Trinidad and Tobago's parliamentary elections on April 28 delivered a decisive victory for Kamla Persad-Bissessar's centre-left United National Congress (UNC) party, which secured 26 of 41 seats in the House of Representatives, AP reported. Stuart Young's People's National Movement (PNM), which had governed the Caribbean nation since 2015, won just 13 seats and promptly conceded defeat.

The election, described by analysts as one of Trinidad and Tobago's most unpredictable in decades, followed former Prime Minister Keith Rowley's unprecedented resignation in March, making him the first leader in the country's history to step down without electoral defeat. Young, 50, who became prime minister last month after Rowley's departure, had quickly dissolved parliament in hopes of securing a fresh mandate.

Persad-Bissessar returns to power after previously serving as prime minister from 2010 to 2015. Despite internal party conflicts and electoral setbacks, the 73-year-old attorney maintained strong support while campaigning on promises to address crime and economic issues that have plagued the country.

Security concerns featured prominently in the campaign, with Trinidad and Tobago recording 624 homicides last year despite its relatively small population of 1.5mn, as reported by The Guardian. The country had been under a three-month state of emergency declared in December following escalating gang violence.

The UNC campaign centred on addressing national priorities, including crime, economic development, and social inequality.

The incoming UNC government now faces immediate challenges regarding the nation's energy future, particularly concerning access to natural gas fields on the border with Venezuela jointly developed with Caracas, namely Dragon Field and Manakin-Cocuina. "We will work with the Trump administration to see how the discussions with the Venezuelan government on the cross-border gas fields can be reopened," UNC energy spokesman David Lee stated, as quoted by Argus Media.

This diplomatic initiative takes on added urgency following the White House's recent revocation of waivers granted by the Biden administration that had exempted certain cross-border gas field development from US sanctions. The decision has significantly impacted Trinidad and Tobago's gas-dependent economy, creating both a policy challenge and an opportunity for the new Persad-Bissessar government to establish a working relationship with Trump's administration.