Rumor: Children In Container
How can people make these kinds of rumors? A vicious rumor was spread about children being kidnapped and placed in a container on one of the ports, it proved to be false.
Name: Annie
Comments: I believe there is some truth to it but the government won't want the general public to the real truth because it will look bad on their path especially when local government elections is right around the corner.
Fertile ground for rumour, panic
It was bad enough that some fool would decide to start a rumour that 75 children were found in a 40-foot container, bound for Cuba, at Shed Four of the Port of Port of Spain on Wrightson Road. What was worse was the speed with which the rumour spread around the country. But the worst thing of all was the number of people who, even in the wake of official denials, continued to insist that there was some truth in the rumour and that a massive cover-up was underway. Ref. Source 6
Telecomms authority rush to judgment
The Telecommunications Authority issued a media release on March 5th 2009 two days after the widespread rumours concerning children in a container at the port. The Authority expressed its 'dismay' with the reporting by 'certain radio and television broadcasters' which misled the 'entire nation' and contributed to the "shutdown of essential services to the public in Trinidad and Tobago, misuse of the security services and loss of revenue" and "may have involved public mischief on the part of the broadcasting stations involved". Ref. Source 5
Name: Allan
Comments: I didn't see the children in the container, but I believe there is some truth to the rumor.There are too many people out there who insist that they saw the children in the container or in the hospital. It was stated that the rumor was proved false, but the only reason they could say that is because the media only published what the authorities had to say. Ever wondered why the media never tried to contact or interview any of the eye-witnesses? They even refused to publish one of my letters that questioned the fairness of there reporting.