6th October marked forty-four years since 73 persons, including eleven Guyanese, perished in a terrorist attack that caused the Cubana de Aviación flight 455 to explode in the air space of Barbados. The Guyanese passengers on that bombed airplane were heading to Cuba to pursue higher education on government scholarships. Guyanese knew for years this travesty had to have had the support of powerful international political forces, who saw the world through binary lens, and wanted to make a statement.
The United States’ (U.S) declassified information in 2015 alleged its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had links to those who committed the heinous act. A small country as ours, with minuscule military might, felt our national interest could be best served advancing a foreign policy of non-alignment. This was a policy put in place by the Forbes Burnham Government under whose administration independence was achieved. Guyana was the enemy of none and a friend to all who could play a role in our development. Though the U.S made Cuba an enemy, Guyana shared diplomatic relations with both as it sought to influence worldwide comity.
And while the horror of October 6, 1976 is commemorated on the National Calendar by successive governments, two important lessons continue to be overlooked- the continued benefit of non-interference into the internal affairs of another as a pillar of the Non-Aligned Movement and working to improve race relations. These were once considered policies of national pride.
Non-alignment meant Guyana was free to pursue policies of its own without being dictated by the Eastern or Western Bloc in an era when the Cold War was raging. It also ensured our national security, being sandwiched between Suriname that had a border dispute with us, and Venezuela, a controversy that awaits a ruling by the International Court of Jurist. Despite this, Guyana’s relationship with these two countries were respectful and cordial.
That the non-aligned strategy served Guyana well for decades and prevented wars with others, President Irfaan Ali should have drawn on this history and refused U.S Secretary of State Michael Pompeo’s enthusiasm to attack Venezuela. This decision has placed Guyana at risk of being attacked by its neighbours. Though the Cold War of yesteryear may be over with the disintegration of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) the world remains divided.
The quest for dominance has not dissipated with the disintegration of the USSR. Instead, the globalisation sees countries seeking economic, military and cultural dominance. They are expanding into smaller states, forging political alliances and controlling their resources, directly or through multinationals and oligarchs. Leading the new warfare are the USA, Russia and China, with Venezuela having the support of the latter two.
By failing to acknowledge this new global reality President Ali has placed Guyana’s national interest at risk, taking away from Guyanese our right to pursue a course of action for ourselves. This is already evident with InterAmerican Development Bank President, Mauricio Claver-Carone, a known adviser of President Donald Trump, planned visit to Guyana. This visit comes on the heels of Secretary Pompeo’s that resulted in the Payara deal with ExxonMobil shortly after his departure. The deal was signed as much as the government sought to deny it was not on Pompeo’s agenda and promised it would not be rushed into any signing until it could get maximum benefit for Guyana. These have proven to be all talks.
Another important lesson of the Cubana disaster is who we were as a nation. At ten-year-old Guyana put in place universal public education, free from nursery to university. Not only were different types of education pursued and schools built to facilitate these, but efforts were made to promote student integration, respecting diversity such as gender, religion, class, geography, ethnicity. This was a progressive trajectory for a new nation whose people for centuries fought against the divide and rule strategy which created tensions, divisions, deprivation and marginalisation.
Those promising young Guyanese who suffered on 6th October 1976 were Eric Norton, Ann Nelson, Raymond Persaud, Sabrina Harripaul, Margaret Bradshaw, Gordon M. Sobha, Rawle Thomas, Rita Thomas, Violet Thomas, Jacqueline Williams and Seshnarine Kumar. As Guyana honours them the best homage would be to build a Guyana, great and free, a united Guyana, a Guyana that values every Guyanese and a government that treats and values all citizens, irrespective of their background.
The eleven knew what their pursuit of higher education would have meant to build One People, One Nation, One Destiny. Theirs was a privilege to fly the Golden Arrowhead high in another country and return equipped to better serve. Like many of us, they too wanted to build Guyana, but a cruel death snatched that opportunity. They deserve a deeper sense of understanding what their tragedy ought to mean to our society, and what we must strive to do to realise their dreams.
