Bay of Pigs Invasion – Hiron Beach, Cuba. A one-nation battle.
The world history has seen quite a few cases, where, unfortunately, compatriots fight against each other on a political or racist basis. We can find similar examples in almost every country, but let’s hope it will never happen again!
Here, in the most popular Bulgarian blog about Cuba, we will tell you about the US attempt for an invasion in Cuba internal affairs on the 17th of April 1961, also known as “The Bay of Pigs Invasion”.
The background – Tuxpan, Mexico, 1956
Following the unsuccessful attempt for revolution in 1953, Fidel, Raul Castro, and 24 revolutionaries, who had miraculously survived, were granted amnesty after several years of prison on the Island of Youth. The brothers used the suitable timing to run away in Mexico.
The city of Tuxpan in Mexico becomes the place, where Fidel and Raul Castro along with Che Guevara prepare their new armed rebellion. The revolutionaries board the Granma ship to fulfill their heroic act on the 2nd of December 1956, when they lay aboard on the shore of Los Colorados in East Cuba under fire.
The revolutionaries had their lives in danger hundreds of times, however, fate or rather the support of the Cuban people contributed to the rebellion that had completely insufficient funding and the result was the overthrow of the Batista Regime.
On the 1st of January 1959, the revolutionaries made a triumphant entry into Havana. The rest is history…
Miami, USA. 1961. Guatemala – Hiron Beach, Cuba.
THE LANDING OPERATION ON THE 17th OF APRIL. A ONE-NATION BATTLE.
The landing operation was the USA’s reaction following the Revolution triumph. The landing was sponsored by the CIA and used the Cuban exiles in Miami, displeased with the political changes in their country. The landing operation on the 17th of April 1961 is one of the greatest projects of the CIA, as well as one of its biggest failures.
Brigade 2506 – the ill-fated number and its flag can still be seen at the restaurants on the 8th Avenue in Мiami.
NextGEN Gallery
Brigade 2506 was a part of Operation Pluto, approved by President Eisenhower, which cost America 14 million dollars.
The reason for US intervention into Cuban internal affairs
Displeased with America’s future plans for Cuba and following unsuccessful negotiations, Fidel Castro was determined to fulfill his intentions regarding his country – available education and healthcare and complete access for the Cuban people to the national resources.
In 1960 land, banks, and refineries of American companies in Cuba become nationalized under America’s nose – an act that no one оn the western hemisphere has ever dared to initiate by far. The US set out to fix this intolerable course of events.
Direct interference of US regular armies would have been crowned with success, however, the unstable postwar situation would have treated any act of such kind as open aggression with heavy consequences. Therefore, America decided to follow a familiar tactic that served them just well all over the world and namely: give the downtrodden what they want and they are yours!
Both sides of the barrier were ready to fight for their cause:
- the Cuban exiles in Мiami were very motivated. Among the immigrants in the biggest city of the Florida State were landowners, entrepreneurs and merchants, robbed of their property and opportunities whatsoever by the new regime in Cuba.
- in Cuba, the main supporter of the Revolution is the Cuban people. These were the hundred thousands sufferers of the brutal Batista Regime, which repressed even the smallest attempt for rebellion, poor peasants, exploited for years by industrialists, students, socialists, and others…On these photos you can see a war museum on Hiron Beach:
NextGEN Gallery
But let’s get back to America. As we said, the US takes the same steps as in the other Latino countries – divide and rule. In Мiami on the Cuban 8th Avenue, there is a monument that has perfectly embodied the division between the biggest Cuban diaspora in Мiami /nowadays, it amounts up to 2 million people/ and Cuba – the political division after the Revolution in 1959.
Both of the monuments – on Hiron Beach and in Miami, have the following inscription: “Died for the freedom of Cuba”.
Take a look at the only photos of the two monuments on the internet:
Bay of Pigs Invasion on Hiron Beach, Cuba
History will punish them or absolve them… A reference to Fidel Castro’s famous defense speech after the first attack against Cuba on the 26th of July 1953, when El Comandante says: “You may judge me. It doesn’t matter. History will absolve me”.
THE LANDING OPERATION
Before the main attack, the American fighter aircrafts bombed the Cuban airports, but destroyed only plane models, thinking they are real ones. Fidel had tactically ordered the substitution in advance so as to deceive the Americans. Successfully.
The parachute group that had to attack from the inside was also disarmed. When Brigade 2506 layed aboard on the Bay of Pigs, this is the beginning of the end. Brigade 2506 submits on the 19th of April. An essential part of the enemy’s heavy arms was destroyed before it was moved ashore. The most ferocious battle was the fire on Hiron Beach. The prisoners of the war were treated humanely and taken care of in hospitals in Havana along with the injured revolutionaries. In the end, the landing operation turns out to be a total failure for the Cuban exiles and the American CIA.
The conclusion is that America completely underestimated several crucial facts:
- the Cubans support the Revolution – thousands of volunteers gather to take part in the defense;
- Fidel Castro is an excellent strategist and prepared himself perfectly – let’s not forget that just a year earlier he wins a war, which at first sight is doomed to failure, against the dictatorship of Batista, who had at his disposal all the country resources.
The truth about America’s participation in preparing and conducting the landing operation raises a wave of indignation even among US traditional military allies. A year later Cuba turns over to America the 1300 captives in exchange for food supplies and medicine.
Bay of Pigs Invasion, Hiron Beach, Cuba. A one-nation battle.
