State of Emergency

As I write this post, I am under a government imposed curfew from 9pm until 5am.  Last night, the Prime Minister declared a State of Emergency and imposed a curfew in many parts of the country.  My area, Diego Martin, is one of them.

Other than jokes about making it home by curfew and many opinions about whether a State of Emergency is an appropriate response to crime, things were business as usual in the bank, grocery and doctor’s office that I visited today.  To my friends abroad reading this blog, do not worry, my family, friends and I are safe.

This is the second time I have experienced a State of Emergency in Trinidad and Tobago.  The last was in July 1990 after the coup attempt by the Jamaat al Muslimeen under the leadership of Yasin Abu Bakr.  As with most significant events, I remember where I was when I heard the news that the Muslimeen had stormed parliament at the Red House.  It was a football match at the national stadium with my mother and a friend.  As we headed out of Port-of-Spain, we could hear gun shots and see smoke bellowing from the heart of town.  Thankfully we made it home safely and avoided any of the looting that followed.  As had been long planned, I migrated to the United States to attend university just days after the coup.

This time, there was no coup or civil unrest.  In her press conference, the Prime Minister explained that the State of Emergency was in response to a rash of 11 murders over the weekend.  Some of the murders were, according to her, the fallout from a recent discovery by police of a large drug haul.  Because the country has been dealing with crime for such a long time, the imposition of a State of Emergency felt abrupt and extreme.

This blog is not the space to add my two cents on how to reduce the crime rate.  There are enough pundits on every corner and radio station with the answer.  For those considering returning home, the alarming crime rates are sadly one of the factors we must weigh.  And I hope the government, regardless of the particular party in power, commits the resources to find a long-term solution.

The curfew is scheduled to last for 15 days, after which the government will decide if it should be extended.  Because I left so soon after the coup, I have no recollection of life under curfew.  My only perspective comes from friends who stayed in Trinidad and shared stories about how much fun they had at coup parties that began before curfew and lasted until dawn.  Although I have no problem with partying all night, I hope this curfew doesn’t last too long.

---