FORTY-SEVEN years have passed since the fateful day when tragedy struck the skies over the Caribbean, forever etching the Cubana Air Disaster into history. On October 6, 1976, Cuban Airline Flight 455, en route from Barbados to Cuba, met a catastrophic end, claiming the lives of all 73 passengers and crew on board. Among the victims, 11 were Guyanese, and their memory lives on as the world commemorates this solemn anniversary.

The Barbados incident unfolded as Flight 455 took off, carrying 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and five North Koreans. On board were members of the Cuban national youth fencing team, as well as young Guyanese academic scholarship recipients bound for Cuba to pursue their dreams of studying medicine.
Halim Khan, President of the Guyana Cuba Solidarity Movement (GCSM), recalled the chilling sequence of events that led to the plane’s tragic demise.
He explained that as Flight 455 ascended to 18,000 feet, a bomb concealed beneath an empty seat detonated, causing the aircraft’s ascent to falter and its trajectory to become perilous. Eight minutes later, another bomb exploded, this time in the toilet at the rear of the plane, sending it hurtling into the Caribbean Sea. The catastrophe left no survivors, tragically including a nine-year-old girl.

Khan emphasized that history has repeatedly demonstrated the power of unity, solidarity, and co-operation among nations and peoples in overcoming aggression and adversity. As the world reflects on the Cubana Air Disaster, it serves as a stark reminder of the importance of international solidarity and the pursuit of peace.
Among the victims of the tragedy, 11 were Guyanese passengers, five of whom were dedicated to their medical studies in Cuba. Their names—Margaret Bradshaw, Sabrina Harrypaul (just nine years old), Seshnarine Kumar, Ann Nelson, Eric Norton, Raymond Persaud, Gordon M. Sobha, Rawle Thomas, Rita Thomas, Violet Thomas, and Jacqueline Williams—live on in the annals of history, forever remembered for their dreams, aspirations, and the profound loss experienced by their families and nations.
The Cubana Air Disaster remains a poignant reminder of the need for international co-operation to prevent acts of terrorism and violence, and as the world marks this somber anniversary, the memories of the 73 lives lost continue to inspire a commitment to peace and unity in an interconnected world.