Trinidad and Tobago: PM Stuart Young dressed as bobolee in Debe street, sparks online debate

Trinidad and Tobago: Residents across Trinidad and Tobago celebrated the Easter 2025 with a vibrant celebration following their traditions. However, the bobolees tradition this year garnered a mixed reaction of netizens as residents from across different communities created a bobolee depicting Prime Minister Stuart Young.  

Some of the notable bobolees captured were from SS Erin Road in Debe, and Woodpecker Drive in Pleasantville, San Fernando in the constituency of Brian Manning. However, the bobolee at the SS Erin Road garnered the most public attention as it was dressed in a white suit and with fake money clutched to it. A sign was also placed along with the Bobolee reading “Allyuh Vote for Meh”. 

The public expressed their sentiment and critique through the bobolee, which is a longstanding tradition in Trinidad and Tobago. In this tradition, netizens create figures of renowned personalities whom they consider betrayers. These bobolees are often placed within public places where it is tradition to be beaten by shoes and sticks when someone crosses it.  

The Bobolee is a crucial part in Trinidad and Tobago’s cultural heritage and is often considered as a tradition to take revenge from betrayers.  

Netizens react to Prime Minister Stuart Young bobolee 

However, this year the display of Stuart Young as a bobolee has sparked controversy across the island as residents expressed their rage over the current prime minister and his associated party just a week before the general elections 2025.  

A user named Priya Alice said that the bobolee is perfectly designed as she said, “The bobolee is perfectly created, this person is a liar and the real thief looting away all our money.” 

A user named Marlon Ling expressed a relatively different notion as he wrote, “Year after year all the bobolees have one thing in common, they're all well off and in control of the treasury one way or the other. So, who are the reel bobolees before and after good Friday?”