The Bay of Pigs Invasion The Road to the Cuban Missile Crisis

Remember the US has been involved in Cuban affairs since the Spanish American War

Castro’s Takeover 1956 to 1959 – Castro led a guerrilla coup of Cuba Dictator Fulgencio Batista US suspicious, but Batista had been unpopular and corrupt Ultimately, Castro declared Communism, welcomed USSR aid

Castro vs. the US Castro nationalized 3 oil refineries owned by Americans and British firms Took commercial farms and made them communes (US companies controlled 75% of crop land) Castro relied more on USSR aid and political repression

Cuban Refugees Many Cubans felt betrayed – one dictator replaced by another 10% of Cuban population went into exile Most to the U.S., many settled in Miami – began a counter-revolutionary movement

CIA’s Secret Operation Eisenhower gave CIA permission to secretly train hundreds of Cuban exiles Plan to invade Cuba JFK found out about plan 9 days later Skeptical, but continued with plan

The Invasion April 17, 1961 – 1,400 Cubans invaded island’s s. cost at Bahia de Cochinos (or Bay of Pigs)

The Invasion Nothing went as planned –Air strike 2 days prior failed to knock out Cuban air force (CIA reported it had) –Small advanced group sent to distract Cuban forces never got there –Other unit landed only to face 20,000 Cuban forces, backed by Soviet tanks and jets

Result Troops surrounded, some killed others taken as prisoners Cuban counter-revolutionaries, members of Assault Brigade 2506, after their capture at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, in April 1961

Result Castro turned event into public relations triumph Kennedy looked embarrassed, took blame Negotiated for surviving commandos – paid $52 million in food and medical supplies Kennedy said no more communist expansion in W. Hemisphere Castro welcomed USSR aid.