Is Trinidad And Tobago Showing Signs Of A Failing State?

Commentary By Keith Bernard

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Oct. 17, 2025: More and more, one cannot help but feel that the signs of a failing state are beginning to surface in Trinidad and Tobago. What we are witnessing is not merely a collection of unfortunate events, but a pattern – one that speaks to deep institutional rot and a steady erosion of accountability, efficiency, and public trust.

Boats are pictured on the shore of La Cueva Bay, north coast of Trinidad and Tobago, on October 16, 2025. Police in Trinidad and Tobago told AFP on October 16, 2025, they are investigating whether two citizens were among six people killed in a US strike on a boat allegedly transporting drugs from Venezuela after reports by residents of Las Cuevas village. (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Consider the situation at the Tobago Regional Health Authority, where the much-publicized ambulance procurement scandal has become a symbol of everything that is wrong with governance today. Ambulances costing taxpayers over a million dollars each were delivered in forms unfit for Tobago’s terrain, leaving several units practically useless. For a nation that prides itself on oil wealth and education, it is disheartening that our health institutions cannot manage a simple procurement exercise without controversy.

Meanwhile, on the streets of Port of Spain and throughout the country, citizens live in fear. Last year’s record of 623 murders is more than a statistic – it is a reflection of a society where crime has outpaced control and where law-abiding citizens feel abandoned. When daylight shootings and home invasions become routine, it signals that the rule of law is no longer firmly in the state’s hands.

Adding to the unease is the ongoing go-slow at the Port of Port of Spain. Once the beating heart of our trade, the port now symbolizes stagnation – where worker frustration, poor management, and inefficiency have combined to paralyze operations. Shipments are delayed, businesses are bleeding losses, and the ripple effect is being felt throughout the economy. It is yet another example of how the machinery of the state has ground to a slow and frustrating crawl.

These are not several isolated issues; they are some of the visible cracks in a weakened foundation. Corruption, mismanagement, and a loss of civic discipline have become intertwined in our national reality. Unless we confront these failures with honesty and reform, the notion of a “failing state” may no longer be a distant fear – it could become our lived experience.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Keith Bernard is a Guyanese-born, NYC-based analyst and a frequent contributor to News Americas. His comments are his own and in no way reflect that of News Americas or its parent company, ICN Group.