New advanced article in the New West Indian Guide (NWIG) titled 'Memory, identity, and insurgency: Lessons from the genesis of the National United Freedom Fighters (NUFF) in Trinidad and Tobago'.

Abstract

This article examines the cultural factors contributing to the outbreak of the guerrilla war waged by the National United Freedom Fighters (NUFF) in Trinidad and Tobago from 1972 to 1975, in the wake of the 1970 Black Power Revolt. Using original ethnographic interview data collected from members of the NUFF’s under- and misrepresented southern detachment, the author builds upon existing theoretical frameworks to explain the chain of events that propelled marginalized youth toward political violence, emphasizing the role of local cultural dynamics, historical narratives, and the state’s repression of “the ganja complex”.

The article highlights how a locally specific “interaction order” with a “repertoire of contention,” deeply rooted in the mythology of the 1937 Butler Riots, fostered a collective community identity that, in the face of a brutal, sustained campaign of state-based violence, framed armed revolution as a viable path to social justice. Ultimately, the author illustrates how historical grievances, state discourses and practices, and a culturally embedded tradition of resistance converged to shape the NUFF’s commitment to sustained armed confrontation.

Author

Bretton T. Alvaré

Publisher

NWIG is published by Brill Academic Publishers in collaboration with KITLV.

01-06-2026

Read more