You expect a government to manage the basics. You expect them to build roads, manage taxes, and certainly keep track of people after they pass away. Trinidad and Tobago seem to have missed that last point entirely. In a discovery that sounds more like a dark thriller than a news headline, authorities found the remains of 50 infants and six adults dumped in a graveyard in the town of Cumuto.
Yes, you read that correctly. Fifty infants and six adults, just left there, as if someone treated human lives like common household rubbish. Police in Trinidad say they are looking into the “unlawful disposal of unclaimed corpses.” That is the kind of sterile, bureaucratic language officials use when they want to make a total administrative disaster sound like a minor clerical error.
The police commissioner, Allister Guevarro, called the incident deeply troubling. He promised to hold everyone accountable. It is a lovely sentiment, but one wonders how an entire institution loses track of 56 people.
This is a country currently operating under a state of emergency. Security forces hold extended powers to search, arrest, and patrol. If the government is so good at keeping the public under a state of emergency, how did they miss a massive, illegal pile of bodies? It is almost impressive, in the worst way possible. It suggests that while the state has eyes on the streets, they are completely blind to the actual function of the services they are supposed to run.
Some might wonder if this points to gang violence, which remains a massive issue in the region. Others might point to a complete breakdown in local health and funeral services. Either way, the explanation is likely to be just as messy as the discovery itself.
The United States has already issued travel advisories warning of crime and terrorism in the area. This discovery will certainly do nothing to help the country’s international reputation. When the system fails this badly, it makes you wonder what else is happening behind the scenes that we do not know about yet.
The families of the deceased deserve much more than an investigation into why paperwork was not filed. They deserve dignity. We can only hope that this time, for once, the promise of accountability actually leads to someone facing the consequences. Until then, we are left looking at a system that cannot even manage the simple task of laying the dead to rest with respect.
If you found this story as unsettling as we did, please share it with your friends. We must keep a spotlight on these issues to ensure they do not happen again. Also, make sure you sign up for our newsletter to keep informed of future stories.
Related topics: South America
