Gonzales alleges underworld deals behind UNC election win

2026-03-17 - 02:57

Senior Reporter dareece.polo@guardian.co.tt People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman Marvin Gonzales has alleged that the United National Congress (UNC) secured victory in the April 2025 General Election with financial backing from members of the criminal underworld in exchange for deals. Gonzales made the claim while pushing back against accusations by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that the PNM’s headquarters was built using drug money—an allegation she made during her Parliamentary address last Friday. Reacting to the statement, Gonzales condemned Persad-Bissessar for using parliamentary privilege to make what he described as unsubstantiated claims against the PNM, calling the remarks “scandalous.” However, he also made allegations of his own, suggesting that during his tenure as national security minister, he received intelligence reports indicating that criminals had helped finance the UNC’s election campaign. He pointed to claims that as much as $17 million was spent in the Sangre Grande constituency during the campaign. “We got information, it’s the same thing that happened in some of the marginal seats in Tunapuna and what have you, where there was strategic collaboration between the UNC and the criminal elements to win some of these seats. And that is the reason why this Government cannot govern without a state of emergency because many of them cannot walk their constituencies.” Gonzales also revealed that the PNM was told that if they had accepted similar arrangements, the outcome of the election might have been different. Calls for campaign finance reform resurface Gonzales’ comments have renewed debate over political financing, with some analysts arguing that the controversy highlights the need for stronger campaign finance reform, while others say legal action could also be taken now. “These are all issues of misbehaviour in public office and no political party, while they go and yap, yap... they are not doing anything to bring people to account,” said political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath. Dr Ragoonath also lamented the unwillingness of successive administrations to pass crucial campaign finance reform legislation to level the playing field between smaller parties and more established ones, as well as minimise corruption during