- Trinidad and Tobago: Back-to-back killings prompt the government to declare a state of emergency
- Haiti: Civilians remain vulnerable to gang attacks despite police efforts
TRINIDAD / HAITI – Sandra Pellegrini, senior Caribbean analyst at conflict data mapping organization ACLED, said:
“The three-month extension of the state of emergency comes after a period of escalating violence. As the August elections approach, security is expected to become a central political issue. Our data shows a 28 percent increase in gang-related violence over the last six years and that violence is becoming more widespread rather than being concentrated in unsafe hotspots. Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic location as both a destination and transshipment point for illicit goods has exacerbated the widespread availability of weapons and drugs, fueling gang activity.
“We record violence weekly and sadly I expect to see persistently high levels over the course of this year.”
On 30 December, the government announced the implementation of a state of emergency following the killing of at least seven people between 27 and 29 December, five of whom fell victim to a single shooting in Laventille. Police attribute a large share of murders in the country to revenge killings between gangs. Gang-related violence has steadily increased since ACLED began covering Trinidad and Tobago in 2018, spreading across a growing number of locations. In 2024, violent incidents took place in at least 90 locations, a 28 percent increase compared to the number of affected communities in 2018.
The newly declared emergency measures grant police sweeping powers, including the authority to arrest individuals without charging them for 48 hours and the ability to search homes without a warrant. However, experts caution that while these measures may provide short-term relief, they fail to address the root causes of violence, such as the widespread availability of weapons and drugs.
Trinidad and Tobago’s strategic location as both a destination and transshipment point for illicit goods has exacerbated this issue, fueling gang activity. In light of rising gang violence in the country and mounting public concerns, security is expected to become a central issue in the upcoming 2025 elections, scheduled for 10 August.
Haiti: Civilians remain vulnerable to gang attacks despite police efforts
Gangs in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite department carried out retaliatory attacks against civilians in December, leading to a spike in reported fatalities, turning the month into the deadliest for civilians since 2018. Several massacres drove the spike in civilian fatalities.
Between 6 and 8 December, the Wharf Jérémie gang led by ‘Micanor’ executed at least 207 residents in Cité Soleil after a Voodoo priest suggested they were using witchcraft to cause the illness of the gangster’s son.9 On 10 December, members of Gran Grif, Lika, and Palmiste gangs attacked several villages in Artibonite, reportedly killing at least 70 residents.
The attacks were carried out in retaliation for a joint intervention by police and Kenya-led Multinational Security Support (MSS) directed at reclaiming a police station, which resulted in the killing of at least 30 gangsters by a self-defense group. These massacres, alongside a gang assault on the key Bernard Mevs hospital in Port-au-Prince, prompted the transitional presidential council to announce a state of emergency from 22 December to 21 January and the formation of a national security council.
In 2024, police intensified operations against gangs to curb their territorial expansion and direct attacks, leading to a 40 percent rise in clashes between security forces and gangs. Despite international support, including the Kenya-led MSS deployment in mid-2024, recent massacres highlight the mixed results of anti-gang operations in reducing violence and gang control. Notwithstanding the extension of the MSS mandate for another year and the deployment of Central American officers in January, significant challenges remain for security forces to contain gangs and protect civilians as the transitional authorities aim to lead Haiti toward elections by 2026.
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