Spanish Version

BAY OF PIGS:
Brigade 2506 and the attack to Playa Girón

April 17, 1961 marks an important date in Cuban history, since on that day a group of young Cuban exiles died in an effort to liberate Cuba from communism. This is known as Bay of Pigs or Playa Girón. The battle that lasted three days, was not successful. These were young men from different parts of the EE.UU., with a common denominator: 'to oust Castro's regime,' which was beginning to show signs of communism: lack of free press, the expropriation of private property, lack of democratic general elections, control of syndicates and the increasing creation of student organizations. Needless to say, the restoration of the Communist Cuban Party. To top it off, the free world was witnessing how Castro's subversive influence was gaining support in Latin America, while Cuba was being subjected to an increase of Soviet weapons including MIG airplanes and nuclear weapons.

While the plans to attack Cuba were being made, there were groups inside the island that represented a threat to the young communist regime. Meanwhile, a group of young exile members of Brigade 2506, sponsored by the CIA inside the United States, was getting prepared for the military intervention under the admi-nistration of John F. Kennedy. That is how Brigade 2506 is born, with close to 1500 men who se main purpose was to free Cuba. However, John F. Kennedy, failed to comply with what had been promised. He feared that by offering support to these brave men, it could be seen by the world public opinion as an American intervention. And the plan failed, resulting, quoting Fidel Castro in his speech last year, "the first defeat of the U.S. in Latin America" where Cubans were fighting against Cubans in native soil. A defeat that caused thousands of deaths, imprisoned and injured, but it consolidated the communist regime in the hemisphere, bringing hunger, pain and misery for the Cuban people, and subversive movements and indoctrination to the rest of the world.

The Brigade 2506 failed due to the fact that the U.S. government did not disembarked their troops as agreed. The initial plan included unfolding soldiers by the south coast, an attack of three days with the military participation of World War II planes. The plan was later changed to disembark by the western part in Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs), a place that did not have the same strategic conditions. The Brigade 2506 attack counted on the support of the American forces but the aid never arrived. The clandestine insurgencies inside the island was never notified of the attack. Some of us blame J. F. Kennedy for this defeat. The Cuban defense finished the dream of the free world in less than 72 hours: to erradicate communism from Cuba and America.

 

Spanish Version