Dear Editor,

October 6, 2001 marked the 25th anniversary of the destruction of a Cuban plane (flight CU455) off the coast of Barbados. It was a dastardly and heinous act that resulted in the death of citizens of Guyana, Cuba and North Korea. At the time a Miami-based anti-Castro Group, El Condor, claimed responsibility for the act. The names of Venezuelans, Freddie Lugo and Jose Vasquez, as well as a resident of the USA, Orlando Bosch, also surfaced in the investigations.

I believe that it was not possible, for a number of reasons, for those investigations to be brought to a successful conclusion. In the result, no one was punished or brought to justice despite considerable evidence. It may be that geopolitical and other non-legal factors were responsible for the non-co-operative postures of some countries in the pursuit of justice.

It is clear that September 11, 2001 has spawned an environment more propitious than that of October 6, 1976. In pursuit of this objective, the Government should seek to assemble a coalition of states comprising Guyana, Cuba, North Korea, the USA, Venezuela, Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago. All countries should now be willing to share information on persons with a view to the punishment of those who are guilty.

Additionally, revisiting the issue as well as the holding of appropriate commemorative activities could provide opportunities for the nation to display unity, an occurrence that is all too rare in this severely fractured society.

Yours faithfully,

Rasleigh Jackson