Half a century after one of the darkest and most painful chapters in the history of Latin America and the Caribbean , Cuba commemorates this October 6 the fiftieth anniversary of the horrendous terrorist sabotage against Cubana de Aviación flight 455, perpetrated off the coast of Barbados .

That fateful attack in 1976 deeply shook the national conscience, leaving an indelible wound on the Cuban people by taking the lives of 73 people at sea, including 57 compatriots, 11 Guyanese and five North Koreans , which is why it is commemorated in the largest of the Antilles as the Day of the Victims of State Terrorism.

To honor that unwavering memory, the main commemorative days were preceded by emotional vigils and tributes to the victims in different parts of the country , reaffirming the collective pain and dignity.

The President of the Republic and First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Miguel Díaz Canel Bermúdez , walked shoulder to shoulder with the people of the capital to the pantheon of the Revolutionary Armed Forces in the Necropolis of Colón.

In this solemn cemetery, the president accompanied the commemoration and the laying of floral offerings , supporting with solid data the denunciation against the absolute impunity enjoyed by the intellectual authors of the horrendous crime.

The massive citizen participation demonstrated that half a century later, historical memory remains intact as a firm bastion of resistance against the aggressions and imperialist policies that have punished the nation.

The march was also attended by the main leaders of the State and the Party , including Esteban Lazo Hernández , president of the National Assembly of People's Power, and Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz .

Also in attendance was the Secretary of Organization, Roberto Morales Ojeda , who, along with the mass organizations, paid tribute to the martyrs of the homeland and to the families of the victims gathered in the capital's cemetery.

Among the Cubans who died 50 years ago, the 24 members of the youth fencing team stood out in a special way , returning full of joy and with all the gold medals from the regional championship held in Caracas.

Meanwhile, during the massive central gathering, Yadelis Valencia Palomino , granddaughter of one of the victims, raised her voice to reaffirm that " the pain of that time has become an unwavering patriotic commitment in the face of state terrorism ."

For her part , the party official, Yudi Mercedes Rodríguez Hernández, reminded those present that " the demand for justice encompasses the thousands affected by the hostile actions systematically perpetrated against the largest of the Antilles since the triumph of the Revolution ."

In this way, both speeches emphasized that the continued relevance of these demands half a century later reaffirms the sovereign determination of a people who neither forget nor forgive crimes against humanity.

The commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Barbados Crime takes place against a backdrop of ongoing economic strangulation caused by the intensification of the US blockade , which has accumulated losses exceeding $178.7 billion and severely limits access to food, medicine, and energy resources essential for the country's development.

Cuban authorities have reiterated that this hostile policy is part of a systematic aggression that, over six decades, has claimed the lives of 3,478 people and left 2,099 injured with disabilities due to terrorist acts perpetrated against the nation.

Likewise, the Caribbean island keeps alive the historical demand for justice , also articulated through the adoption by the Community of Caribbean States (Caricom) of the Caricom-Cuba Day against Terrorism.