in
History
—
Six Days in July: The Story of Trinidad and Tobago's 1990 Islamist Coup Attempt
In 1990, the Jamaat al Muslimeen launched a violent coup attempt in Trinidad and Tobago, seizing parliament and the state TV station. Led by Yasin Abu Bakr, they held Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson and other officials hostage for six days, plunging the nation into chaos.
On the afternoon of July 27, 1990, the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, known more for its vibrant Carnival and calypso music, became the site of a shocking and unprecedented event in the Western Hemisphere: an attempted coup d'état by an Islamist group. For six days, the nation held its breath as insurgents held the Prime Minister and parliament hostage, a crisis that would leave deep and lasting scars on the country's psyche.
The Seeds of Discontent
The 1980s were a difficult time for Trinidad and Tobago. After the oil boom of the 1970s faded, the country faced a severe economic recession. The government, led by Prime Minister A.N.R. Robinson and his National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) party, implemented unpopular austerity measures under an International Monetary Fund (IMF) program. This led to currency devaluation, cuts in public sector salaries, and rising unemployment, fueling widespread social unrest and accusations of government corruption.
Into this charged atmosphere stepped the Jamaat al Muslimeen, a radical Black Muslim organization led by a charismatic former police officer, Yasin Abu Bakr. The group attracted hundreds of disaffected, mostly Afro-Trinidadian youths, providing them with a sense of community, purpose, and religious structure. The Jamaat established a commune in Port of Spain, but their relationship with the state was fraught with tension, culminating in a protracted legal dispute over land the group occupied.
The Storm Breaks: July 27, 1990
The simmering tensions erupted into open violence. While parliament was in session, 42 insurgents from the Jamaat al Muslimeen stormed the Red House, Trinidad's seat of parliament. They took Prime Minister Robinson and most of his cabinet hostage. In the ensuing chaos, Robinson was shot in the leg and beaten for refusing to cooperate. Simultaneously, another 72 members of the group seized Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT), the nation's only television station, and the main radio station.
At 6:00 p.m., Yasin Abu Bakr appeared on television, calmly announcing that the government had been overthrown and that he was in negotiations with the army. His broadcast triggered widespread panic, confusion, and, in some areas of the capital, extensive looting and arson, causing millions of dollars in damages.
Six Days of Siege and a Controversial Amnesty
The Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force remained loyal to the state. They quickly cordoned off the Red House and the TTT building, initiating a tense siege. The country was under a state of emergency. As negotiations dragged on, the captured Prime Minister Robinson famously instructed the army through a message to “attack with full force,” a command that demonstrated his refusal to submit. After six days of intense standoff and negotiations, the Muslimeen surrendered on August 1st. Their surrender was conditional on a signed amnesty agreement that would pardon them for their actions, including treason and murder.
The Aftermath: Justice Denied?
Though the coup had failed, the drama was far from over. Abu Bakr and 113 of his followers were arrested and charged with treason. However, the legal battle that followed became a source of national controversy. The Trinidadian High Court upheld the amnesty, and the insurgents were released. Years later, the United Kingdom's Privy Council, then Trinidad's highest appellate court, ruled that the amnesty was invalid because it was extracted under duress. Despite this, Trinidad's courts ruled that to re-arrest the men would be an abuse of process. No one was ever convicted for the coup attempt that left at least 24 people dead and the capital city scarred.
The event exposed deep-seated social, racial, and economic fissures within Trinidadian society. For many, the unresolved legal situation and the lack of accountability created a lasting sense of injustice that continues to be debated and felt to this day, serving as a dark and complex chapter in the nation's history.