View Point

In 1937 Trinidad and Tobago, life was not easy. Worker abuse, underpayment of workers, and overt racism were not uncommon. The economy was in decline, affected by the great depression globally. Living standards of the working class fell considerably. Conditions were ripe for social unrest—and importantly, for change. There had …

“[…] The old Caribbean fowl thief occupied a strange cultural category. He (mainly men were the culprits) was a criminal, a nuisance, folk trickster, survivalist, but rarely an existential threat. He stole chickens, your pet birds, mangoes, goat, maybe coconuts. “[…] What many people mourn today is the transition from …

I write on behalf of the thousands of working men and women of Trinidad and Tobago who spent their entire productive lives contributing to the National Insurance Scheme, only to retire on a minimum pension of TT$3,000 per month. Three thousand dollars. That is what a lifetime of work is …

Monday morning, 5:45am, Curepe junction. Three maxis pass me—full. Fourth stops. Driver leans out: “Only Sa Wa.” I begged to get to Port of Spain. Got to work 20 minutes late again. Conductor short-changed me. I didn’t even bother to argue anymore. I understand why UNC supporters say rail costs …

Speaking at Indian Arrival Day celebrations in Penal on 30th May 2026, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar called for national unity. She stated that: “We have no Mother India, we have no Mother Africa, we have no Mother China, no Mother Europe, no mother other nation. What we have is Mother …

“[…] Trinidadians and Tobagonians are resilient people. But what citizens rarely tolerate for long is inconsistency. Once people begin believing that there are different rules for different classes of citizens, public trust begins to erode very quickly. “That erosion of trust is becoming one of the defining features of modern …

Silence is not peace. It is the beginning of social decline. Too many of us are witnessing lawsuits used not only as instruments of justice, but as instruments of pressure and silence. There is an increasing effort to silence our citizens. I have come across a global term that more …

In 1942, Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter coined the term ‘creative destruction’. It describes a process where innovative products, technologies, and business models continuously replace outdated ones. New firms and jobs are created, and old ones die. In Trinidad and Tobago, we experienced creative destruction in the past century. Sugar (and …

Unlike Cro Cro, Gypsy and Sugar Aloes, Dr Hollis “Chalkdust” Liverpool has spoken in 2026. But one wishes that, in this year of the 50th anniversary of his first Calypso Monarch crown, this indisputably influential personality had chosen to say more. Everybody, I submit, would have won… There is very …

“[…] As we navigate 2026, we find ourselves facing a rather curious paradox: the very mechanism designed to illuminate public spending is operating with the lights dimmed. “[…] Monitoring without regular reporting is like installing a state-of-the-art security camera but refusing to plug in the monitor. The conspicuous infrequency of …

The UNC won the 2025 general elections promising to transform Trinidad and Tobago’s economic fortunes, treat workers fairly and address the crime situation—all important domestic issues. And as expected, as the Kamla Persad-Bissessar-led Government marks a year in office this month, commentators and analysts have opined on their performance in …

What will history remember about Carnival 2026? Not the mas, for sure! Post-Minshall, mas has been eminently forgettable. Most, especially the Catholic Church, will remember the sex toy distribution and forget what Tribe played. Pan? Perhaps. The narrow Exodus win, their sixth in all, over a consistent Renegades, leading the …