By Donald Ramotar – Former President of Guyana
Forty-seven years ago on October 6, 1976, one of the worst terrorist attacks in our region took place just off the island of Barbados when 73 young and unsuspecting persons were destroyed by a bomb that downed the Cubana Airlines Flight 455.
Among the persons that perished on that day were 11 Guyanese, fifty-seven Cuban nationals and five from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). The target of this attack was the Cuban state. That was not the first time that Cuba was subjected to terrorist attacks. Almost from its inception Cuba and the Cuban people were victim of terrorism from Cuban groups in the US, hosted and financed by the US government, and from state terrorism mainly from one of the most powerful covert organizations in the world, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
These acts were conducted against a small state whose peoples only sought to improve their lives and to assist others to do the same. All they want and wanted was to develop their country as they wish.
The Cuban nation has made a monumental contribution to our region in education (they have educated thousands of people from Asia, Africa, and Latin America). The Cuban state has sent their doctors to all parts of the world wherever natural disasters occur and into countries that have insufficient medical personnel to serve their people.
Most developing countries have been the victims of a terrible brain drain. Consider this one piece of information, there are more Ethiopians doctors in Chicago than in all Ethiopia. We in Guyana have benefited and are benefitting from Cuba in many areas, particularly in health.
Cuban teachers have helped to educate thousands of others outside of Cuba.
Cuba’s solidarity is legendary. It played an important role in ending the Apartheid regime in South Africa and protecting the independence of Angola. It is this country that has done so much to save lives, eradicate ignorance and enhance peoples’ health that is subjected to such great terrorism.
More than that the Cuban state , its people have been subjected to an economic blockade for more than sixty years. That blockade has cost the nation billions of dollars in trade and has created huge problems and suffering for the Cuban people.
To now compound the illegal attacks, the United States has placed Cuba on a list accusing it of being sponsors of terrorism. This has given them the excuse to impose more hardships on Cuba. How ironic, how immoral is this!
This country has done more than most to bring relief to other people across the world. Even up to recently, the Cuban people in very adverse conditions, developed vaccines to fight against the COVID-19 virus and shared it with others. What generosity, what selflessness!
The time has come to take Cuba off of the US terrorist list and to lift the economic blockade from this island. The time has come to end the sufferings of the Cuban people.
The people of our region must call on the U.S. to take Cuba off of its Terrorist List and abandon the oppressive blockade. Cuba has done a lot to fight terrorism. Why continue to punish their people?
Justice demands this, it is humanitarian to demand this. Those who perished in the Cubana disaster cry out for this. It is time we urge that Cuba be allowed to breathe and develop to its full potential and in its own chosen path.
