Guyana renews commitment to regional peace
– As it honours Cabana air disaster victims
Guyana renewed its commitment to maintaining and preserving peace within the region as it honoured the victims of the Cubana Air Disaster on Sunday at a wreath-laying ceremony.
The event, which was held at the Cubana Air Disaster Monument on the Turkeyen campus of the University of Guyana, commemorated the 48th anniversary of the tragic incident.
In brief remarks, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd asserted that the last 48 years have strengthened the country’s determination to maintain the region’s peace.
He added that the monument erected in honour of those innocent lives stands as a sobering reminder that the world must intensify its drive to fight against all threats to humanity.
“On this CARICOM – Cuba Day Against Terrorism, the 48th anniversary of this heinous act, we pledge as a nation that we shall never forget the price they paid. In their honour, we shall spare no effort, working with the international community in the fight against terror and in the enduring struggle for peace, justice, progress, and freedom for all,” the foreign affairs minister vowed.
Given the prevailing global conflicts, the minister stressed the importance of upholding the principles of the United Nations Charter.
“As members of the international community, we cannot waver in our commitment to universal peace even as we continue to encourage the peaceful settlement of disputes and peaceful coexistence among states,” Minister Todd added.
On Wednesday, October 6, 1976, Cubana Airways Flight CU-455 was en route from Guyana to Havana, Cuba, with stops in Trinidad, Barbados, and Jamaica.
Tragically, nine minutes after taking off from Barbados’ Seawell International Airport, two bombs exploded on board, causing the plane to crash into the Atlantic Ocean.
All 73 people – 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and five North Koreans – perished in the disaster.
The 11 Guyanese were: Raymond Persaud, Rawle Thomas, Jacqueline Williams, Rita Thomas, Harold Norton, Gordon Sobha, Ann Nelson, Margaret Bradshaw, Violet Thomas, Sabrina Harrypaul, and Seshnarine Kumar – all of whom were heading to Cuba to study medicine, engineering and other disciplines.
In 2022, during the Eighth CARICOM-Cuba Summit in Bridgetown, Barbados, the CARICOM-Cuba Day Against Terrorism was established in memory of the 73 people who lost their lives in the tragedy.
This observance also provides a powerful opportunity to reaffirm the commitment of both regions to combating terrorism in all its forms. The ceremony also saw the attendance of Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr, Ambassador of the Republic of Cuba to Guyana Jorge Francisco Soberon Luis, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Guo Haiyan, other members of the diplomatic corps, members of parliament, and other officials.