What Happened
Thirty years after the bombing of Alas Chiricanas Flight 901, Jewish community leaders in Panama are calling the attack a stain of impunity that still has not been answered in court. The assault on July 19, 1994 destroyed the aircraft on the Colón-Panama route and killed 21 people in Panama.
On the anniversary, B’NAI B’RITH International’s District XXIII for North Latin America and the Caribbean said the lack of justice remains a painful failure for the victims’ families and for Panamanian society. The group described the case as one marked by “absolute impunity” and said the passage of time has not erased the demand for accountability.
Why the Anniversary Matters
The organization said there are enough elements to indicate responsibility by the Lebanese group Hezbollah. It argued that unresolved attacks like this one do not only offend the memory of those killed, but also encourage other extremist groups to plan new assaults.
B’NAI B’RITH also recalled that in May 2018, the governments of Panama and Israel confirmed the terrorist nature of the bombing and linked Hezbollah to the attack. That statement added renewed official weight to a case that has remained central to conversations about terrorism, antisemitism and justice in Panama.
Remembering the Victims
The flight carried parents, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, neighbors and friends. According to the commemoration, many of the passengers had plans to spend their later years with their spouses and children, underscoring the human loss behind the attack.
The group voiced support for the work of Comité Conciencia Viva, which seeks to preserve the memory of the victims and educate new generations about the consequences of intolerance, terrorism, violence and discrimination. The message tied remembrance to a broader defense of liberty, democracy and human rights.
Regional Remembrance
The anniversary came as the Argentine Embassy and the Panamanian Jewish Congress held a separate commemoration for the 30th anniversary of the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people. That event took place on July 18, a day before the flight 901 anniversary.
During the gathering at Congregación Kol Shearith Israel, organizers also honored the 21 victims of the Alas Chiricanas attack. The back-to-back commemorations highlighted how the 1994 attacks in Argentina and Panama remain deeply connected in the memory of the Jewish community across the region.