标签： Trinidad and Tobago

特立尼达和多巴哥

Pregnant woman stabbed, slashed

A brutal early-morning attack left a pregnant woman hospitalized in critical condition on Thursday, after a man she personally knew stabbed and cut her 15 times inside her second-floor apartment in the Mt Lambert neighborhood, according to local law enforcement and witness accounts.

Following the assault, the 31-year-old suspect, identified by police sources as a security officer assigned to the Customs and Excise Division at Port of Spain, locked himself inside the apartment and attempted to die by suicide. Police were able to detain him before he could succeed, and he remained in police custody overnight as investigators carried out questioning.

Neighbors in the apartment complex described the chaotic scene that unfolded shortly after 8 a.m. One resident, who spoke to local outlet the Express on condition of anonymity, said she first noticed something wrong when loud screams cut through the morning quiet. “I turned down my television and all I could hear was screaming, over and over,” she recalled. “When I peered out my window, I saw a woman running down the apartment stairs. I’d already heard she was pregnant, and that he had stabbed her multiple times.”

The witness added that the injured woman was clutching her abdomen heavily as blood seeped from her wounds. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairwell, she was able to take shelter in a ground-floor apartment occupied by an off-duty police officer. The attacker chased her down the stairs before retreating back to the upper floor, where neighbors heard him shouting demands for her to return to the original apartment.

Word of the attack spread quickly through the complex, and within minutes most residents had stepped outside their homes to observe the unfolding emergency. Someone contacted the Barataria Police Station, and three police vehicles were dispatched to the scene within a short response window.

Officers immediately prioritized getting the injured woman to care, transporting her to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope. As of Thursday night, medical teams reported her condition remained stable but critical. The victim’s family has declined to release her name to the public, with one relative noting she has always been an intensely private person.

While first responders tended to the victim, negotiators on scene attempted to convince the suspect to exit the locked apartment, but he refused all repeated requests to surrender. Officers ultimately used a crowbar to force entry into the unit, where they found the man mid-attempt to take his own life. They took him into custody immediately and transferred him to the Barataria Police Station for ongoing interrogation as of Thursday night.

27 6 月, 2026
Judge to new attorneys: Put integrity over money

At a formal admission ceremony held yesterday at Port of Spain’s Hall of Justice Convocation Hall, a senior High Court judge delivered a stark, principled address to 60 newly minted legal practitioners, calling on them to center professional integrity over personal ambition and financial profit. Justice Frank Seepersad emphasized that gaining entry to the Bar is far more than a capstone to years of academic study—it marks the assumption of a weighty, enduring public trust that underpins the nation’s democratic framework.

In his remarks, Justice Seepersad framed the legal profession as a foundational constitutional pillar tasked with upholding the rule of law. Attorneys, he explained, hold a uniquely critical role in defending individual rights, mediating societal disputes, and maintaining public faith in the entire justice system. “This admission is not simply the end of your academic journey,” he told the assembled group. “It is the start of a lifelong commitment to upholding the core principles that make fair administration of justice possible.”

The judge went on to note that while the law is designed to be applied evenly and without bias, its real-world impacts are deeply personal and far-reaching. “From today forward, you must understand that even when the law is applied neutrally, it is never neutral in its effects,” he said. “The work you do will shape legal outcomes, vindicate wronged parties, protect fundamental liberties, and alter the long-term trajectories of individual lives, families, local businesses and entire communities.”

Centering his address on the non-negotiable role of integrity in legal practice, Justice Seepersad stressed that this core value is not an abstract ideal—it is the very foundation of the profession. He pointed out that most clients seek legal support during periods of profound vulnerability, uncertainty and crisis, making unwavering honesty an absolute requirement rather than an optional virtue. He urged the new attorneys to base their counsel and practice on established law and ethical principle, rather than chasing convenience, public approval, or higher financial rewards. A lawyer’s professional reputation, he reminded them, is built one small decision at a time: from the arguments they present in court, to the fees they charge clients, to the way they treat the people who trust them with their most pressing legal problems.

Justice Seepersad also issued a clear warning that professional obligations will often clash with personal goals for advancement. “When those moments come, you must reject the temptation to trade your principles for short-term gain,” he said. “The fair administration of justice relies on lawyers who can exercise fairness, professional independence and sound judgment, even when that commitment requires personal sacrifice.”

He pushed back against the common framing of law as a pathway purely to wealth or social standing, arguing that the practice of law is fundamentally a vocation of public service. “The privilege of joining this profession must always come with the recognition that its core purpose can never be reduced to personal advancement, financial accumulation, or higher social status,” he said.

The judge noted that this cohort of new attorneys is entering the field at a moment when public trust in democratic institutions is being tested both locally and across the globe. Citizens increasingly turn to the justice system not just to resolve individual legal disputes, but to find reassurance that fairness, due process and the rule of law will be protected for all. A truly civil society, he argued, is sustained not only by economic growth or political power, but by the public’s confidence that core institutions will operate fairly, objectively, and in strict adherence to the law. Today, he added, many Trinbagonian citizens look to the courts not just for dispute resolution, but for stability, reassurance, and principled leadership that can hold national cohesion together.

In closing, Justice Seepersad urged every new attorney to guarantee that every client—regardless of social status, economic means, or personal circumstance—receives fair, ethical representation within the bounds of the law. Public confidence in democratic institutions depends entirely on legal professionals who carry out their duties with unwavering integrity, consistent competence, strict discipline, and professional independence, he said. “If we uphold these principles consistently and courageously, the administration of justice will remain an enduring safeguard of constitutional democracy, and a constant source of reassurance for the citizens it exists to serve.”

27 6 月, 2026
Venezuela death toll crosses 900

Just days after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes tore through northern and coastal regions of Venezuela, updated official figures have pushed the confirmed death toll past 900, marking one of the deadliest seismic events to strike the South American nation in modern history. The disaster has also left tens of thousands unaccounted for, thousands injured, and hundreds of critical infrastructure sites damaged or destroyed, triggering a large-scale international relief effort as local communities and neighboring nations rush to support response operations.

National Assembly Leader Jorge Rodriguez announced the updated casualty figures in a nationwide televised address Thursday, correcting earlier, far lower estimates that excluded data from the hardest-hit region. The twin quakes, registered at magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, struck on June 24; initial reports put the death toll at just over 30, but as search and rescue teams reached isolated impact zones, that number rose to 920 confirmed fatalities by Thursday afternoon. To date, more than 51,000 people remain listed as missing, 3,360 have sustained injuries, and at least 3,000 people have been displaced from their destroyed homes, Rodriguez confirmed.

Earlier public estimates from interim President Delcy Rodriguez had fallen far short of the updated toll, as those figures did not include data from La Guaira state, the small coastal district adjacent to the capital Caracas that bore the brunt of the disaster. In La Guaira alone, hundreds of residential structures ranging from single-family homes to multi-unit apartment buildings have been leveled or severely damaged, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency and deploy full military control across the region. The most heavily impacted communities within the state include Caraballeda, Macuto, Los Corales, Catia La Mar, and the Playa Grande sector.

Across the entire country, the disaster has damaged more than 1,400 critical infrastructure sites, including 1,012 general structures, 13 hospitals, and 25 commercial centers, per official counts. In the 48 hours following the initial two major quakes, Venezuela’s geologic monitoring services recorded an additional 302 aftershocks along three active fault lines running through the country. Rodriguez noted that the magnitude of the initial quakes placed them among the most powerful seismic events recorded on the planet in the last thousand years.

As civilian solidarity efforts swelled across the country in the days after the disaster, with ordinary Venezuelans organizing spontaneous convoys to carry aid into La Guaira, Rodriguez urged civilians to avoid traveling to the impacted region to prevent congestion that would slow official emergency operations. “We understand the desire to help others has been overwhelming and heartfelt on the part of all of you,” he stated. “However, this also causes congestion on the roads we are using to evacuate affected residents and transport the injured either to shelters or to hospitals in the capital city and in Miranda state. The best way you can help, the greatest support you can provide is by not congesting the roads, so that medical teams can transport patients quickly and so that the armed forces, police, and rescue teams can carry out their work more effectively.” Rodriguez added that the Bolivarian National Armed Forces maintain full control of La Guaira to uphold public security and support around-the-clock rescue operations.

The international community has rapidly mobilized to support Venezuela’s relief efforts, with hundreds of specialist rescue workers from the United States, El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, Spain and other nations already deployed to the impact zone. The disaster comes as Venezuela’s diplomatic relations with the United States continue to thaw following the deposition of former president Nicolas Maduro, and the U.S. Southern Command announced Thursday it would expand its military presence in the region to support relief operations. Two U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster aircraft carrying search and rescue teams and heavy load-movement equipment landed in Caracas Thursday evening, and the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) – an amphibious warship that recently took part in a large Caribbean military buildup – arrived in Venezuelan coastal waters Thursday to begin supporting response efforts. The United Nations also announced Thursday that $15 million from its Global Emergency Fund has been allocated to support Venezuelan relief operations, and top Venezuelan diplomatic officials have held multiple calls with international leaders to coordinate solidarity and aid pledges.

Neighboring Trinidad and Tobago has launched a coordinated national relief campaign to support affected Venezuelans, following an initial solidarity pledge from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. The country’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs announced a formal national humanitarian response after a coordinating meeting with senior officials from defense, health, and disaster management agencies, alongside representatives of major local business groups including the Trinidad and Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce, the Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association, the American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago, the Energy Chamber, and SEWA International TT.

The Trinidadian government is partnering with the private sector to run a national donation collection drive kicking off Monday, accepting contributions at Port of Point Lisas’ Warehouse Sheds 1 and 2 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. every day, in partnership with all 14 of the country’s municipal corporations. Monetary donations can be made to the dedicated Disaster Relief Fund-Venezuela at any First Citizens branch or via online transfer to account number 3209042. Authorities are specifically requesting over-the-counter medical supplies, personal hygiene products including feminine hygiene items, non-perishable food and bottled water with a minimum three-month shelf life, and mattresses and cots.

Independent organizations have also launched their own relief initiatives: SEWA TT has launched a standalone Venezuela Earthquake Relief Campaign to raise funds for impacted families, partnering with seven major local supermarket chains including Xtra Foods Supermarket, Better Deal Supermarket, and Low Cost Supermarket to allow customers to add voluntary donations to their grocery bills, with all proceeds going directly to relief efforts. Venezuelan migrant communities based in Trinidad and Tobago have also organized grassroots aid efforts, planning to ship collected donations to Venezuela by boat as early as Monday. Activist groups have set up donation drop-off points across six population centers, accepting high-demand items including diapers, non-perishable food, and common medications including paracetamol, antibiotics, and first aid supplies. “Right now everybody is sad and distressed. It is a difficult situation that caused a big shock to the community here,” local Venezuelan activist Yesenia Gonzales told local outlet the Express. “We are asking for prayer and donations to help. All the Venezuelans here have banded together to put together donations. We have places to donate clothes; there is a boat that goes and we are willing to take it there. We are trying to raise funds because this is very bad. We are putting things together.”

27 6 月, 2026
$641,000 in targeted ATM

What was shaped up to be a carefully coordinated large-scale robbery has ended in an embarrassing failure for five masked suspects, after a critical piece of their stolen heavy equipment broke down just as they were poised to escape with hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash, newly released official police reports have confirmed.

The botched plot kicked off shortly before midnight on a Wednesday, when two on-duty security guards at Courland Beach Sports Arena were ambushed by two attackers clad in dark clothing. One of the assailants was armed with a loaded firearm, and the pair immediately restrained and searched the guards, demanding they hand over keys for a white Mitsubishi work truck and a yellow Caterpillar backhoe. When the guards explained they did not carry the keys for the equipment, the gunmen ransacked on-site storage and personal bags, before tying the guards’ hands and feet and forcing them to lie face-down on the ground. In a striking detail that has drawn public attention, one of the suspects was wearing a cape and hood that matched the iconic costume of comic book hero Batman. Before leaving the scene, the attackers warned the guards that a third accomplice was posted as a lookout along the nearby fence line, and that any attempt to move or call for help would be met with force.

Minutes after the assailants departed, the guards heard the stolen truck and backhoe being driven off the property. It took the guards nearly an hour to free themselves from their restraints; once loose, they counted their losses and found that only $200 in cash had been stolen from one guard’s personal wallet. The value of the two stolen pieces of equipment, however, far outstripped that small take: the Mitsubishi truck was appraised at $412,000, and the Caterpillar backhoe was valued at $850,000, bringing the total value of stolen property from the arena to $1.262 million.

Just over two hours after the initial ambush, at approximately 2:05 a.m., a resident living in an upper floor of the Supreme Plaza building in Plymouth, overlooking a First Citizens Bank ATM on Shelbourne Street, was jolted awake by a loud noise that sounded like a vehicle ramming into the commercial structure. Curious, the resident looked out from an upstairs office window and spotted a masked man operating the stolen backhoe, which had already smashed a large hole in the exterior wall that housed the ATM’s reinforced vault. Parked nearby, a white three-tonne truck – the same stolen Mitsubishi from the arena – waited with four more masked suspects, ready to carry the vault away.

The witness immediately placed a call to local law enforcement, and watched from his vantage point as the backhoe wrenched the entire ATM vault free from the building’s foundation. The gang then made repeated attempts to hook the heavy vault to the backhoe and lift it onto the waiting truck – but that is where their carefully laid plan fell apart. The backhoe had sustained critical structural damage during the wall-demolition process, and it completely broke down mid-lift, leaving the suspects with no way to load the 238,000 vault onto their escape truck.

Trapped and with police already en route, the five suspects were forced to abandon their entire operation. They fled the scene in the stolen Mitsubishi truck, leaving behind the disabled backhoe, the damaged building, and the untouched ATM vault that still held their intended target: $641,000 in cold, hard cash. Law enforcement later assessed the damage to the bank and plaza building, estimating that structural repairs would cost $185,000, plus an additional $40,000 to replace two destroyed First Citizens Bank signs.

After securing the scene, investigators pulled surveillance footage from nearby cameras that clearly captured the five masked suspects during the attempted robbery. Police confirmed this week that they have already identified two persons of interest connected to the failed heist, and the investigation remains active as officers work to track down the remaining suspects and recover the stolen Mitsubishi truck that the gang escaped in.

27 6 月, 2026
PCA IT manager gunned down in Charlieville

A shocking act of violence has claimed the life of a senior Information Technology manager with Trinidad and Tobago’s Police Complaints Authority, after a gunman ambushed him in a public parking lot Wednesday evening.

The victim has been formally identified as 38-year-old Sa-id Khan, a resident of St Augustine and father of two who had separated from his wife. The fatal attack unfolded shortly after 8 p.m., as Khan sat inside his Honda Vezel SUV parked outside a local insurance company along Caroni Savannah Road in Charlieville.

Law enforcement officials confirmed that the attacker opened fire directly on the vehicle, shattering the front windscreen and side windows before fleeing the scene. Khan was struck multiple times by gunfire and was pronounced dead at the location by first responders. By Thursday morning, officers had cordoned off the entire crime scene to process forensic evidence, but a thorough search of the surrounding area had not yielded any suspects, and the underlying motive for the killing remains unconfirmed.

In an interview with local outlet *Express* on Thursday, Police Complaints Authority (PCA) director David West shared an emotional tribute to Khan, who had only joined the independent oversight body six months prior to the attack. West described Khan as a warm, skilled professional who integrated seamlessly into the authority’s team, noting that “everybody loved him. He was a genuine guy, who enjoyed his work; very professional. He was a joy to be around.”

Before joining the PCA, an independent civilian oversight body established by Parliament to monitor police conduct, Khan held a position at National Flour Mills. When asked whether the murder could be connected to his role at the authority, West clarified that Khan’s work focused exclusively on managing the organization’s IT systems, and he had no direct involvement with any ongoing oversight cases. “I can’t comment on that, but he’s the IT manager so he doesn’t have any direct dealings with any case,” West said.

West added that the PCA had not been informed of any active leads in the investigation as of Thursday, and extended the organization’s full condolences to Khan’s bereaved family. “On behalf of the Police Complaints Authority, we’re very sorry to lose an employee in that manner, in that fashion. We wish his family all the best to cope and recover,” he said.

West also used the incident to highlight the persistent challenge of violent crime in the country, adding, “just to know that crime is very high in Trinidad and Tobago, and I wish everybody just to be careful and safe out there.”

As of this week, the national murder toll in Trinidad and Tobago stands at 184, a slight decrease from the 187 recorded over the same period last year.

26 6 月, 2026
Penny disappointed with Govt’s response

In the wake of two powerful earthquakes that rocked central Venezuela last Wednesday, collapsing structures across the capital Caracas and driving up a growing death toll, Trinidad and Tobago’s Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles has publicly voiced deep disappointment over the ruling government’s response to the unfolding humanitarian crisis.

Speaking at a press briefing hosted by the People’s National Movement (PNM) at the Opposition Leader’s Office in Port of Spain on Thursday, Beckles issued sharp criticism of an official statement released by the Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs, labeling the document “insensitive” and openly questioning whether any senior official had reviewed and vetted the communication before it was made public.

The Opposition Leader extended formal condolences to the affected people and government of Venezuela, emphasizing that the death toll continues to climb as rescue teams pull more victims from the rubble of destroyed buildings. She stressed that moments of international humanitarian crisis demand a response rooted in compassion, solidarity, and clear leadership – standards she said the government’s current statement failed to meet.

Beckles argued that the ruling administration should have laid out the specific details of any assistance Trinidad and Tobago planned to offer to Venezuela immediately after the disaster, rather than releasing a vague, generic statement. She pointed out that other nations across the globe have already extended clear, direct offers of concrete aid to Venezuela, noting that as one of Venezuela’s closest geographic neighbors with a permanent diplomatic mission already operating in Caracas, Trinidad and Tobago is uniquely positioned to offer timely, meaningful support.

She called on the government to move beyond generic words of sympathy and immediately publish a transparent outline of the practical assistance the country is prepared to deploy to help Venezuela respond to the disaster and support its recovery efforts.

26 6 月, 2026
Third person detained in Hadeed probe

Trinidad and Tobago law enforcement has expanded an ongoing high-profile investigation with the addition of a third person taken into custody, authorities confirmed Thursday. As of late Thursday evening, Blue Waters Products Ltd founder Dominic Hadeed and his spouse Genevieve Hadeed remained in police custody following coordinated search and detention operations carried out one day prior.

The newly detained individual is a 69-year-old businesswoman based in Westmoorings, a residential and commercial community in western Trinidad. In an official public update released at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) confirmed the third detention but declined to release her name or explicitly connect her to the investigation targeting the Hadeeds. The update referenced a prior June 24, 2026 statement confirming that two people had been taken into custody in Westmoorings on Wednesday, and unnamed police sources confirmed to local outlet Express that the two detention operations are directly linked.

“She is currently assisting with the ongoing investigative process and no charges have been laid,” the TTPS said of the Westmoorings businesswoman, noting she was taken into custody on Thursday. In line with standard police protocol for active investigations, the agency emphasized that being taken into custody for questioning is not equivalent to a finding of guilt, and no negative assumptions about any individual’s involvement should be drawn.

“The TTPS remains committed to ensuring that all investigative steps are conducted professionally, impartially, and with full respect for the legal and reputational rights of all individuals involved,” the statement read. “As this matter remains active, no further information can be disclosed at this time. The TTPS will continue to provide updates as appropriate and remains steadfast in its duty to uphold the rule of law.”

According to police sources who spoke to Express on condition of anonymity, investigative teams have already requested formal legal guidance to determine what, if any, criminal charges will be filed against Dominic and Genevieve Hadeed. No details about the potential charges or a timeline for concluding the investigative process have been released to the public.

The case has drawn public and political attention, with Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles addressing questions about the detention during a Thursday press conference in Port of Spain. Beckles emphasized that the core priority of the process must be upholding due process and allowing the law to proceed without interference. She also noted that the investigation is unfolding against the backdrop of a currently active national state of emergency, echoing calls for the government to provide additional clarity on the case as it progresses, matching the opposition’s approach to all cases processed under the ongoing emergency declaration.

The investigation’s first public steps unfolded Wednesday morning, when a team of plainclothes and uniformed officers from a specialized TTPS unit arrived at the Hadeeds’ Westmoorings home to execute a judicially approved search warrant. Investigators seized multiple electronic devices during the search, including several laptops, and confirmed that devices belonging to the couple’s adult children were also taken as potential evidence.

Following the residential search, investigators accompanied Dominic Hadeed to his company’s business location in Trincity to conduct a second court-approved search as part of the ongoing enquiries. As of Thursday evening, it remained unclear whether investigators seized any additional evidence from the Trincity business site.

In Wednesday’s initial public statement, the TTPS clarified that all search and detention actions were carried out under valid search warrants issued by the Supreme Court of Judicature, and all operations remained strictly within legal bounds under judicial oversight. The agency repeated its reminder that the execution of search warrants and detainment of individuals for questioning are standard investigative procedures that do not indicate a pre-determination of wrongdoing. “No conclusions should be drawn regarding the status of any individual until investigations are completed and any evidence is properly assessed in accordance with due process,” the TTPS said.

26 6 月, 2026
PM: T&T stands ready to assist

A catastrophic seismic event has left Venezuela reeling, after two massive back-to-back earthquakes struck the nation on Wednesday, triggering a sweeping wave of international support for the thousands of dead, missing and displaced residents impacted by the disaster. According to data released by the United States Geological Survey, the first tremor, registering a magnitude of 7.2, hit just after 6 p.m. local time, and a stronger 7.5-magnitude quake followed only 39 seconds later. This second event marks the most powerful earthquake to strike Venezuela in recorded history going back to 1900.

By the following evening, official reports confirmed that the death toll had climbed to nearly 200, with thousands more injured and more than 35,000 residents unaccounted for. The powerful tremors toppled buildings across affected regions, turning urban centers into rubble-strewn disaster zones and forcing panic-stricken residents of the capital Caracas to flee into the streets for safety.

One of the first nations to extend aid offers was neighboring Trinidad and Tobago, which lies just 11 kilometers across the Gulf of Paria from Venezuela. The country’s Ministry of Foreign and Caricom Affairs released an official statement Wednesday night confirming its “firm support” for Venezuela, expressing deep concern over the widespread damage from the seismic activity. The statement noted that the Trinidad and Tobago government recognizes the shared vulnerability of Caribbean and Latin American nations to natural disasters, and stands in solidarity with its neighbor during the initial assessment and early recovery phase.

“Tied by longstanding fraternal bonds, enduring friendship and close bilateral relations, the people of Trinidad and Tobago stand ready to provide any requested support and assistance to Venezuelan authorities, where possible,” the statement read. The ministry added that its diplomatic mission in Caracas suffered no significant damage from the quakes, and would continue closely monitoring the evolving situation to update government officials. “Our thoughts remain with those affected by this event, and we offer our steadfast support for the safety and resilience of the Venezuelan people,” the statement concluded.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar echoed the government’s message of solidarity in a public post shared yesterday morning, alongside the official ministry statement. “The Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, and I, extend our heartfelt sympathy to the government and people of Venezuela following the recent earthquake, which has caused loss of life and destruction. Our thoughts, prayers and solidarity are with all those affected,” Persad-Bissessar said. “We stand ready to assist in whatever humanitarian way we can during this difficult time. We wish the people of Venezuela safety, strength and a swift recovery as they navigate the aftermath of this natural disaster.”

The disaster comes as Venezuela already grapples with years of deep-seated political and humanitarian crisis that has forced millions of residents to flee the country, thousands of whom have resettled in Trinidad and Tobago. In response to the new catastrophe, Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez declared a national state of emergency and called on all medical personnel, including doctors and nurses, to report for duty immediately to support response efforts, according to reporting from The New York Times.

Hours after the quakes struck, former United States President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would stand ready to provide support to Venezuelan response teams. By early yesterday morning, Rodriguez publicly thanked Trump for his offer, confirming that U.S. officials had remained in constant communication with Venezuelan authorities throughout the response effort.

Speaking at an official news conference, Rodriguez confirmed that Venezuela would welcome search and rescue teams from a growing list of nations that have offered aid, including El Salvador, Mexico and Qatar. She added that the governments of Brazil, China, and multiple Caribbean nations had also extended formal offers of humanitarian assistance to support the country’s response and recovery in the wake of the disaster.

26 6 月, 2026
MP denies close ties with Monteil

A major political controversy has unfolded in Trinidad and Tobago this week, as Port of Spain South Member of Parliament and opposition figure Keith Scotland has issued a firm denial of any close association with Andre Monteil, former treasurer of the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM) and head of the now-defunct Flavorite Foods Ltd. The dispute centers on allegations of professional misconduct tied to a $2.4 million unpaid electricity debt owed by Flavorite Foods to the state-run Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC).

Speaking at an official PNM press conference hosted at the Office of the Leader of the Opposition in Port of Spain, Scotland pushed back against multiple claims leveled by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who first raised accusations of collusion and improper conduct last week during parliamentary debate. Persad-Bissessar has alleged Scotland, who is a trained barrister, and members of his former legal chambers acted negligently to pursue a so-called “phantom lawsuit” over the outstanding debt, allowing the claim to become statute-barred through false procedural misrepresentations to protect Monteil. The Prime Minister has already ordered a formal probe by the national Fraud Squad and backed T&TEC’s planned legal action against the MP.

Scotland has consistently maintained he has done nothing wrong in the case. Responding to T&TEC’s recently issued pre-action protocol letter threatening formal litigation, Scotland confirmed he has already received the document and will instruct his legal team to mount a formal response. He also criticized the unauthorized leak of the confidential legal letter, noting that the document was circulated to every major media outlet in the country almost immediately after it was delivered, before the ink on the correspondence was even dry. He confirmed he will treat the legal and political allegations against him with the full seriousness and gravity they demand.

Addressing the core claim of a close personal and professional tie to Monteil, Scotland told reporters that he has only met the former PNM official once in his entire life, in a passing, casual setting. “There is absolutely no relationship between myself and Andre Monteil,” Scotland insisted to assembled journalists.

On the procedural claims around the debt recovery lawsuit, Scotland presented official stamped court documentation to back up his assertion that the claim was properly refiled, that an entry of default judgment was correctly processed, and that the matter is currently awaiting a routine query from the court registrar. He also noted that national public health emergency provisions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic had legally suspended statutory limitation periods for civil claims, invalidating the claim that the debt had become unrecoverable through procedural fault.

Scotland further clarified that he voluntarily suspended his private legal practice when he joined the national Cabinet in July 2024, separating his professional legal work from his political duties.

In the most high-profile rebuke to the Prime Minister, Scotland issued a repeated public challenge to Persad-Bissessar, calling on her to repeat the damaging allegations she made against him in the protected chamber of parliament in a public setting outside the legislature, where he would be able to pursue legal redress for defamation.

26 6 月, 2026
Venezuelans in T&T spend hours reaching out to relatives

When news of a catastrophic seismic event off Venezuela’s coast reached neighboring Trinidad and Tobago on Wednesday, it triggered an agonizing wave of uncertainty for thousands of Venezuelan expatriates, who spent desperate hours trying to connect with loved ones back home after two of the strongest earthquakes in the nation’s modern history.

Venezuela was hit by back-to-back powerful tremors that struck within 38 seconds of one another in near-identical offshore locations. The initial quake registered a magnitude of 7.2, followed immediately by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude shockwave. As of the latest update, rescue teams are still working through collapsed buildings and rubble-strewn neighborhoods, with the confirmed death toll already climbing to at least 188.

For Venezuelans who have relocated to Trinidad in recent years, the disaster has unfolded as a painful, helpless ordeal, as they rely on spotty communication and fragmented updates to track the safety of their family and friends. Alejandro Silva, a native of Guiria who has built a new life in Trinidad over the past five years, shared his raw anxiety in an interview with *Trinidad Express*.

“So far, things are holding together; the government has managed the response in an orderly way, and we haven’t heard reports of looting or widespread unrest,” Silva explained. “But this earthquake is unlike any disaster Venezuela has ever faced. It’s absolutely devastating. A close friend of mine is still searching for his 20-year-old son, who just started a new job in Caracas and has been missing since the quake. I can feel how much his family is hurting, and I keep praying they find him alive.”

Silva had been preparing for a long-awaited trip home in July, planning to bring back gifts and meet his three-month-old granddaughter for the first time. Now, those plans are on hold. “I was already setting aside things to bring home with me next month, but I’m going to wait a while before going back,” he said. Thankfully, his immediate family, most of whom live in Catia La Mar, have confirmed they are unhurt, though several relatives who reside in Caracas saw their homes suffer severe structural damage. “Pray for Venezuela,” he added.

Other migrants are still stuck in limbo, with no word from the people they are searching for. Valentina Silva-Romero said she has spent days reaching out to friends in Caracas via social media and phone, with no response. “One of my cousins was injured at work when the quake hit; he has a serious head injury, and I’m clinging to hope for good news,” she said. “I know multiple people who have been hurt, but there are still friends I can’t reach. I’ve tried messaging them on Facebook, and nothing. All I can do right now is wait and pray.”

Tony Carlos Rodríguez shared that his close family has been confirmed safe, but his sister’s entire home in Caracas was reduced to rubble. “So many people have been hurt, and so many are still digging through rubble looking for missing family and friends,” he said. “I keep getting constant WhatsApp updates about the situation, and it’s still hard to accept what happened. It feels like I’m stuck in a terrible nightmare I can’t wake up from.”

Another Venezuelan migrant, who requested only to be named Javier, described spending two interminable hours waiting for word about his sister, who lives in Maturín but commutes to work in Caracas. “I was sick with worry until I finally heard from her,” he said. “She’s safe, but her apartment in Caracas was completely destroyed. I also just found out that one of my old neighbors from Güiria is still unaccounted for, so I’m waiting for more updates, hoping for the best.”

Community leaders who support Venezuelan migrants in Trinidad say the disaster has left the entire local Venezuelan community reeling with grief. Andreina Brown, director of local migrant support organization La Casita, said she broke down in tears when she saw the first images of the destruction. “When I saw the news this morning, I just cried. It’s all so horrible, I’m still in shock,” she said. “Venezuelans have been coming in here crying all day, calling my phone sobbing. One of our members, Carlos Gonzales, an engineer from here, had gone back to Venezuela recently, and now he’s missing. His whole family is completely devastated.”

Angie Ramnarine, director of the La Romaine Migrant Support Group, said the grief has touched every part of the local Venezuelan community. “It’s just devastatingly sad. All the Venezuelans here are heartbroken,” she said. “One young boy in my class hasn’t stopped worrying about his grandmother, who lives in the affected area. Most of the migrants here are from the Tucupita Delta region, which escaped major damage, but the destruction in Caracas has hit all of us, because we all have people we love there.”

26 6 月, 2026