April 17, 1961 | The Bay of Pigs Invasion Against Castro

By The Learning Network
Warren K. Leffler/Library of Congress U.S. News & World Report Magazine Photograph Collection Fidel Castro in Washington, D.C., in April 1959, months after seizing power in Cuba. His relationship with the United States quickly deteriorated.
Historic Headlines

Learn about key events in history and their connections to today.

On April 17, 1961, about 1,500 C.I.A.-trained Cuban exiles began the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba in what would become a failed attempt to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro, the Marxist revolutionary who had seized power in January 1959.

The April 18 New York Times said that both the rebels and the Cuban government reported successes in the battle. Mr. Castro released a communiqué stating: “[O]ur armed forces are continuing to fight the enemy heroically,” while there were a “wave of rebel assertions of victories, new landings and internal uprisings,” according to The Times. The paper added “a complete blackout of direct news from Cuba made it impossible to assess the situation accurately.”

The Times also noted that Secretary of State Dean Rusk denied that the United States would become involved in the situation. However, the United States had organized the attack. The C.I.A. formulated invasion plans in 1960 during the presidency of Dwight Eisenhower and presented the plans to President John F. Kennedy after he was elected in November 1960. Mr. Kennedy, who had taken a hard line on Cuba during the election, approved the plan.

The invasion ended in failure, as Cuban forces defeated the rebels in just three days. There were several reasons for the failure. First, the C.I.A. intended for a covert invasion, but Cuba had been made aware of possible attacks through intelligence and increased dissident activity. The Times wrote: “The climate for the invasion — anticipated and promised by the Cuban rebels for many weeks — was created to a large extent by events of last week. Since last Thursday a major wave of sabotage swept Cuba. Saturday, three B-26 aircraft bombed three air bases on the island. Beginning in the middle of last week informants in Cuban groups made it known confidentially that ‘important events’ were to be expected over the weekend.”

Second, the United States had failed to neutralize the Cuban Air Force, as the B-26 attacks of April 15 missed many intended targets. The Cuban Air Force, therefore, was able to bombard the rebels as they invaded. Lastly, the rebels, who were far outnumbered by Cuban forces, were not able to stir up local Cubans to join their insurgency, which was necessary for the invasion to have a chance of succeeding.

Of the 1,500 invaders, more than 100 were killed and 1,200 were captured. The Cuban government tried and executed some of the leaders and kept the rest prisoner for 20 months while negotiating with the United States for their release. In December 1962, Cuba agreed to release the more than 1,100 prisoners in exchange for $53 million in food and medical aid from the United States.

The failed invasion was a major embarrassment for the United States and the Kennedy administration. It strengthened Mr. Castro’s power in Cuba and pushed him to pursue closer relations with the Soviet Union, Cold War enemy of the United States.

Connect to Today:

In 2008, Fidel Castro ceded power to his brother Raul after 49 years in charge. As the Times Topics: Cuba overview page explains: “Cuba as a country has been seemingly locked in time since its revolution. But through a labyrinth of rations, regulations, two currencies and four markets (peso, hard currency, agro and black), people make their way, though the going is hard.” Raul Castro, it notes, has offered blunt assessments of Cuba’s condition and has pushed for economic reforms.

In March 2012, Pope Benedict XVI visited Cuba and called for “authentic freedom” in Cuba. A government official issued a rebuttal to the pope, saying, “We are updating our economic model, but we are not talking about political reform.”

What kind of changes do you foresee for Cuba in the near future? How might economic reforms lead to political and social reforms? What role, if any, do you think United States might play in shaping Cuba’s future?

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Steven April 17, 2012 · 8:18 am

I think Cuba will eventually but slowly make a change in its economy and political views. Otherwise the way its headed its gonna be left in the dust or be invaded. Hopefully that wont ever happen but it’s still possible if there is no reform.

Arianna April 17, 2012 · 9:34 am

Today, is the 51st anniversary of the Bay of Pigs Invasion. Lets salute the brave young men who fought for the cause of freedom. The memory of their valor and deeds will live in the hearts of everyone who wishes to see a free Cuba. Viva Cuba Libre!

Milton Sanchez-Parodi April 17, 2012 · 10:07 am

Instead of looking to Cuba for changes (history demonstrates that even against major adversities Cubans succeed) we must look at our own dismal policy against our Cuban neighbor and change it dramatically. 50 plus years of continued pressure against the Cuban people indicates that Cubans reject the US efforts in regime change. The Summit of the Americas further showed how alienated we are in our hemisphere by our Cuba policy.

Americans by and large reject our Cuba policy and the administration’s only allies are a handful of anti-Cubans in Congress, Miami and Union City benefiting form the anti-Cuban industry but who have absolutely no future in Cuba. All in all a bad foundation for international policy.

Milton Sanchez-Parodi April 17, 2012 · 11:23 am

Yes, Arrianna we certainly must salute the brave militia men and women who fought the invaders to keep Cuba free. The Cuban militia by the way did not get paid, as the invaders did. I was in Miami in 1963 and those 1,100 or so who returned, each received a very substantial amount of money. No wonder the word mercenary fits. Now it is the paid protesters who benefit from the anti-Castro industry and USAID money.

Abdullahi Edward April 17, 2012 · 12:23 pm

As Jesse Venture said when he led a trade delegation to Cuba as governor of his state “if, after 40 odd years your embargo isn’t working as a tactic, it’s time to try Plan “B”.” Whatever the US has tried to do for more than 50 years has been all wrong all along that’s wh it hasn’t worked. Drop the sanctions, drop the embargo, allow free movement of goods, services, money and PEOPLE and leave yesterdays tactic in the garbage can where it belongs.