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Brigade 2506 (Brigada Asalto 2506) was a CIA-sponsored group of
Cuban exile A Cuban exile is a person who emigrated from Cuba in the Cuban exodus. Exiles have various differing experiences as emigrants depending on when they migrated during the exodus. Demographics Social class Cuban exiles would come from various ec ...
s formed in 1960 to attempt the military overthrow of the Cuban government headed by Fidel Castro. It carried out the abortive
Bay of Pigs Invasion The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called ''Invasión de Playa Girón'' or ''Batalla de Playa Girón'' after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in 1961 by Cuban exiles, covertly fin ...
landings in
Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...
on 17 April 1961.


History

In May 1960, the CIA began to recruit anti-Castro Cuban exiles in the
Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
area. For most recruits, infantry training was carried out at a CIA-run base code-named ''JMTrax'' near
Retalhuleu The city of Retalhuleu () is situated in south-western Guatemala. It is the departmental seat of Retalhuleu Department as well as the municipal seat of Retalhuleu Municipality. Retalhuleu stands at about 240 metres above sea level. The city has a ...
in the
Sierra Madre Sierra Madre (Spanish, 'mother mountain range') may refer to: Places and mountains Mexico *Sierra Madre Occidental, a mountain range in northwestern Mexico and southern Arizona *Sierra Madre Oriental, a mountain range in northeastern Mexico *S ...
on the Pacific coast of Guatemala. In November 1960, with Gregorio Aguilar Matteo spearheading training with 430 men, the leaders were chosen and the group was named Brigade 2506. It was also known as the Blindado Battalion among members, using the membership number of Carlos (Carlyle) Rafael Santana Estevez, who had died in a training accident in September 1960. The principal commanders were appointed as follows: * Manuel Francisco Artime Buesa: Political leader * José Alfredo Pérez San Román "Pepe": Military commander * Erneido Andrés Oliva González: Military second-in-command * Manuel Villafaña Martínez: Commander of the air force * Ramón J. Ferrer Mena: Chief of staff * Enrique Ruíz Williams * Higinio Nino Díaz * Francisco Pérez Castro "Brillo": Infantry battalion * Alejandro del Valle Martí: 1st Paratroop Battalion * Hugo Sueiro Ríos: 2nd Infantry Battalion * Noelio Montero Díaz: 3rd Battalion * Valentín Bacallao Ponte "Pipo": 4th Armoured Battalion * Ricardo Montero Duque: 5th Infantry Battalion * Francisco Montiel Maciera Rivera: 6th Infantry Battalion * Roberto Pérez San Román: Heavy Gun Battalion About 1,334 men traveled on a seaborne force from Guatemala, of which about 1,297 actually landed in Cuba, plus an additional 177 airborne paratroops. An estimated 114 drowned or were killed in action, and 1,183 were captured, tried and imprisoned. Private sympathizers in the United States eventually negotiated to give $53 million worth of food and medicine in exchange for release and repatriation of Brigade prisoners to Miami starting on 23 December 1962. On 29 December 1962, President
John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination ...
hosted a 'welcome back' ceremony for captured Brigade 2506 veterans at the
Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. It has been played annually since January 1, 1935, making it, along with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl, the second-oldest bowl game ...
in Miami. Some of its members have gone on to found the Brigade 2506 Veteran's Association, which controls the Bay of Pigs Museum & Library in Miami.Thomas (1971)


See also

* Cuban dissident movement *
James B. Donovan James Britt Donovan (February 29, 1916 – January 19, 1970) was an American lawyer and United States Navy officer in the Office of Scientific Research and Development and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS, predecessor of the Central Intelli ...
*
Escambray rebellion The Escambray rebellion was an armed conflict from 1959 to 1965 in the Escambray Mountains during which several insurgent groups fought against the Cuban government led by Fidel Castro. The military operation against the rebellion was called the ...


References

* Wyden, Peter: ''Bay of Pigs - The Untold Story''. Simon and Schuster. New York 1979, .


External links


Bay of Pigs Veterans Association
''Brigade 2506''
''Newsweek'' article about Brigade 2506
{{Cuba-United States relations Cuba–United States relations Cuban Revolution Opposition to Fidel Castro Central Intelligence Agency Guerrilla movements in Latin America Anti-communist organizations in the United States