Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has issued an official statement to observe the 31st Anniversary of the events of 27 July 1990.
The Opposition Leader said the people of this country should remember that despite the “dark chapter” of the 1990 attempted coup, liberty and freedom continue to be upheld in the democratic society that is Trinidad and Tobago.
She noted, “we are called to remember this day and honour those who lost their lives standing against tyranny”.
The full statement is as follows:
THE MEMORY OF 1990: THE DAY THAT OUR NATION DEMONSTRATED THAT WE CAN OVERCOME ANY ADVERSITY
Thirty-one years ago the strength, determination and courage of our people were tested when our democracy came under attack.
The 1990 attempted coup d’état, which saw our Parliament come under siege is the darkest period in our nation’s history. Those who attacked the Red House, the Police Headquarters and Trinidad and Tobago Television (TTT) that day on July 27 were not just trying to wound innocent persons, they were trying to destroy the very fabric of our democratic society.
But those who sought to destroy us soon discovered a nation united and resolute to fight for our democratic way of life. On that harrowing day, we lost many lives, many brave souls who will be remembered as heroes, but it was also the day the people of our nation made it clear they would never bow to would-be dictators. Even during the dark days that followed, the light of liberty and freedom still burnt brightly.
Thirty-one years later, we are called to remember this day and honour those who lost their lives standing against tyranny.
During this difficult time, facing a pandemic we must remember that there is no hardship we cannot overcome as a people united. We must also take heart that though we are a diverse, multiracial democracy we are and always will be, one people forged from the love of liberty.
COMMENTS