched by the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR) was stalled for the duration of the PNM’s time in office, before the contract was ultimately suspended.

    ASP Phillip also notes that a large share of payments for the Balisier House project came from third-party entities including Amalgamated Security Services Ltd and Kall Co Ltd, as well as through the PNM’s off-balance sheet Tranquility Fund and unrecorded cash payments. These unconventional financing routes have added to scrutiny over the project’s funding sources. The affidavit also examines earlier renovations to the original Balisier House building, alleging the work was carried out by companies connected to former PNM government minister Foster Cummings. It references TT$15.6 million in HDC contract extensions granted to firms linked to Cummings shortly before the 2025 general election, as well as multiple payments made by the state-owned Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) to Cummings-connected companies between 2010 and 2022.

    In justifying her decision, Justice Mohammed referenced a binding precedent set by the Privy Council in the case of Richard Taylor v Natalie Spring, which clarified that the legal standard for a preliminary UWO is reasonable suspicion – a lower evidentiary threshold than the higher standard of reasonable belief.

    Under the terms of the preliminary order, PNM and its trustees are now required to file formal asset declarations and appear before the High Court to answer questions under oath about the origin of the project’s funding. After this process is complete, the court will rule on whether to grant a final Unexplained Wealth Order.

    Reached for comment on the ruling, Attorney General John Jeremie welcomed the court’s decision. “This is the first step in a process that will allow for the establishment of the source of funding for this project,” Jeremie said. “I agree with the decision of the respected judge, and I support the courageous action taken by the Police Service.”

    Local media outlet The Express also contacted incumbent Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for comment, who responded via WhatsApp: “It’s a court matter so I prefer not to comment specifically about the court proceedings. However my opinions on the funding for construction of Balisier House are well known.”

  • Little Brithanny was going home to graduate pre-school

    Little Brithanny was going home to graduate pre-school

    A five-year-old Venezuelan girl, Brithanny León Palacios, never got the chance to walk across the kindergarten stage to collect her graduation certificate, cut short by a migrant vessel disaster off the southwestern coast of Trinidad that claimed at least two lives and left a grieving family forever scarred.

    Brithanny had boarded an overcrowded wooden pirogue two weeks prior near the Trinidadian coastal town of Erin, alongside her mother and two older siblings. The group was heading back to Tucupita, Venezuela, where Brithanny had been enrolled in school, to reunite with her grandparents and mark her first major academic milestone. What should have been a hopeful journey home turned into a deadly tragedy when rough seas capsized the overloaded craft, throwing Brithanny and at least 28 other migrants into the churning open ocean.

    One day after the little girl’s final funeral rites were held at the Boysie Boodoo crematorium in Penal, her Trinidadian stepfather Sharzam Hosein opened up about the catastrophic incident that has ripped his family apart. Hosein, who stepped into the father role just a year after beginning a relationship with Brithanny’s mother, said the fateful journey began on July 22, when Brithanny, her 8-year-old brother, 10-year-old sister, and their mother set out for Venezuela, taking the dangerous coastal route to reunite with family.

    Just a short distance from the Trinidadian coast, a massive rogue wave hit the small vessel, and the captain lost all control. Seawater quickly flooded the hull, and the pirogue began to break apart, triggering a desperate panic among passengers scrambling to save the children on board. Brithanny’s mother pulled her 10-year-old daughter to safety, while another passenger grabbed hold of the 8-year-old boy. Edwin Parra, another migrant traveling on the boat, managed to reach Brithanny and pulled her into his arms to swim for shore.

    In the chaos of the disaster, however, both Parra and Brithanny vanished before they could reach safety. A day after the sinking, their bodies washed ashore along Trinidad’s southwestern coast.

    “The man who grabbed Brithanny tried to swim with her to shore. When the other survivors reached land, they couldn’t spot either of them,” Hosein recounted. “We still don’t know exactly what went wrong. The official cause of death was drowning, but when their bodies were found, they were badly battered. Brithanny’s head was swollen. Her mother refused to leave the beach that night, waiting and hoping her little girl would still turn up alive.”

    Hosein confirmed what many survivors and rescue teams have observed: the small vessel was drastically overloaded. According to his account, the boat carried nearly twice its intended passenger capacity, plus all the migrants’ luggage, leaving it dangerously unstable in even minor rough seas.

    The grieving stepfather described Brithanny as a gentle, bright, affectionate child who had formed a deep bond with him from their first meeting, calling him “Papa” almost immediately. “She was never rowdy, never in a bad mood. Her mother raised her so well, and we had a very special father-daughter connection from day one,” Hosein said. While Brithanny’s mother has tried to remain strong for her two surviving children, she remains deeply traumatized by the loss of her youngest child. “It has been completely devastating for all of us. I try to take her out of the house just to keep her from being alone with her grief. She’s not in crisis, but she’s far from okay,” he added.

    The family was forced to fund Brithanny’s funeral through small donations Hosein collected from friends, as they have no extra resources to cover unexpected end-of-life costs. In the wake of his loss, Hosein is calling on the public to show greater empathy for Venezuelan migrants, who he says are only making these dangerous journeys because of the crippling economic crisis that has left millions without food or opportunity in their home country.

    “People need to be more compassionate and helpful. They don’t take these risks for fun — they come to Trinidad just to survive. I spend a lot of time around migrants, and I know they leave everything behind because they have nothing left in Venezuela. Because of that hardship, a child has lost her life,” he said. “At the end of the day, God created all people, and only he can judge them. They come here to build a better life for their kids. Most people can’t imagine going an entire day without a meal, which is the reality many of them face back home.”

    Following the disaster, members of the Hunters Search and Rescue Team recovered dozens of personal items along the Los Iros beach shoreline, belonging to the estimated 30 migrants who were on board the overturned vessel. The team confirmed two bodies were recovered from the beach: Brithanny and Edwin Parra.

  • A welcome lift

    A welcome lift

    With just 24 hours to go until the annual African Emancipation Day celebration, vendors at the Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village in Port of Spain are reporting a steady uptick in business after a quiet opening to the event, with many praising the decision to relocate the village to an eastern stretch of Queen’s Park Savannah for a better overall experience for sellers and attendees alike.

    Hosted annually in the lead-up to African Emancipation Day, the village brings together dozens of small entrepreneurs selling a wide range of African-centered goods, from traditional clothing and handcrafted jewelry to homemade beauty products and cultural art pieces. The event wraps up its run tomorrow with the main Emancipation Day celebrations, drawing crowds of locals and tourists interested in African heritage and cultural commerce.

    Vendors universally noted that business started slow on the opening Monday, as is typical for the annual event, but foot traffic and sales have climbed steadily each day since, fueled by growing public awareness of the village and a surge of after-work visitors drawn to cooler afternoon and evening temperatures. Marcia Seales-Rodney, owner of local Afrocentric accessory brand Afrocessories, said the opening weekend of Saturday and Sunday already brought strong foot traffic despite hot weather, with Monday holding steady at a slower pace before activity picked up sharply this week.

    “I’ve exceeded my daily sales targets every day this week,” Seales-Rodney said, crediting her consistent off-season marketing across social media and local events for building a loyal customer base that seeks her out annually. “I had customers waiting for me to set up my booth before I even opened. This year is already stronger than last – I do a full performance review every year to adjust my strategy, and it’s paying off.”

    Other long-time participants echoed Seales-Rodney’s positive assessment. Josephine Hayford, owner of Hay Looks and a Ghanaian vendor who has traveled to Trinidad to join the Emancipation Village for 25 years, sources all her goods directly from African artisans. She reflected on how much the event has grown since her first year, when only a handful of vendors sold African cultural goods.

    “When I first came here, you couldn’t find shops selling African wear or handcrafted jewelry anywhere around. Now I’m so proud to see so many local entrepreneurs building businesses around these products,” Hayford said, noting that while sales have not hit the peaks they reached in past years, the cultural pride of the event remains as strong as ever. She added one small suggestion for future organizers: raising tent flooring to better withstand rainy weather.

    Candice Williams, who sells handmade natural body care products at the village, said she saw the same pattern of slow early days followed by steady growth. “The first two days had low turnout because most people don’t know we’re here right away, but each day gets busier. Most customers start arriving after 3 p.m. once it cools down, and a lot of my sales come from repeat visitors who come looking for me every year,” Williams explained. “Every year you add a few more loyal customers, so your base just keeps growing.”

    A major point of praise from nearly all vendors was this year’s decision to relocate the village further east on Queen’s Park Savannah, a shift made necessary to preserve the iconic North Stand structure ahead of Carnival. Many sellers said the new greener location, set on grass rather than the hard concrete of the old site, created a far more pleasant atmosphere for shoppers and vendors alike.

    Seales-Rodney admitted she was skeptical of the move at first, a common reaction to change for long-time participants. “When they first announced we’d be moving closer to Jerningham Avenue, I was worried people wouldn’t find us,” she said. “But the grassy space gave the whole village extra life – it feels more sophisticated and open than being stuck on concrete. I ended up loving the move.”

    Chanel, a vendor with local brand De Jeunesse, echoed that approval, noting that sales have improved each day and the new location draws more foot traffic from nearby neighborhoods after work. She suggested minor adjustments for future events, including adding portable air conditioning to the enclosed tents to improve airflow and comfort, and noted that the overall organization of this year’s village was a marked improvement. Williams also praised the greener setting, saying it created a naturally cooler, more welcoming space for browsing.

    National Carnival Commission chairman Peter Kanhai, who toured the village Wednesday, confirmed the relocation was a compromise made to preserve the North Stand for upcoming Carnival preparations, and said the Emancipation Support Committee has been fully satisfied with the new space. “They’re very happy with the green, open layout we have this year,” Kanhai said, urging members of the public to visit the village, patronize the small businesses, and join tomorrow’s Emancipation Day celebrations before the event closes.

  • NCB Merchant Bank CEO resigns

    NCB Merchant Bank CEO resigns

    A major leadership shift is underway at NCB Merchant Bank (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd, after CEO Marli Creese formally resigned from his post just weeks following a high-profile seizure of $2 million in bank-owned cash at Piarco International Airport. The bank confirmed in an official statement released this week that Creese submitted his resignation on June 30, with his final day of employment falling on July 31. No official explanation for his departure has been released by the institution.

    The resignation comes just under one month after Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement and regulatory officials launched a probe into the June 25 cash seizure, where customs agents confiscated a white crocus bag holding $2 million in U.S. currency at the airport’s South Terminal. Investigations into the incident remain ongoing by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service, more than a month after the cash was seized.

    Per official records, the seized funds originated from NCB Merchant Bank and were en route to Miami via a stopover in Jamaica when they were flagged by Customs and Excise inspectors. Officials halted the shipment over what they described as “certain transactional and accountability deficiencies,” triggering the formal investigation. On July 2, Creese publicly confirmed that the seized funds were property of the bank, which has maintained that the cash was part of a standard, legitimate inter-institutional transfer within the broader NCB Group, aligned with established business protocols.

    To maintain operational continuity following Creese’s departure, the bank has named Mahalia Alleyne, current Head of Operations, as acting CEO effective August 1. In its statement, the bank highlighted Alleyne’s deep institutional expertise, noting her intimate familiarity with the merchant bank’s daily operations, customer base, workforce, and risk profile. The appointment was framed as a measure to preserve stable leadership and uphold the bank’s commitment to responsible, well-governed operations. A formal, structured search process will be launched by the board of directors to identify a permanent successor for the CEO role.

    Sheree Martin, interim CEO of Jamaica-based National Commercial Bank Ltd, the parent entity of NCB Merchant Bank Trinidad and Tobago, praised Alleyne’s leadership credentials. “Mahalia is a respected leader who understands our organisation, our people, our customers, and the operating environment in which we serve,” Martin said, adding that the appointment demonstrates the strength of the group’s internal leadership pipeline and ensures no disruption through the transition period. Martin also extended gratitude for Creese’s tenure, saying “On behalf of the NCB banking group, we thank Marli for his service and contribution to NCB Merchant Bank (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd, and we wish him every success in his next chapter.” Martin emphasized that the group’s priority remains preserving stakeholder confidence, supporting customers and employees, and upholding the group’s longstanding standards of governance, service, and professionalism.

    The bank moved quickly to reassure customers that the leadership transition will have no impact on customer accounts, banking services, relationship management, or day-to-day operations. Clients were advised to continue engaging their existing relationship managers and using the bank’s standard service channels as usual. “NCB Merchant Bank (T&T) Ltd remains committed to strong governance, regulatory cooperation, operational continuity, and maintaining the confidence of its customers, employees, regulators, and the wider public,” the statement read.

    The cash seizure has already spurred regulatory action at the national level. A senior official with the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago confirmed that an institutional probe into the incident was launched shortly after the seizure, with a coordinating meeting held with customs officials in early July. In the wake of public scrutiny over U.S. currency export practices, the Central Bank announced it is preparing to strengthen oversight of cross-border cash shipments and foreign exchange reporting as part of planned reforms to the nation’s Exchange Control Act.

    While declining to share specific details on the ongoing NCB case, the Central Bank confirmed that the investigation remains active. The regulator also defended its overall management of the country’s foreign exchange system, while openly acknowledging that improvements are necessary. “The Bank recognises that there are many areas of the management of the system that need to be strengthened and a number of initiatives will be rolled out in the coming months. This includes updating the Exchange Control Act,” the Central Bank said in a statement.

    When contacted for comment this week, Central Bank Governor Larry Howai said he had no knowledge of Creese’s resignation and had “nothing to share at this stage” regarding the ongoing investigation into the cash seizure.

  • Woman killed in money dispute

    Woman killed in money dispute

    A senseless act of fatal violence has torn through a Trinidad and Tobago family for the second time in less than a decade, after 25-year-old Shayanna Ruiz was killed in a stabbing rooted in an unpaid $4,500 debt in Chaguanas. The tragedy, which has deepened the family’s long-held grief from a prior violent loss, comes as the country’s annual murder toll holds slightly below last year’s count at 221 as of Wednesday evening.

    The fatal confrontation unfolded shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, when Ruiz arrived at a residence on Plumbago Circular in the Edinburgh 500 South neighborhood accompanied by another person. She had come to collect $4,500 that her former boyfriend had borrowed from her, money she had set aside to advance construction of her own home near her family’s property. According to Trinidad and Tobago Police Service accounts, a heated argument quickly erupted between Ruiz and her ex-boyfriend, before the man’s current girlfriend inserted herself into the conflict. In the heat of the confrontation, the woman grabbed an 11-inch knife and stabbed Ruiz multiple times before fleeing the property with the ex-boyfriend.

    First responders Ag Cpl Sarran and WPC Smart rushed Ruiz to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, where medical teams worked to treat her deep stab wounds to the chest, face and left hand. Despite their efforts, Ruiz succumbed to her injuries just under an hour later, at 6:25 p.m. Preliminary post-mortem findings have ruled her death a homicide caused by cardiopulmonary arrest triggered by multiple penetrating stab wounds. Crime scene investigators, including Cpl Maharaj, W/Ag Cpl Rudder-Fisher and WPC Vieruel-Shah, responded to the property to process evidence, and recovered the murder weapon at the scene. Members of the Homicide Bureau also visited the location, and investigators have identified multiple nearby CCTV systems that may hold critical footage to advance the case, with enquiries ongoing. Two suspects have since been taken into police custody, according to information shared with the victim’s family.

    For the Ruiz family, this devastating loss is a brutal repetition of trauma they already endured nearly eight years prior. In November 2018, Shayanna’s older brother Onassis Ruiz was fatally shot in Laventille at the age of 25. Today, the family has now lost two of their three children to violence, both dead at the exact same age, leaving father Kelvin Ruiz to grapple with unthinkable grief for the second time.

    In an emotional interview with reporters from his Diego Martin home on Quarry Street, Kelvin Ruiz said no parent could ever be prepared to lose one child to violence, let alone two. “Ain’t no parent can prepare for something like this the first time, far less a second time,” he said, describing the cruel coincidence of losing both his son and daughter at 25 to violent crime as almost impossible to accept. “I went through this with my son, and now I’m going through this with my daughter. It’s a big coincidence for me that my son died at 25, and now my daughter come and dead at 25.”

    Kelvin remembered his daughter, whom he affectionately called “Shanna”, as a joyful, warm-hearted person who dedicated herself to bringing happiness to everyone around her. “Shanna is the type of person who would make everybody happy. She was always jolly, always laughing and smiling. Even if you were angry, she would make you smile. You couldn’t remain mad around her. She would brighten up a room just by walking in,” he said. Shayanna worked full-time at a Little Caesars location on Ariapita Avenue in Woodbrook, and Kelvin noted that she would go to extraordinary lengths to support the people she cared about. “If she was your friend, she would go out of her way just to make you happy. But she was making everybody happy, and I had to ask my sister just now: who was making her happy?”

    On the day of her death, Kelvin had followed his usual routine, leaving home by 5 a.m. to hike to a remote fishing spot with no cellular service along the coast. It was only when he returned to the top of the mountain on his way home that he noticed five missed calls from different contacts. With no phone credit to return the calls, he planned to sort out the messages once he got home, never imagining he would be greeted by news of his daughter’s death. “I wasn’t expecting to come back to this,” he said. “This is one pain that doesn’t go away. You live with this pain. Sometimes you’re walking down the road and you see something that reminds you of your child, and it all comes flooding back. I lived this with my son. So I know this is what to expect… I don’t know what else to say. I am grieving. I may not be bawling or crying, but I am grieving. I can’t even eat.”

    Shayanna had taken out a $10,000 loan earlier this year to lay the foundation for her own home on land near the family’s property, and the $4,500 she was owed was part of that funding, her father explained. She had lent the sum to her ex-boyfriend when he needed it, and had been pushing for repayment to keep her construction project on track. Kelvin added that he had even spoken to his daughter’s ex-boyfriend before the confrontation to urge a peaceful resolution, telling him, “instead of anything happening, give her back her money.” The man had agreed to pay half the debt upfront and the remainder at a later date, but after that conversation, Shayanna began receiving abusive text messages from the pair, which she showed her father. “I never expected this. I never expected murder. I would have thought quarrelling and arguing. But now I come home to hear she died by multiple stab wounds, and over $4,500?” Kelvin said.

    Shayanna’s stepsister, who requested to remain unnamed, remembered her as an outspoken, caring woman who served as the fierce protector of her large extended family. “She was a very loving person. She had no children of her own, but all of her siblings’ children were her children,” she said. “She was the protector of the family because anytime anyone was under stress, it was always her who would step up. If anyone talked bad about any of us, she was the one defending everyone.” She added that Shayanna loved fashion and worked hard to earn the money to afford the things she wanted, never relying on others to provide for her.

    As of Wednesday night, the national murder toll for the current year stands at 221, a slight decrease from the 226 recorded by the same point last year.