Strong calls for US to lift decades-old ‘unjust’ embargo against Cuba

The United States must be pressured to lift its “unlawful and unjust “60-year-old economic embargo against Cuba, said Barbadian and Cuban officials as both countries marked the 45th anniversary of the Cubana air disaster, the deadliest terror attack on Barbadian..

On October 6, 1976, 73 people – 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese, and five North Koreans – travelling from here to Jamaica on Cubana Airline Flight 455 perished after two bombs exploded on the plane, sending the aircraft crashing into the sea off the West Coast.

Cuban doctors and nurses here assisting in the COVID-19 fight joined their diplomatic representative, Ambassador Sergio Jorge Pestrana, and Ambassador to CARICOM David Comissiong in the annual wreath-laying ceremony at the obelisk that memorialises the event at Payne’s Bay, overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Ambassador Comissiong said that the act of terrorism that brought down the aircraft “was not a singular act but was part and parcel of a centuries-long process of barbarism”.

He insisted that barbarism is still at play in the world today, citing the failure of developed nations to finance climate change adaption for small island developing states, the hoarding of vaccines by rich countries and “unilateral coercive measures” imposed on Venezuela and Cuba.

“The application of unilateral coercive measures is a breach of international law, the United States embargo against Cuba, the imposition on the nation and people of Cuba of an economic, financial and commercial embargo is a breach of international law, it is an international law crime,” the Barbadian envoy declared.

“It is criminal, we must single out this particular issue.  We must mobilise not only the Caribbean, we must mobilise all the forces of decency and goodwill in this world to say that this world will not accept any nation believing that it can take international law into its own hands and impose unilateral coercive measures against any other nation and people.

Cuban Ambassador Pestrana said the economic, financial and commercial war waged against Cuba for six decades was a heavy burden on the people of Cuba but he declared that Cuba will continue to fight for its development.

He said: “Making the Cuban people suffer while fighting this pandemic proves that the crime is still in the making.

“But Cuba will continue to fight for development and will continue to help all our sisters and brothers in the Caribbean and all over the world, sharing what we have not what we do not need.

“Cuban vaccines are now covering completely half of our population and they have already been offered to many countries and especially those in Latin American and the Caribbean, he said, noting that Havana was awaiting final approval from the World Health Organisation.”

The diplomat said the Payne’s Bay monument to the “fallen heroes and martyrs” of the Cubana bombing has become a special place of remembrance for Cubans who come to work here.

President of the Caribbean Movement for Peace and Integration David Denny said it grieved him to stand on the spot where the victims lost their lives.

He demanded justice for the “barbarous and criminal act”, declaring that those alive and dead responsible for the incident must be held accountable.

“We must demand justice for the people who died and their families have continued to suffer,” said Denny. “And up to this day, 46 years we still cannot close this book. We have to close this book. CARICOM needs to demand justice, CARICOM needs to demand justice because we in Barbados need justice for that pain that we suffered on the 6th of October, 1976.”

The event was punctuated by cultural performances, including poetry by Winston Farrell; author Sonia Williams read excerpts of a short story, and the Most Honourable Anthony Mighty Gabby Carter sang to the audience. (SD)