22 hours ago
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DAREECE POLO
Senior Reporter
The political fallout over Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to skip the Emancipation Support Committee of Trinidad and Tobago’s (ESCTT) Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village on Saturday has intensified, with the Opposition accusing her of disrespecting one of the country’s most significant national observances.
Persad-Bissessar, however, accused the People’s National Movement (PNM) of exploiting Emancipation Day to deepen racial divisions.
Although the Prime Minister was advertised as delivering the feature address at the village at 3 pm, she instead spent the day with her family.
Persad-Bissessar said she had already participated in two Emancipation events on Thursday in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando, where she wore traditional African attire and joined commemorative activities.
“I never committed to attending that event. I attended two African Emancipation events on Thursday. I am spending the day with my family,” she said.
“I’m sorry that those persons who were eagerly waiting to insult and curse me were disappointed. They should not worry, there will always be another event where they may have the opportunity to hurl curses and insults at me.”
Her absence has fuelled criticism from the Opposition and sparked renewed debate over race, political leadership and national unity.
In a WhatsApp response yesterday, Persad-Bissessar accused the PNM of weaponising Emancipation celebrations and targeting Afro-Trinidadians who support the United National Congress (UNC).
“The PNM and their supporters’ idea of celebrating Emancipation Day is to denigrate, humiliate and tear down Indo and Afro-Trinidadians who don’t support their political party,” she said.
“This version of the PNM under Pennelope Beckles is the most hateful, racist and divisive. What they did to Michelle Benjamin and Selwyn Cudjoe over the Emancipation weekend is disgusting.”
Persad-Bissessar said she was not concerned about personal attacks against her but defended Benjamin and Cudjoe, who were criticised during the Emancipation period.
“I don’t mind if the PNM MPs and supporters insult and call me a stinking c***** but Michelle Benjamin and Selwyn Cudjoe are wonderful people who were unfairly attacked because the PNM believes that spreading c**** hatred and destroying Afro-Trinidadians supportive of the UNC is a political strategy,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar also accused members of the Emancipation Support Committee of standing by and failing to intervene as Minister Michelle Benjamin was allegedly taunted and humiliated during Emancipation Day celebrations in Port-of-Spain.
She claimed committee members “sat on that stage in Port-of-Spain and looked on non-bothered” while Benjamin was being targeted and “never spoke up to stop it.”
She argued that Benjamin was singled out because she was viewed as being closely associated with her, rather than as “a representative of the African community.”
Asked whether Government was reconsidering plans for the Independence Day parade, which was cancelled last year during the State of Emergency due to security concerns, Persad-Bissessar dismissed suggestions that the event should be relocated to avoid criticism.
She accused the Opposition of attempting to politicise national celebrations and said the focus should remain on the significance of the holiday.
“That’s all the PNM and their supporters care about, rum drinking, feteing, wining in the road and getting freeness from the State,” she said.
“Yesterday this sick version of the PNM mobilised and encouraged their supporters to curse government officials during Emancipation Day celebrations and thus denigrate the holiday.”
Persad-Bissessar claimed several PNM members had contacted her to condemn the behaviour and distance themselves from Beckles and the party’s current leadership.
She also accused PNM MPs and supporters of creating concerns over the location of the Independence Day parade.
“She is concerned about the location of the parade because the PNM MPs and their supporters are so hateful and deranged that they will try the same thing again on Independence Day and humiliate themselves once more,” she said.
Opposition
condemns absence
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles described the Prime Minister’s decision not to attend the ESCTT’s flagship event as disrespectful and discriminatory.
“Her decision to decline the invitation of the Emancipation Support Committee to attend Saturday’s Lidj Yasu Omowale Emancipation Village 2026 was disdainful; and her further suggestion that Emancipation is somehow a PNM celebration adds a layer of discrimination to that disdain,” Beckles said.
She said Emancipation belongs to the nation and not to any political organisation.
Beckles also criticised a University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) Emancipation Day programme that linked the abolition of slavery with the end of Indian indentureship.
“It is equally telling that the Prime Minister refused to acknowledge the inappropriateness of the event hosted by UTT and its current management, doubling down on the insult to the African community by her careless words,” Beckles said.
The Opposition Leader also condemned Persad-Bissessar’s comments referencing Syrian-Lebanese businesswoman Star Sabga and Genevieve Hadeed.
“As for the Prime Minister’s loose and vile comments linking Star Sabga and Jenna Hadeed to Emancipation; while they expose her poor political judgment and political expediency, they also reinforce something much more sinister—the growing perception that the PDO investigations were never about justice, but were a politically motivated personal vendetta,” Beckles said.
“This Government is led by a Prime Minister who gaslights the population about unity, while she is publicly and daily engaged in deepening racial and political divisions.”
Beckles questioned the Government’s plans for the Independence Day parade while the North Stand remains in place.
“After it visibly disrupted the flow of the Emancipation Village, where exactly does the Government intend to host the national parade? Is this an attempt to avoid boos?” she asked.
She said the UNC must accept growing public dissatisfaction.
“The UNC accepted the outcome of the General Election on April 28, 2025; and they must similarly accept that the pot of public dissatisfaction is bubbling over due to their dismal and vindictive governance style.”
Beckles also criticised the Government for not holding press conferences to address national issues.
“When a Government avoids press conferences to escape scrutiny, distances itself from public events for fear of public reaction, and seeks to silence cultural presentations because it dislikes criticism, that Government is a clear and present threat to democracy,” she said.
She called on Persad-Bissessar to step aside.
“The Prime Minister cannot withstand criticism, cannot face the people, and cannot uphold the dignity of the office she holds. Kamla Persad-Bissessar has violated the tenets of her oath to serve without fear and favour, malice and ill-will: she must do the honourable thing and step aside, allowing the PNM to lead this country with unity.”
Beckles ended her statement with the phrase “We will Remember”—the same words shouted at Culture Minister Michelle Benjamin during Saturday’s celebrations.
A woman dressed in African regalia waited until the end of Benjamin’s address before shouting: “We will remember that you promised food tomorrow while we starve today.”
Guardian Media contacted ESCTT chairman Zakiya Uzoma-Wadada, who confirmed that the organisation had formally invited the Prime Minister to attend the event.
However, she declined further comment.
“We at the ESCTT are not prepared to make a statement at this time. We are giving due attention and consideration to all that has been taking place and said, and we will make a statement in due course,” she said.
Political analysts weigh in
Political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath said the Prime Minister may have chosen not to attend because she anticipated hostility, but argued that experienced political leaders must be prepared to face criticism.
“I would have thought that the Prime Minister has very tough skin,” he said.
“Everything the Prime Minister does is going to be under a microscope. She should have known that long time, since she entered into politics. She has choices to make, and she has made certain choices.”
Ragoonath suggested Persad-Bissessar may have believed the event risked becoming politicised.
“I am almost certain that she was of the opinion that somehow, some way or the other, they’re going to make this into a more political issue rather than an Emancipation issue. And it is in that context she may have decided not to attend.”
He declined to predict the long-term political consequences.
“As to whether or not it was wrong for her to go or not go, I would not comment on that. But there is a political price to pay for every decision.”
Political analyst Winford James said Persad-Bissessar’s absence could reinforce perceptions among some voters, despite her previous attendance at Emancipation celebrations.
He argued that national leaders must rise above ethnic politics while cautioning that such issues must be considered within their historical context.
James said Persad-Bissessar was correct that political leaders cannot satisfy everyone.
“How can you be right? Because you can’t attend everything, eh,” he said.
However, he criticised the Prime Minister’s comments about inviting Sabga and Hadeed to perform at next year’s celebrations following controversy over tassa drumming and Indian classical dance performances during a UTT Emancipation event.
Responding to reporters, Persad-Bissessar said:
“If the PNM MPs and their supporters don’t want East Indians to participate in Emancipation events, that’s their democratic choice. Maybe next year the PNM could lobby UTT to invite Star Sabga and Jenna Hadeed for a spoken word performance instead.”
James said the Prime Minister should avoid becoming involved in such disputes.
“She doesn’t have quite that steadiness of mind when she’s responding because she is already to fight. I get the impression she always wants a fight. She should not be getting involved in issues of that kind. She must rise above the fray.”
He also argued that Trinidad and Tobago needs a more open conversation about race and culture.
Persad-Bissessar attended the Emancipation Village in 2025, where she pledged to pursue reparations for the African diaspora over the transatlantic slave trade.
During her first term as Prime Minister, she attended the event in 2011 and 2012, missed the 2010 ceremony, was absent because of illness in 2013, and did not attend in 2014 or 2015.
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