Barbados Crime: Hate Turned into Terror

Cuba and her children have been for years in the bull’s eye of terrorism of the U.S. government and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Since in 1959 those with a sovereign heart managed to expel annexationists and loyal Yankee followers from the Island, that nation has engineered, financed, and executed the most criminal acts in our history to drown the people in a heartless and unjust terror.

Today, October 6^th, officially declared the Day of the Victims of State Terrorism and 46 years after the horrendous Crime in Barbados, those who lived through that tragedy cannot overcome it or forgive the fact that the perpetrators of the attack have gone unpunished for their actions.

Every year a deep mourning moves Cuba for the explosion of the Cubana flight 455 taking off from the Island of Barbados bound to Jamaica and then Havana, where 73 people's lives were unspeakably stolen under the ruthless phrase, "We planted the bomb… so what?”

11 Guyanese, five Koreans, and 57 Cubans, including 24 Cuban fencers who were enjoying their medals after winning the Central American and Caribbean Championship in that sport, were unknowingly making the last trip of their lives, living their last minutes.

A few minutes after takeoff, an explosion was felt, the pilots of the aircraft tried to land the plane again, but the second explosion completely erased the possibility of salvation, everything was in flames and destroyed.

Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch Ávila were the main criminal minds, they hired the Venezuelans Hernán Ricardo and Freddy Lugo to plant the bombs on the plane, the latter spent 20 years in prison, but the other two mocked their punishment all their lives.

Posada Carriles was one of the bloodiest terrorists against his own nation of origin. He was involved in the CIA, in the preparations for Playa Girón, in the attacks on Havana hotels, in several attacks against leader Fidel Castro Ruz, on top of other attacks.

According to an interview conducted by PL with the Cuban lawyer José Pertierra, who represented Venezuela in the extradition of Posada Carriles, "The United States claims to be the world leader in a war against terrorism, but it fights it on demand."

“Terrorism is abominable. The combat should always be on the field of honor, against an enemy capable of defending himself. Not against defenseless civilians and nine-year-old girls. It pains me to know that Carriles and Bosch died without paying for their crimes against humanity,” he added.

On October 9^th, 1976, three days after the event, Fidel Castro spoke words that would never die, “Today we cry together with the loved ones of the victims of this abominable crime. When a strong and virile people cry, injustice trembles!

In addition to the hostile blockade imposed by the US government against Cuba, our nation has been the victim of military and biological aggression, sabotage and terrorist acts for decades. 3,478 Cubans have died and 2,099 have been left disabled.

Translated by Amilkal Labañino / CubaSí Translation Staff