Commemoration of Cubana disaster a reminder of need for peace – Min Ramson

The commemoration of the 44th anniversary of the Cubana air tragedy, held at the University of Guyana’s (UG) Turkeyen Campus on Tuesday, serves as a sober reminder of the need to continue to build world-based on peace.
At the commemoration ceremony, President Dr Irfaan Ali and Culture Minister Charles Ramson Jr laid wreaths at the site of the monument. Also laying wreaths were Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Narciso Reinaldo Socorro and Honourary Consul to Barbados, Captain Gerry Gouveia.
Jeffrey Thomas, a relative of one of the 11 Guyanese who died in the tragedy, also laid a wreath at the monument. There were no speeches during the event. However, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) conducted a reveille, which is a trumpet call.
Speaking to the media afterwards in an invited comment, Ramson reflected on the importance of building world-based on peace. According to Ramson, the victims did nothing wrong and such a dreadful crime against humanity must be remembered.
“We cannot ever countenance a situation where people are terrorised because of their choices or ideology or positions. What happened in 1976 was a terrorist act, Guyanese lost their lives, our young people died as a result of a terrorist act… the principle is that we have to remember occasions like this so we can promote the idea of peace,” Ramson said.

“So, I’m happy to see the President made this a priority. It’s something we should continue to do every year. But really, the principle is important. Those were young people who died, for no reason of their own, had no involvement in any battle or war and it was a dastardly act against humanity.”
The 11 were among 73 passengers and crew members who were killed after two bombs exploded on a Cubana Airline flight off the coast of Barbados back in 1976. A remembrance ceremony is held every year at the Cubana Air Tragedy Monument Site that bears their names at the University of Guyana’s Turkeyen Campus.
The Guyanese who were killed included: Seshnarine Kumar, 18; Ann Nelson, 18; Eric Norton, 18; Rawle Thomas, 18; and Jacqueline Williams, 19, all students on their way to study medicine and engineering in Cuba. Others who perished were relatives Violet and Rita Thomas, nine-year-old Sabrina Harrypaul, Margaret Bradshaw, Raymond Persaud, and economist Gordon Sobha.
Among the other victims were five Koreans and 57 Cubans, including 24 members of the 1975 Cuban national fencing team, who were returning home after winning gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Championship games.
Investigations had revealed that CIA-linked anti-Castro Cuban exiles conspired with members of the Venezuela Secret Police to bomb the Cuban aircraft in protest of Castro’s dictatorial policies in Cuba.
Four men, who had joined the plane in Trinidad and disembarked the aircraft in Barbados, were subsequently arrested and tried in Venezuela in connection with the bombing and murder of 73 persons. Two of them were sentenced to 20 years in prison, another was acquitted and subsequently moved to the United States, while the other escaped from Venezuela and fled to the United States.