Trinidad and Tobago government to extend State of Emergency

Trinidad and Tobago: The government of Trinidad and Tobago is seeking to extend the State of Emergency (SoE) for an additional six months. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar revealed the intention and noted that the motion for the extension will be passed in parliament on Friday, October 31, 2025 for approval.

As per the updates, the current State of Emergency which was declared on July 18, 2025 will expire on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. The measure was initially implemented after Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro reported credible intelligence suggesting that organised criminal gangs both within and outside the prison system were actively planning murders, robberies, and kidnappings.

Following the declaration, Parliament extended the SoE by three months on July 28, giving law enforcement wider powers to arrest and detain suspects, impose curfews, and coordinate large-scale anti-crime operations.

Under the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, the SoE can be extended for a further three months with a simple majority in Parliament, but any period beyond that would require a three-fifths majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Since its introduction, the State of Emergency has seen joint police and Defence Force patrols deployed across major crime hot spots and has been credited with a temporary reduction in serious criminal activity.

Notably, former Prime Minister Keith Rowley also declared the State of Emergency in December last year amid the surge in crime and murders. In December 2024, and January 2025, Trinidad and Tobago has recorded the highest cases of murders and other criminal cases, turning into the most unsafe country in the Caribbean region.

At that time, PM Kamla Persad Bissessar criticised the government for declaring the state of emergency and noted that her government would have done strategic implementation to curb the crime in Trinidad and Tobago.

Now, the citizens of the country have also been criticising the government for the step of extending the State of Emergency.