The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a failed attempt by the US government to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba in 1961. Trained Cuban exiles were sent to invade, but the plan failed due to a lack of support and knowledge of the attack. The invasion ended on April 21, 1961, and the US had to pay 53 million USD for the release of the prisoners. The failed invasion boosted Castro’s popularity and strengthened his ties with the Soviet Union, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion took place on April 17, 1961. It was an attempt by the United States government to overthrow Fidel Castro’s government in Cuba. Since the Cuban revolution of 1959, relations between Cuba and the United States had become strained. Castro had seized many US assets and also had strong ties to the Soviet Union.
The Eisenhower administration worked in conjunction with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to train Cuban exiles to overthrow the Castro government. Vice President Richard Nixon was the primary proponent of the Bay of Pigs Invasion and agreed that the invasion had to go ahead. Large numbers of Cuban exiles were trained in Florida and Guatemala for combat.
In 1961, President John F Kennedy (JFK) was in charge of the invasion. He changed a number of details of the invasion including the landing sites. He also presented Castro’s possession of Soviet tanks and weapons as the real reason for the invasion. On April 17, 1961, aerial bombardments by the Cuban anti-Castro Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria (FAR), or Revolutionary Air Force, took place. The U.S. Air Force was then to conduct an opposing strike that would effectively eliminate the Cuban Air Force.
These air strikes were given the name “Operation Puma”. Operation Puma failed, probably for a variety of reasons, one of which was Castro’s prior knowledge of the attacks which allowed him to move his aircraft away from the strike area. Prior to this attack, Captain Mario Zuniga had already flown over Cuba and claimed that his engine had been hit. Reports have shown that fake bullet holes in the engine were pre-drilled before the flight took off. But to the world watching, it looked as though Castro’s men had shot him.
On April 17, 1961, the land invasion began. 1,511 Cuban exiles landed in the Bay of Pigs located on the southern coast of Cuba. The troops were under the impression that they would be supported by the locals in overthrowing Castro. But Castro knew about the invasion and had already executed and imprisoned people suspected of American sympathies.
Tank battles ensued, and with no visible support for the Cuban exiles, Kennedy soon began to cancel further U.S. support for the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The invasion ended on April 21, 1961. The United States had failed and 68 of the Cuban exiles were dead. Of the other 1029 exiles, some were executed and the rest were sent to prison in Cuba on charges of treason. On December 21, 1962, the prisoners were exchanged with the United States for 53 million US dollars (USD) given in food and medicine.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was a complete failure and an embarrassment to President Kennedy. Some thought it only served to boost Castro’s popularity. After the invasion, Castro strengthened his relations with the Soviet Union, leading to the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. An American trade embargo with Cuba still exists today.
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