Cubana de Aviación Flight 455, a passenger flight from Barbados to Havana, was devastated by an act of terrorism on October 6, 1976. Two explosives were planted on the aircraft by members of an anti-Castro militant group known as the Coordinating Committee of United Revolutionary Organizations (CCUR). The plane, a McDonnell Douglas DC-8, took off from Grantley Adams International Airport and was targeted as an act of retaliation against the Cuban government amidst ongoing tensions following the Cuban Revolution.

The bombs detonated while the plane was over the Caribbean Sea shortly after takeoff, leading to the complete destruction of the aircraft. All 73 people on board, which included passengers and crew members, perished in the tragedy. The incident marked one of the deadliest acts of violence perpetrated against a commercial airliner at that time and underscored the high stakes surrounding Cuban exiles and anti-Castro sentiments, especially in the context of Cold War geopolitics.

In the aftermath, the Cuban government classified this act as terrorism and condemned the involvement of the United States, alleging that Washington had tacitly supported anti-Castro extremists. The event was significant not only for the immediate loss of lives but also for galvanizing international attention on the brutal tactics utilized by militant groups in pursuit of their political agendas. Tensions between the U.S. and Cuba further intensified as both nations navigated the complex implications of exile politics and state-sponsored violence.