Victims of terrorism remembered
News from Cuba | Monday, 7 October 2013
Yesterday flags flew at half mast in Cuba in memory of the victims of state terrorism.
Following a decree-law passed by the Council of State in 2010, the 6 October has become known as the Day of the Victims of State Terrorism. Every year, on this date, the Cuban flag is flown at half-mast throughout Cuba the country and in its diplomatic and consular missions around the world in memory of those who have suffered the cruelty of such a criminal policy.
The date also marks the anniversary of the terrorist bombing of a Cuban plane which killed 73 people 37 years ago. Cubana flight 455 was blown up mid flight on 6 October 1976, killing all passengers 57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese and five North Korean. The incident remains unpunished.
The dead included members of the Cuban National Fencing Team who had just competed in a regional tournament. The bombing which caused the plane to crash into the sea, is considered the worst attack the nation has ever suffered.
Orlando Bosch and Luis Posada Carriles, at that time both employees of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ) were responsible for the act.
Bosch died on April 27 2011, while Posada Carriles lives freely in the United States without ever serving a sentence for his part in the attack.
In 2008, the leader of the Bolivarian Revolution, Hugo Chavez urged the US government to extradite Posada Carriles so he could complete a sentence in Venezuela, from where he had absconded from prison before serving his punishment for this crime.
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, reiterated this call in July this year.
"You need to give up Luis Posada Carriles, who you have protected," said Maduro. Carriles still walks free in the USA.
