Cuba Archive - Case 1666

Case ID: 1666

Title: N/A

First name: Alberto

Last name: Drake Crespo

Suffix: N/A

Aliases: N/A

Name also reported as: N/A

Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Date of Birth: N/A

Civil Status: Unknown

Date of death/disappearance: Day:6 / Month:10 / Year:1976

Citizenship: Cuba

Last known address: N/A

Last known city: N/A

Last known province-TOD: N/A

Last known province current: N/A

Last known country: N/A

Location death-address: N/A

Location of death - city: Near Bridgetown

Location of death province - at TOD: N/A

Location of death province - current: N/A

Location of death - country: Barbados

Trial held?: N/A

Docket Number: N/A

Sentence details: N/A

Arrest or detention at time of death: N/A

Date of arrest: N/A

Imprisoned/Detained: Location: N/A

How long imprisoned/detained: N/A

Death attributed to: Anti-Castro Resistance / Non-state actors

Death attribution detail: N/A

Associated Event: 1976 Cubana de Aviación bombing -Barbados

Case description:

Cuban athlete and member of the fencing team that participated in the IV Central American and Caribbean Tournament of Sport in 1976 in Caracas Venezuela, who was a passenger in Cubana de Aviación's Flight CU-455 that crashed when two bombs went off shortly after takeoff from Barbados in route to Havana (with a scheduled stopover in Kingston, Jamaica).  The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to return to Barbados with the plane damaged and on fire.  All 73 on board the Douglas DC-8 belonging to Cuba's state-owned commercial airline perished: 5 crew and 68 passengers (57 Cubans, 11 Guyanese and 5 North Koreans). The bombing had reportedly been orchestrated in Caracas, Venezuela, by anti-Castro Cuban exiles Luis Posada Carriles and Orlando Bosch Ávila, although only Bosch, who died in 2011, was convicted and served prison in Venezuela. Two Venezuelans, Hernán Ricardo and Freddy Lugo, were reportedly hired to place the bombs and were convicted in Venezuela to 20 years of prison as the material authors of the attack. Posada Carriles, who died in 2018, was absolved by a Venezuelan tribunal but re-arrested and was serving prison in Venezuela while awaiting a retrial when he escaped prison; he always claimed his innocence but Bosch tacitly acknowledged his responsibility to a journalist. Some researchers have reported on the testimony of several individuals indicating that Cuba's secret police was behind the attack seeking to curtail and discredit Cuban exile activists and indicate that Cuba, in order to conceal the evidence, refused to recover the fuselage and bodies despite offers of international assistance to do so (some floating bodies were recovered).
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Atleta cubano y miembro del equipo de esgrima que participó en el IV Torneo Deportivo Centroamericano y del Caribe en 1976 en Caracas Venezuela, quien era pasajero del Vuelo CU-455 de Cubana de Aviación que se estrelló al estallar dos bombas poco después del despegue de Barbados. en ruta a La Habana (con escala programada en Kingston, Jamaica). El piloto intentó sin éxito regresar a Barbados con el avión dañado y en llamas. Los 73 a bordo del Douglas DC-8 de la aerolínea comercial estatal cubana fallecieron: 5 tripulantes y 68 pasajeros (57 cubanos, 11 guyaneses y 5 norcoreanos). Según los informes, el atentado había sido orquestado en Caracas, Venezuela, por los exiliados cubanos anticastristas Luis Posada Carriles y Orlando Bosch Ávila, aunque solo Bosch, que murió en 2011, fue condenado y cumplió prisión en Venezuela. Según los informes, dos venezolanos, Hernán Ricardo y Freddy Lugo, fueron contratados para colocar las bombas y fueron condenados en Venezuela a 20 años de prisión como autores materiales del ataque. Posada Carriles, quien murió en 2018, fue absuelto por un tribunal venezolano pero volvió a ser arrestado y cumplía prisión en Venezuela mientras esperaba un nuevo juicio cuando escapó de la prisión; siempre afirmó su inocencia, pero Bosch reconoció tácitamente su responsabilidad con un periodista. Algunos investigadores han informado sobre el testimonio de varias personas que indican que la policía secreta de Cuba estuvo detrás del ataque que buscaba restringir y desacreditar a los activistas cubanos en el exilio e indican que Cuba, para ocultar las pruebas, se negó a recuperar el fuselaje y los cuerpos a pesar de los ofrecimientos de la comunidad internacional. de dar asistencia para ello (se recuperaron algunos cuerpos flotantes).

Sources: Conflict of Evidence:

Violation Status: Reported: Highly likely / Highly reliable source(s)

Cause of Death: - Politically-motivated killing by non-state agent(s)

Occupations: - Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occupations

External Files: N/A

Relatives in Archive: N/A

Victim Type: - Civilian casualty / Bystander

Affiliations: N/A

Other Victims Same Event: N/A

Case Record - Alberto Drake Crespo