The Bay of Pigs Invasion - a brief synopsis.
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an ill-conceived invasion of Cuba by 1,400 CIA trained paramilitary.
The invasion took place 53 years ago, on 17 April 1961.
Kennedy inherited the plan from Eisenhower and it appeared to be doomed from the start.
Kennedy knew that if he did not back the plan it could play into the hands of
his political opponents and he could then be labelled as the Preseident who thwarted
the plan that could have overthrown Castro.
The hawks within the Pentagon knew that an invasion force of 1,400 would not be sufficient
but had bet on Kennedy calling in additional air cover and substantial US troop numbers
as soon as the initial paramilitary force began to flounder.
But Kennedy also knew that if he were to call in the full strength of the US armed forces
that it could risk an all-out war with the Soviets. So he was not about to commit additional
men.
Once the invasion force arrived the US expected a local uprising against Castro.
However, the Bay of Pigs was Castro's favourite fishing spot and upon coming to power
he had helped improve the roads, schools and infrastructure in the region which had
generated a lot of goodwill among the locals.
In fact British intelligence analysis before the invasion and made available to the
CIA had assessed that the Cuban people were predominantly in support of Castro and that
there was no likelihood of a mass uprising against him.
The invading US force was defeated and captured within three days of the landing by
Cuban armed forces under direct command of Fidel Castro.
History Channel documentary on the Bay of Pigs Invasion available here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKOs0sSxvJY
Bahia de Cochinos - the Bay of Pigs - is believed to be named after the trigger fish
that inhabit the crystal clear Carribean waters. We swam at the beach of Playa Larga
in the warm water.
Ruins of gun emplacements could be found here and there.
At nearby Playa Giron there is a museum dedicated to the invasion and along the
coast at Playa Maceo there is a wonderful, idyllic inlet that forms a beautiful
swimming and snorkelling spot.
For just a few dollars, there is a buffet restaurant and an all-you-can drink bar.
As you lounge in a sun chair with a mojito in hand, it is hard to imagine that once a
battle took place here.
The Bay Of Pigs Invasion was a precursor to the Cuban Missile Crisis which almost
brought about an all-out nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union.