 Rafael Antonio Curra was returning to his country after establishing academic exchange agreements with authorities of the University of Rhode Island on behalf of Universidad de Oriente.On December 12, 2018, family and friends of the victims of the Pan Am Flight 217 gathered at 301 West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the tragedy, and deposited 51 flowers onto the waters of the Hudson River in memory of the victims.A commemorative plaque with the names of all passengers and crew members was handed over to the administration of the John F. Kennedy International Airport, former Pan American Airlines base and where the ill-fated flight originated.