PENNELOPE BECKLES BLASTS WATER CRISIS, PASSPORT BACKLOG AND SOE CRIME STRATEGY |PNM PRESS CONFERENCE

PNM Political Leader and Leader of the Opposition Penelope Beckles-Robinson delivers a wide-ranging address on water shortages, disaster preparedness, passport delays, rising passport fees and the Government’s State of Emergency crime strategy. Beckles-Robinson begins by raising concerns about communities across Trinidad and Tobago reportedly experiencing severe water shortages, including some areas she says have gone as long as 16 days without a proper water supply. She questions whether the country is now facing a wider water crisis and criticises what she describes as delayed, suspended or cancelled water projects. She then turns to national disaster preparedness, referencing the impact of earthquakes, extreme heat, hurricane season and climate change, and asks whether Trinidad and Tobago is properly prepared for major natural disasters. During the press conference, Beckles-Robinson also addresses: • Water shortages in several communities • Alleged delays and cancellations of water infrastructure projects • Disaster preparedness and emergency response • Increased passport fees • The reported passport appointment backlog • Claims that passport services have slowed down • The cancellation of passport-related contracts • The State of Emergency and crime statistics • Preventive Detention Orders • Questions over arrests, charges and convictions One of the major issues she highlights is the passport system. Beckles-Robinson questions how citizens may now be facing appointments as far away as January 2027, while also facing increased costs for regular passports, business passports, expedited service and replacement passports. She also challenges the Government’s State of Emergency crime strategy, arguing that despite thousands of operations and arrests, Trinidad and Tobago continues to face serious violent crime. She asks why persons allegedly connected to criminal activity are being held under Preventive Detention Orders instead of being charged where evidence exists. Beckles-Robinson closes by warning that history may be repeating itself, referencing past State of Emergency detentions, low conviction rates and legal costs to taxpayers. Watch Penelope Beckles-Robinson’s complete address and judge her arguments for yourself. Do you believe the Government is properly handling water, passports and crime—or are citizens being asked to pay more while services and safety decline? Leave your opinion in the comments, share this video and subscribe for more political speeches, press conferences and news from Trinidad and Tobago. #PenelopeBeckles #PNM #WaterCrisis #PassportBacklog #StateOfEmergency #Crime #TrinidadAndTobago #TriniPolitics