Freelance Contributor
Venezuelan human rights activist Yesenia Gonzalez is now working closely with members of the Venezuelan community both here and in that country to help identify the bodies of two Hispanic women who were killed and buried in a shallow grave in Cunupia last week.
The women, believed to be in their 20s, were strangled to death and dumped on agricultural lands off Ramsaran Trace, Warren Road. Police exhumed the grave around 11.30 pm on Wednesday and removed the bodies to the Forensic Sciences Centre, where autopsies were performed. The autopsy found that the women, believed to be in their 20s, died as a result of manual strangulation and asphyxia due to smothering.
Gonzales yesterday described the murders as extremely troubling and called for justice. She said she has enlisted the help of Venezuelan media to publicise the case and appeal for information.
She warned of a disturbing trend in Trinidad, where women are being trafficked from Venezuela and forced into prostitution. She said many are lured by false promises of a better life through social media, only to find themselves sold into sex work upon arrival—often based on their age, physical appearance, and even their virginity status.
According to Gonzalez, some victims are held until a ransom—sometimes as high as TT$40,000—is paid. She noted that she has worked alongside the TTPS Counter-Trafficking Unit and highlighted the rescue of over 100 women from a trafficking ring earlier this year.
Meanwhile, residents of Ramsaran Trace reported that the area has previously been used as a dumping ground for murder victims. They called for increased police patrols, noting that the narrow, poorly lit roads leading into the agricultural lands tend to attract criminal activity.
Chaguanas West MP Dr Neil Gosine described the discovery as “deeply troubling.”
“It highlights the serious crime challenges we face as a nation. At this time, I do not wish to comment further, as I am not the police and would not want to speculate or interfere with any ongoing investigation,” Dr Gosine said.