April 17 marks 56 years of one of the biggest fiasco in the history of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). In 1961, President John F. Kennedy had authorised an attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro of Cuba, in what was called Operation Zapata. Fidel Castro was the Secretary of the Communist party and had adopted a leftist anti-imperialist approach to politics, which did not suit the government of America. Operation Zapata is known in history as the ‘Bay of Pigs invasion’.
About 1,400 anti-Castro exiles had invaded the Cuban coast but were defeated by the 20,000 Cuban soldiers who captured and put them behind bars. The exiles, who expected help from the US, were not provided with any. A series of misfortunate events were the reason for the same, a CIA report cited.
The direct result of this was that the Cold War between US and Russia, who is allied to Cuba, heightened. This led to the Cuban missile crisis. The prisoners of war were later exchanged with the US for $53 million in food and medicine. The CIA blames the Kennedy government for the failure. But, the ‘Bay of Pigs Fiasco’ is still remembered as a crucial failure in the history of CIA.
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