President Irfaan Ali said that Guyana is on high alert for any spillover from the gang violence that has taken hold of neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago. And he said the country is working with regional partners to ensure the safety and security of its citizens.

President also said that government has been investing heavily in boosting its security infrastructure to withstand any threats. A state of emergency was declared in Trinidad & Tobago on monday. President Irfaan Ali speaking at a news conference on tuesday said that Guyana is working with regional partners, “to ensure that our collective system protects our population.”

Within hours of a massacre at Prizgar Lands, Laventille, the prime minister of Trinidad and Tobago,  Keith Rowley last monday morning, authorised the declaration of a state of emergency. In a statement from the Ministry of Communications in that country, citizens were told that president Christine Kangaloo, on the advice of the prime minister, had declared the state of emergency being satisfied that the circumstances of Section 8(2)C of the Constitution exists.  “The circumstances warranting the declaration of the public emergency are based on the advice of the TTPS to the National Security Council of heightened criminal activity which endangers the public safety.”

Guyana’s head-of-state at his presser outlined that Guyana is a member of the Regional Security System, so discussions in relation to what is happening in Trinidad is done through that avenue. “So I know there are discussions going on within the regional security architecture. Of course, there are measures to look for consequential effects. I want to put it that way. There were discussions examining some of the possible threats and ensuring that our systems are rigid enough to avoid such threats. But working also with regional partners to ensure that our collective system protects our population”,  president Ali stated.

He underscored that he is aware of how criminal elements operate when pressured in their territory. President Ali explained: “Because as criminal feel pressured in their territory, they look for new territory. That is how the criminal entity operate. So as there is push factor, so they look for new territory when they feel threatened in their existing territory, and as they come to territory, they try to grow the network to own more territory.” However, he underscored that the gang-violence in T&T is a great concern to all Caribbean Community (Caricom) member state. He added: “We are very integrated and closely knitted community across the Caricom region.”

Notably, in relation to Guyana’s preparedness president Ali underscored that there is a misconception to the successes in Guyana in relation to crime fighting. “I really want to congratulate the Guyana Police Force, all the officers and so on who are working diligently to help us to fight crime”,  he said.

Ali went on to highlight some initiatives that has helped reduced crime in Guyana. He said that the entire region is paying attention to the movement of gangs, the transfer of weapons and the expansion of gangs. ”And so we have to be mindful of this so what we have done in 2024 is expand the safe city project, we have state-of-the art surveillance system in many of the important locations now especially the urban centers”,  he said.  (Kaieteur News)

Photo: President Irfaan Ali. (Forbes)