The Institutionalization of Gang Violence in Trinidad & Tobago

In Trinidad and Tobago there is a well-documented record of gang-related violence that has made life unsafe for citizens of the island nation. Moreover, the gangs themselves are deeply institutionalized into Trinidadian society, even serving functions of government, thus making them exceptionally difficult to remove. 

Trinidad and Tobago is a two-party republic that won its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962. It is a multicultural melting pot, the largest ethnic groups being Afro-Trinidadians and Indo-Trinidadians, among various minority groups. Its inhabitants have suffered the brutal effects of slavery and forced indenture, which scholars argue have shaped a deep-rooted “culture of violence” in the island nation that persist to this day. Currently, Trinidad and Tobago has the sixth highest crime rate in the world. Today, politics in the country is primarily divided along ethnic lines, with the socialist African-majority People’s National Movement party, and the conservative Indian-majority United National Congress party. The two islands of Trinidad and Tobago are a single nation, with its capital city being Port of Spain in Trinidad. There is a high concentration of gang violence in Port of Spain, although it is widespread throughout both islands, predominantly in impoverished areas. 

There are over 100 different gangs in Trinidad and Tobago, but research shows that they tend to fall under the umbrella of two “supergangs”––The Muslims and Rasta City. While these names seem to signal that each group belongs to Islamic and Rastafarian faiths respectively, gang members vary in religious beliefs. However, the Muslims are affiliated with an extremist international Muslim militant group known as Jamaat al Muslimeen. Members of the group orchestrated a failed coup against the Trinidadian government in 1990, resulting in the loss of twenty-four lives. Members affiliated with Jamaat al Muslimeen were also involved in an attempted terrorist attack in 2007 to detonate explosives that would destroy the JFK International Airport in NYC. The four members who planned the attack were three Guyanese, one of which was a U.S. citizen and former JFK Airport employee, and the fourth from Trinidad. As for Rasta City, the gang rose in resistance to the Muslims, and a bitter rivalry ensued. Even though the two were major rivals, there was a split within Rasta City into the gangs Sixx and Seven––the latter faction claiming the name Rasta City for itself. Despite this, with the help of the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) of the Trinidadian police, a truce has been negotiated between Sixx and Seven, with both sides promising a ceasefire in 2023. However, it is dubious how long this agreement will last, and whether it will mean peace for all or serve to redirect the violence back toward the Muslim-Rasta City rivalry remains to be seen. 

Unlike clandestine gangs that are difficult to find, the gangs in Trinidad and Tobago are far from hidden. Gang leaders are recognized by the government as “community leaders” due to their providing security and social services to those within their territory. One of the major sources of income for the gangs, alongside drug sales, farming, and casinos, is through government contracts. This allows them to expand their influence and further their legitimacy. Examples of contracts funded by the government include the Unemployment Relief Program (URP) and construction-related contracts that pay unemployed citizens for public service such as fixing drains, construction projects, building repair, and the like. Such contracts are undertaken by the gangs with jobs delegated to their members. In impoverished communities this is a primary source of income, especially since citizens living in gang territories are unable to move outside of their homes for fear of being gunned down by enemy gangs. Issues concerning gang borders have literally and figuratively divided individuals, with family members and friends being unable to visit each other in different gang territories due to the risk of violence; as protection from one gang means being the target of rivals. 

Music has also been shown to play a role in the institutionalization of gangs; a music genre known as “Trinibad” has used gang and gun violence imagery in its songs, with artists openly admitting to being gang members. On February 2, 2024, “Kman 6ixx” was arrested for professing to be a gang member, “singing and using expressive gestures in videos that seemingly incited violence and promoted the Sixx gang” which was found to violate the 2021 Anti-Gang Act. Despite this, he was granted a $40,000 USD bail and continues to make music to this day, albeit with alleged disclaimers that the artist does not promote gang violence, followed by gun imagery. An article by InsightCrime states that this genre not only serves to “legitimize” the gang’s actions but also works to “sacralize” or glorify its leaders. Such as in the case of Kman 6ixx, the government’s attempts to regulate gang-related crime have been ineffective. Laws such as the Anti-Gang Act tend to do more harm than good, as they promote “mass arrests and escalation of violence.” Furthermore, considering the music genre’s glorification of being a gang criminal, it is possible being arrested may be seen as a rite of passage, especially since arrests tend to lack conviction, allowing a gang member to reenter society without consequences.

The most violent year in Trinidadian history was 2022, marking 605 deaths by homicide as compared to the 1.6 million Trinidadian population with approximately 40 percent of these homicides resulting from gang violence. While the number of homicides decreased to 576 in 2023, the change is far from significant. With the first murder of 2024 being due to a gang-related crime, the problem of gang violence in Trinidad is far from over. In 2023, there was also a rise in the number of women murdered due to gang violence, with homicide rates from gangs second to those caused by domestic violence. The number of women working for gangs has also increased, and there is a strong likelihood that some gangs may soon become predominantly female. Additionally, a large number of young students in 2023 and 2024 have self-reported to being gang members. Considering these changing gang member demographics, it is likely that the protection provided by the gangs has appealed to vulnerable members of society such as women and the youth. Furthermore, aside from protection, those in desperate need of money become inducted into gangs for employment and financial stability. In the lack of social welfare programs and security provided by the government, citizens of all ages and gender have no choice but to turn to gangs, perpetuating their existence.

It is clear that one of the major reasons for these gangs being so entrenched in Trinidad and Tobago is due to the failure of the government to stop them. However, a culture of violence has been so woven into the fabric of society that it is becoming increasingly difficult to remove them without hurting ordinary citizens, many of which are members of or protected by the gangs themselves. By understanding the institutionalized violence in a diverse country such as Trinidad and Tobago, we can understand how organized forms of violence can arise and become ingrained in democratic societies that fail to protect their people from each other. Through such understanding, solutions can be investigated and implemented to not only quell such violence, but also provide the necessary infrastructure, employment opportunities, resources, and protection that have caused citizens to rely on such gangs instead of the government for support.