«In the sky of Ustica, 44 years ago, a massacre of immense proportions took place. All 81 people on board the DC9 flying from Bologna to Palermo were killed. The Republic was profoundly marked by that tragedy, which remains an open wound also because the full truth is still missing and this contrasts with the need for justice that nourishes democratic life.” This is how the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, wanted to commemorate the 44th anniversary of the Ustica massacre. «The Republic will not tire of continuing to seek and ask for collaboration from friendly countries to fully reconstruct what happened».
Differentiated autonomy, Mattarella promulgates the law. It is one of the three major reforms wanted by the Meloni government
The words
«On the day of the anniversary – continues the Head of State – I would like first of all to renew the sense of profound solidarity with the families of the victims, who did not give up in the face of opacity, obstacles, distortions and have always sought, even in conditions of human suffering , to shed light on the circumstances and responsibilities of the tragedy. Their work, combined with that of men of the state who carried out their duty with ability and dedication, contributed to clearing the fog and reconstructing the scenario of that tragic event. On the road to reconstructing the truth, significant steps have been taken. The Museum for the Memory of Ustica, opened in Bologna, offers evidence of this.” Mattarella recalls how «at the same time memory is also the transmission, to younger people, of the values of civil commitment that support the dignity and strength of a community and allow it to face the most painful and difficult circumstances».
The slaughter
On 27 June 1980, the DC-9 IH870 of the Itavia company, flying from Bologna to Palermo, disappeared from radar. It is 8.59pm, the plane explodes and crashes into the Tyrrhenian Sea, near the island of Ustica. None of the 77 passengers and 4 crew members survive. The plane would have found itself, completely by chance, in a triangle of sky affected by war operations, which would have led to its shooting down. After years of investigations, thousands of files, investigative documents and almost 300 court hearings, the truth about the Ustica case has not yet fully come to light.
Ustica, what happened on June 27, 1980? The DC-9, the mystery of the plane crash and the 81 victims: what doesn’t add up
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