Havana, Apr 15 (Prensa Latina) Cubans today recall the attacks on airports on the island in 1961, prelude to the invasion of Playa Giron, an episode where the resistance and dignity of the people stood up against imperialist aggression.
On April 15, 1961, enemy planes camouflaged with the insignia of the Revolutionary Armed Forces attacked the airport of Ciudad Libertad, the air base of San Antonio de los Baños and the airport of Santiago de Cuba.
The events, which took place at dawn, were intended to make international public opinion believe that an internal rebellion was taking place in the country shortly after the triumph of the Cuban Revolution in January 1959.
In addition, the action sought to provoke fear and confusion, to destroy the scarce and antiquated Cuban air force, in order to ensure impunity for an enemy incursion by land that occurred shortly thereafter.
The bombings caused the death of seven people and 53 wounded, most of them civilians, due to the strafing of neighborhoods around Ciudad Libertad, in addition to material damage, although the attackers did not manage to destroy as many airplanes as they had hoped.
At the burial of the victims of the air raid, the historic leader, Fidel Castro, declared the socialist character of the Revolution.
“What the imperialists cannot forgive us is that we are here, what the imperialists cannot forgive us is the dignity, the integrity, the courage, the ideological firmness, the spirit of sacrifice and the revolutionary spirit of the Cuban people,” said Fidel Castro at the mass ceremony near the cemetery.
The attack was the prelude to the invasion of Playa Giron – a territory located in the central province of Matanzas – where an armed brigade, trained and transported by the United States arrived through the Zapata Swamp on April 17.
After 60 hours of hard fighting, the mercenaries were defeated and surrendered in Playa Giron at sunset on the 19th. This action represented the first great defeat of Imperialism in Latin America.
(Taken from PL -Sp)
