When Fidel Castro came to power in Cuba in 1959 after the left-wing revolution, the new regime distanced itself from the United States and aligned closely with the Soviet Union. This raised concerns in the U.S. due to Cuba's proximity and its significance in the Cold War. In response, President Eisenhower ordered the CIA to develop a plan to overthrow Castro's government. The CIA trained and funded a group of exiled Cuban counter-revolutionaries, known as Brigade 2506, as part of this operation.
When President John F. Kennedy took office, he approved the CIA's plan, and the invasion of Cuba was set in motion. However, the attack, known as the Bay of Pigs invasion, quickly encountered setbacks. The Cuban armed forces, under Castro's command, swiftly defeated the invading forces within two days. The failed invasion bolstered Castro's administration, which openly embraced socialism and strengthened its ties with the Soviet Union. The Kennedy administration conducted an assessment of the Bay of Pigs defeat and subsequently initiated a new covert program, Operation Mongoose, in an attempt to remove the Castro regime from power.
Operation Mongoose, overseen by the CIA and Department of Defense, involved a wide range of plans, including political, psychological, military, sabotage, and intelligence operations. It even considered assassination attempts on political leaders, including Castro. However, despite some actions being deployed, Operation Mongoose failed to achieve its primary objectives. Meanwhile, the U.S. became increasingly concerned about Soviet arms shipments to Cuba, with the possibility of nuclear warheads being introduced. This led to the suspension of Operation Mongoose in October 1962 as the Cuban Missile Crisis unfolded, marking one of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union.
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