On Sunday 6th October, 2024, Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, joined with His Excellency Gustavo Veliz Olivares, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, at the Piarco International Airport for a Wreath Laying Ceremony to commemorate the 48th Anniversary of the terrorist bombing of Cubana Airlines Flight 455 off the coast of Barbados.
The tragic act occurred on 6th October, 1976 and led to the deaths of 73 innocent people, among whom were 11 Guyanese nationals and the gold medal-winning Cuban national fencing team. He declared that “October 6th 1976 was a watershed moment for the people of the Caribbean. The Zone of Peace that we steadfastly treasure was assaulted and the right of the people in this region to live free from fear and violence was attacked. We will not allow the legacy of that fateful day to fade. The heinous act of violence that took place over our peaceful Caribbean waters was an insult to the shared values of justice, sovereignty and dignity that we hold dear.”
Minister Browne also recounted the role played by Trinidad and Tobago police authorities in the identification, apprehension and detention of the two perpetrators of the heinous act. The two men, originally from Venezuela, boarded the Cubana flight in Port of Spain, journeyed to Barbados where they planted the time bombs. The Minister declared that Trinidad and Tobago continues to stand firmly against all forms of violence and terrorism as we stood with Cuba in 1976. Additionally, Minister Browne called for Cuba’s immediate removal from the list of state sponsors of terrorism and made a renewed call for an end to the unjust embargo against that country.
In his remarks at the ceremony, His Excellency Gustavo Veliz Olivares, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba, paid tribute to victims of the terrorist bombing and referred to the loss of human lives and the long list of actions against Cuba such as its unfair placement on the list of states sponsoring terrorism. The Ambassador emphasized the importance of maintaining Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace and thanked Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean countries for their support and statements in favour of removing Cuba from the list of states sponsoring terrorism and lifting of the embargo against that country.
