Barbados will continue to press for an end to the economic embargo on Cuba and oppose double standards in the fight against terrorism, Senior Minister Kerrie Symmonds said at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the fatal bombing of Cubana Flight 455.
At an annual wreath-laying ceremony at a monument to the October 6, 1976 crash at Paynes Bay, St James, Symmonds called for an end to double standards in global diplomacy, terrorism and international economic policy.
MP for St. James Central, Senior Minister and Minister of Energy, Business Development and Consumer Affairs Kerrie Symmonds takes a bow at the monument commemorating the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Cubana Flight 455 off the coast of Paynes Bay in St. James. (Photo by: Ricardo Roberts)
Addressing dignitaries including Cuban Ambassador Yanet Stables Cardenas, Guyanese Consul General Harry Hill and area students, Symmonds extended the condolences and solidarity of the Barbadian government and people. Educating the younger generation about the October 6, 1976 tragedy remained vital to preserving historical memory and moral integrity, he said.
Senior Minister and MP for St James Central Kerrie Symmonds with Guyana’s Consul General Harry Hill. (Photo by: Ricardo Roberts)
Reflecting on the terrorist bomb attack — in which all 73 people on board died when the aircraft was downed three miles off the west coast — Symmonds said the incident marked the country’s first confrontation with the realities of global geopolitical conflict shortly after gaining Independence.
He said: “On that day, when the ill-fated Cuban aircraft was downed some three miles behind my back off this west coast of Barbados, we took a stand as the people of Barbados, and we have never deviated or departed from that stand,” the senior minister said. “It was a stand which signalled to the world that small island though we were, and still are, we were prepared to stand with principle against injustice.”
The minister warned against selective morality in global affairs, arguing that the fight against terrorism must remain a principle rather than a matter of political expediency or convenience. He pointed to what he described as a historical double standard in which individuals linked to the tragedy evaded full accountability abroad, despite being identified as key figures in the attack.
He continued: “We do not believe that you can be against terrorism today, but because of issues of ideology, philosophy, or economic policy preference, that you are against terrorism tomorrow. It is either that you stand for it or you stand against it.
“If the fight against terrorism is a principle when twin towers are brought to the ground wrongfully, illegitimately, wickedly, then the fight against terrorism must be a principle when evil men seek to place a bomb on board an aircraft and destroy the lives of innocent people.”
Beyond remembering the 1976 crash, the senior minister pledged that Bridgetown would continue to speak out internationally about the severe challenges facing the Cuban people, particularly the US-imposed economic embargo. Describing its social and economic impact on Cuba’s 10 million citizens as a human tragedy, Symmonds highlighted the distress caused by severe shortages of basic necessities, power outages and pressure on public health infrastructure.
“I use the word inhumanity because when people are starving, it is inhumanity,” he said. “I use the word inhumanity because when mothers cannot have running water in order to cook for their children, it is inhumanity. To watch a country be brought to its knees and a 10 million population be [left in desperation] conflicts with what we understand to be human development. It is a tragedy which is being rolled out in slow motion, and it is a tragedy which we can avoid, should avoid, and must at all costs continue to urge to be avoided.”
Symmonds said Barbados and the wider Caribbean owed Cuba a debt of gratitude for its historical contributions to regional healthcare, sport and higher education.
He praised Cuban medical brigades for saving lives across Caribbean nations lacking specialised medical personnel, such as cardiac surgeons and ophthalmic specialists, during critical periods when other international partners offered little support.
The minister also cited the lasting impact of Cuban athletics coaches and educational scholarships that have provided valuable skills to young Barbadians, including residents of his own St James Central constituency.
Reaffirming Barbados’ position as one of Cuba’s firmest regional allies, Minister Symmonds assured Ambassador Cardenas that the country would continue to use every diplomatic forum — wherever heads of state and government convene — to press for mutual respect, international justice and an end to measures that harm civilian populations.
He expressed hope for a fairer international order and renewed regional cooperation, voicing confidence in the resilience of the Cuban people as they face ongoing hardship.
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