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Events in the year 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago .
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Events in the year 2023 in Trinidad and Tobago .
Ongoing — COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago
Modern Trinidad and Tobago maintains close relations with its Caribbean neighbours and major North American and European trading partners. As the most industrialized and second-largest country in the English-speaking Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago has taken a leading role in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), and strongly supports CARICOM economic integration efforts. It also is active in the Summit of the Americas process and supports the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas, lobbying other nations for seating the Secretariat in Port of Spain.
The president of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is the head of state of Trinidad and Tobago and the commander-in-chief of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The office was established when the country became a republic in 1976, before which the head of state was the Queen of Trinidad and Tobago, Elizabeth II. The last governor-general, Sir Ellis Clarke, was sworn in as the first president on 1 August 1976 under a transitional arrangement. He was formally chosen as president by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of Parliament on 24 September 1976, which is now celebrated as Republic Day.
Arthur Napoleon Raymond Robinson, was a Trinidadian politician who was the third president of the country, serving from 19 March 1997 to 17 March 2003. He was also Trinidad and Tobago's third prime minister, serving in that capacity from 18 December 1986 to 17 December 1991. He is recognized for his proposal that eventually led to the founding of the International Criminal Court.
The People's National Movement (PNM) is the longest-serving and oldest active political party in Trinidad and Tobago. The party has dominated national and local politics for much of Trinidad and Tobago's history, contesting all elections since 1956 serving as the nation's governing party or on four occasions, the main opposition. It is one out of the country's two main political parties. There have been four PNM Prime Ministers and multiple ministries. The party espouses the principles of liberalism and generally sits at the centre to centre-left of the political spectrum.
San Fernando, officially the City of San Fernando, is the most populous city and second most populous municipality in Trinidad and Tobago, after Chaguanas. Sando, as it is known to many local Trinidadians, occupies 19 km2 and is located in the southwestern part of the island of Trinidad. It is bounded to the north by the Guaracara River, the south by the Oropouche River, the east by the Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway, and the west by the Gulf of Paria. The former borough was elevated to the status of a city corporation on 18 November 1988. The motto of San Fernando is: "Sanitas Fortis" - In a Healthy Environment We Will Find Strength. San Fernando is called Trinidad and Tobago's "industrial capital" because of its proximity to the Pointe-à-Pierre oil refinery and many other petrochemical, LNG, iron and steel and aluminium smelters in places such as Point Lisas in Couva, Point Fortin, and La Brea.
The Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago is the legislative branch of Trinidad and Tobago. The Parliament is bicameral. Besides the President of Trinidad and Tobago, it is composed of the House of Representatives, which is composed of the Speaker of the House of Representatives in addition to 41 directly elected members serving a five-year term in single-seat constituencies, and the Senate which has 31 members appointed by the President: 16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, 6 Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 Independent Senators appointed by the President to represent other sectors of civil society. It is at present the only parliament in the world with an incumbent female President, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Leader of the Opposition and made history by appointing the Caribbean's first and only transgender parliamentarian on 15 February 2022. As of 20 April 2021, there are only 24 female members, or 32.9% and eight members born in Tobago or 11.0%.
The Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is the appointed upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, along with the President and House of Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago. The Senate currently sits at the Red House. The Senate has 31 members all appointed by the President: 16 Government Senators appointed on the advice of the Prime Minister, 6 Opposition Senators appointed on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition and 9 Independent Senators appointed on the discretion of the President from outstanding persons who represent other sectors of civil society. The presiding officer, the President of the Senate, is elected from among the Senators who are not Ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries. A senator must be at least 25 years old and a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago. The current President of the Senate is Senator Nigel de Freitas. As of 20 April 2021, there are only 13 female senators, or 41.9% and 6 Tobagonian senators or 19.4%. The Senate made history on 15 February 2022 by appointing Jowelle de Souza as an acting opposition senator, thus making her the Caribbean's first and only transgender parliamentarian.
Leo Beenhakker CM is a Dutch football coach. He has had an extensive and successful career both at club and international level. He led both Ajax and Feyenoord to Dutch championships and also had domestic success with Real Madrid. At international level, he led Trinidad and Tobago to the 2006 FIFA World Cup and Poland to UEFA Euro 2008, both firsts for each nation. His role in Spanish football has earned him the nickname Don Leo, largely due to his fondness of cigars and dry humour.
Jack Austin Warner is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian politician, businessman, and former football executive. Warner was Vice President of FIFA and President of CONCACAF until his suspension and eventual resignation from these roles in 2011. He is also the former Minister of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago and was an elected member of the country's parliament from 2007 to 2015. He was also the owner of Joe Public F.C., a professional football club in Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago. Warner has been implicated in numerous corruption scandals and was banned for life from football related activities by FIFA in 2015. He currently faces extradition to the United States to face corruption charges.
The president of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago is generally elected from the government benches. The president chairs debates in the chamber of the Senate of Trinidad and Tobago and stands in for the country's president during periods of absence or illness. A vice-president of the Senate is also elected from among the senators. The current president of the Senate is Senator Nigel de Freitas.
Anthony Thomas Aquinas Carmona is a Trinidadian politician who was the fifth President of Trinidad and Tobago from 2013 to 2018. Previously, he was a High Court Judge at the Supreme Court of Trinidad and Tobago, and he served as a Judge of the International Criminal Court from 2012 to 2013.
The 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, officially known as the VII Commonwealth Youth Games and informally as Trinbago 2023, was a youth sporting event for members of the Commonwealth that was held in Trinidad and Tobago. They were the seventh edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games. The games were initially scheduled between 1 and 7 August 2021 but were postponed and held from 4 to 11 August 2023 as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic and scheduling issues with the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Alvin Jones is a Trinidadian footballer who plays as a right-back who currently plays for TT Premier Football League club Club Sando and the Trinidad and Tobago national team. He is the son of Kelvin Jones.
First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago or First Gentleman of Trinidad and Tobago is the title attributed to the spouse of the president of Trinidad and Tobago, a position created in 1976. Until 19 March 2018, the office was held by women and thus referred to as First Lady before becoming vacant. The country's present first gentleman is Kerwyn Garcia, husband of President Christine Kangaloo, who has held the position since March 20, 2023.
Paula-Mae Weekes is a Trinidad and Tobago politician and jurist who was the sixth president of Trinidad and Tobago from 2018 to 2023. She is the first female President of Trinidad and Tobago, as well as the second female head of state in Trinidad and Tobago after Elizabeth II and the second female president of African descent in the Americas following Ertha Pascal-Trouillot.
The nations of Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago established diplomatic relations in 1966. Both nations are members of the Association of Caribbean States, Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, Organization of American States and the United Nations.
Christine Carla Kangaloo is a Trinidadian politician, who is the president of Trinidad and Tobago since 2023.
The 2025 Trinidad and Tobago general election will be held no later than November 28, 2025 to elect all 41 members of the House of Representatives. It will be the 100th anniversary of general elections in Trinidad and Tobago, the first having taken place in 1925. The Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) March 13, 2024 report on the review of constituency boundaries saw the renaming of five constituencies from this general election with Arouca/Maloney becoming Trincity/Maloney, D'Abadie/O'Meara renamed Malabar/Mausica, Lopinot/Bon Air West changed to Arouca/Lopinot, St Joseph becoming Aranguez/St Joseph, and Pointe-a-Pierre renamed Claxton Bay and the report also suggesting the maintaining of the current number of constituencies, with 39 seats in Trinidad and two in Tobago. No by-election was held after Lisa Morris-Julian, Minister in the Ministry of Education and MP for D'Abadie/O'Meara, who was reselected by the PNM as the candidate for the renamed Malabar/Mausica seat on 3 December 2024 died in a house fire with two of her children on 16 December 2024.
Indirect presidential elections were held in Trinidad and Tobago on 20 January 2023.