In light of current general statements about economic diversification, it will not surprise my readers that I will proceed on my break, commencing today, only after some further comments concerning pan and culture. In fact, one of my intended video documentaries will be about my exposure to pan, which started …

This is my penultimate column before I proceed on my break after twenty-four years of writing these weekly columns. As I move on to my documentary videography projects, which are not likely to be completed before September, I am intensely anxious for the future of our once materially prosperous island …

Trinidad and Tobago entered into the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, which was announced in Doral, Florida, two weeks ago at a gathering called the Shield of the Americas Summit. This coalition is a new alliance between the US and certain Latin American countries, led by the US, and intended to …

David Rudder famously sang in 1996 in The Madman’s Rant: “Somebody clean out the weed real fast. But somebody letting the cocaine pass.” Nevertheless, none of our leaderships were prepared to acknowledge this reality despite periodic reports of “drug busts”, including some massive ones. Despite strong editorials and some courageous …

In light of the announcement last Tuesday of yet another state of emergency (SoE) I feel compelled to restate a main theme of these columns. We have barely advanced positively in politics or in governance and little ever changes, even after a general election at which we vote out an …

Following Carnival 2026, there have been the usual self-congratulatory comments from officialdom about its success and economic benefits. See for example the declaration of the Minister of Culture in the Trinidad Guardian of 22 February 2026 that the $137 million that the Ministry spent on the season was “well spent”. …

For Panorama semi-finals, two weeks ago, I had probably the best listening position I have ever had. Through the kind courtesy of panyard acquaintances, as well as through our bonding at my Carnival Days’ lime, I spent nine hours in row two of the Grandstand, right behind the judges with …

There is reason to be concerned about current trends towards the promotion of authoritarian rule in Trinidad and Tobago. The Commissioner of Police (the CoP) vehemently sought to dilute accountability for the fatal police-involved shooting of a citizen seen in a video emerging from a crashed vehicle after a chase, …

On 7 April 2002, at the time when the House of Representatives was deadlocked 18-18 and was unable to elect a speaker, the first of these weekly columns was published. It was entitled Equal Shame. I pointed then, at the outset of my journey as a weekly columnist, to our …

Soca star Patrice Roberts linked the negative effect of current financial challenges on the ability to experience the joy, love and togetherness of Carnival. As a consequence, she cancelled her scheduled ticketed concert on 22 January and will perform free instead. Her motivation, as reported in the Trinidad Express newspaper …

The concluded Christmas and New Year period has demonstrated the failure of the amendments passed in Parliament to the Summary Offences Act (“the fireworks legislation”) as a means of regulating the use of fireworks and in particular to bring relief from the noise that adversely affects persons and animals. The …

As our Trinidad and Tobago economy has declined consequent upon the steep decline in our foreign exchange earnings, our economists have included tourism and creative arts in their list of potential sources of new foreign exchange earnings. The currently fashionable phrase for economic activity in the creative sector is “the …