A barely known fact in the Bay of Pigs fight

About the events related to the invasion by Playa Larga and Bay of Pigs, a diversity of content is usually released on these days each year. However, there are barely known facts released that may catch the attention of those interested in the subject.

One of those aspects of the Girón victory that probably few people know about has to do with the involvement of Fidel Castro. It is popularly known that the leader of the Revolution was close to the fighting. But Fidel Castro actually traveled twice to the conflict zone, Matanzas.  

After being informed about the landing in the Bay of Pigs and giving orders from Havana, Fidel traveled to Matanzas on April 17. He toured the main city, Limonar, Coliseo, Jovellanos, Jaguey Grande and arrived at the Australia sugar mill in the afternoon of that day.

There, he organized the actions and moved to the town of Pálpite, closer to the enemy lines in Playa Larga.

Historians Eugenio Suárez and Acela Caner have explained that, thanks to his many tours by the Ciénaga de Zapata since 1959, Fidel knew of a little-traveled road that started two kilometers west of Playa Larga. This way, he began to prepare an operation to go to the rear of Playa Larga from that place. He anticipated executing the plan in the early hours of April 18.

However, after receiving reports of an alleged parallel landing at Bahía Honda, west of Havana, he decided to return to lead the defense of the main Cuban city.

It was early in the morning when the revolutionary leader arrived in Vedado in the capital on April 18. He spent that day and part of April 19th issuing orders to the officers who were fighting in Matanzas. The landing in Bahía Honda turned out to be a false alarm, an enemy distraction maneuver.

Fidel traveled again to Matanzas on April 19 for the second time. He led the strategic direction of the actions on the ground and stood to the sands when the attackers tried to withdraw.

Although he had indicated the zone through which the Cuban forces could position themselves in the invading rear in Playa Larga, on the 18th the tactical movement did not materialize, due to lack of topographical knowledge. This prolonged the enemy resistance.

In the opinion of the aforementioned historians, and of Katiuska Blanco, biographer of the Commander in Chief, among others, if Fidel had not had to travel to Havana, victory would have occurred in an even shorter time.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff