CUBA & BAY OF PIGS INVASION

 Cuba is a small country with just 1.1 crore population. 

Since the middle of the 18^th century Cuba was part of the Spanish Empire. In 1898 the US had a war with Spain. At that time the US invaded the island of Cuba and forced the Spanish army out. In 1902 a new independent government was formed and it announced the formation of the Republic of Cuba, and the US military handed over the government to a Cuban born US citizen Tomas Estrada Palma. 

Thereafter a large number of US settlers arrived in Cuba and by 1905 60% of Cuban properties were owned by non-Cuban-born US citizens. Between 1906 and 1921 5000 US marines were stationed on the island. 

In 1952, a Cuban general Fulgencio Batista seized power and proclaimed himself President. He cancelled the Presidential elections and called the new system as a disciplined democracy. Many opponents of Batista took up arms which led to the Cuban Revolution in which many rebel groups sprouted. One of them MR-26-7 was led by Fidel Castro. This organization had a cell structure with each cell having 10 members and they were totally isolated from the other cells and Cuban-bond and did not know about their activities. Between 1956 and 1959 Castro led a guerrilla army against Batista who had to finally flee the country. In Feb 1959 Castro became PM and dismissed the need for elections. 

Soon a counter-revolution developed by various groups which were funded by the exiled Cuban community, the CIA, and also the regime of the Dominican Republic. Castro began a crackdown on these movements and became ruthless. 

Castro’s government ordered the refineries controlled by the American companies ESSO, Standard Oil & Shell to process crude purchased from the Soviet Union, but the companies had to refuse due to pressure from the US Government. Castro responded by nationalizing the oil companies and the US in retaliation cancelled the import of Cuban sugar. 

With this Castro nationalized all the US-owned assets including banks and sugar mills. In Oct 1960 the US government prohibited most exports to Cuba. In retaliation, all other American assets were nationalized by Cuba including Coca-Cola and Sears Roebuck. 

The criticism of Cuba increased by the US and Castro in turn blasted the US on the treatment of black people and the working classes he had witnessed in New York City, which he ridiculed as that "super free, super democratic, super humane, and super civilized city. He attacked the mainstream U.S. media and accused it of being controlled by big business. 

Tensions became high when the CIA started operations to execute Castro. In August 1960, the CIA contacted the Mafia in Chicago with the intention to draft a simultaneous assassination of Fidel Castro, Raúl Castro , and Che Guevara. In exchange, if the operation was a success and a pro-U.S. government were restored in Cuba, the CIA agreed that the Mafia would get their "monopoly on gaming, prostitution and drugs. 

The CIA was also desperate to get Castro out of power. First Eisenhower and then JFK both supported the CIA. The CIA supported and prepared an invasion army or Cuba. Under the cover of darkness, the invasion fleet started off from Nicaragua on 14^th April 1961. On 15^th April Cuban airfields were attacked. The invasion began on 17^th April. On 18^th April Khrushchev sent a message to Kennedy that they would not allow the US to enter Cuba and would use nuclear weapons if needed. 

Ultimately invasion planned by the CIA and which was fully backed by the US government flopped and petered out. Due to the failure of this attempt, JFK became very anti-Castro and became aggressive and wanted to overthrow Castro including sabotage and assassination plots, but finally could not accomplish anything.