Cuba on Thursday recalls the 73 victims of the terrorist attack committed in 1976 on a Cubana de Aviación plane off the coast of Barbados.
Havana, Cuba.- The crime of Barbados, as the mid-air explosion of the CU-455 aircraft with bombs placed inside it is known, is considered one of the most brutal acts of terrorism against the Cuban Revolution by people at the service of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
A total of 57 Cubans, most of them members of the junior fencing team who were returning to their country after successfully competing in the 4th Central American and Caribbean Championship of that sport held in Caracas, five North Koreans and 11 Guyanese, who were traveling to the island to study medicine, were killed as a consequence of that explosion.
Cuban-born terrorists Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch, who used Venezuelans Hernán Ricardo and Freddy Lugo to place the bombs inside the plane, orchestrated the crime in Venezuela.
In 2010, Cuba established October 6 as the Day of the Victims of State Terrorism to recall more than 3,478 Cubans who have lost their lives in this kind of crime.
CENTRAL AMERICAN FENCING CHAMPION CONDEMNS BARBADOS CRIME
Santa Clara.- Cuban fencer Alina Exposito, Central American champion in the foil modality at the 1966 Puerto Rico games, on Thursday condemned the Barbados crime.
“In the explosion of that plane my comrade fencers and athletes in the prime of their lives were assassinated, as well as the crew of the aircraft and other civilians,” the outstanding fencer told Prensa Latina from this city in central Cuba.
“Neither all these years have mitigated our pain or the recollection of this horror of the Barbados crime. We recall it today as a terrorist and fascist act against a group of noble people who practiced a good sport,” she said.
A member of the Cuban fencing team from 1966 to 1968, Expósito was a teammate at the 10th Central American and Caribbean Games, held in Puerto Rico, of two of Barbados’ fatal victims: fencers Orlando López and Luis Morales, also gold medalists in those games.
“Morales, whom we called Villito, was a really cheerful person, very Cuban, with a lot of experience in the fencing technique, expertise that he shared with us every day,” she said.
CUBA RECALLS ATHLETE, ONE OF THE BARBADOS VICTIMS
Camagüey.- One of the 73 victims of the terrorist sabotage on a Cubana de Aviacion airliner in Barbados 46 years ago was from this province.
20-year-old Ines Luaces was a member of the delegation made up of 24 members of the Cuban youth fencing team, winners of the Central American and Caribbean Championship who were returning home on that fateful flight.
She became a symbol in Camagüey, where the Sports Initiation Center pays tribute to her and her comrades every year. (PL)
