April 17 marks the 50^th anniversary of one of the defining moments in US history. On that day in 1961, an attempted invasion of Cuba was undertaken at Bahía de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs). Although it wasn’t officially ended until April 19, it was effectively over as soon as it started.

The invasion was an unsuccessful attempt by US-backed Cuban exiles to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro. Increasing friction between the US government and Castro's government had led President Dwight Eisenhower to sever diplomatic relations with Cuba in early January 1961, just days before he vacated the presidency.

But even before that break, CIA operatives had been training anti-revolutionary Cuban exiles for a possible invasion of the island. The invasion plan was approved by Eisenhower's successor, John Kennedy.

So on April 17, 1961, about 1,300 exiles landed at the Bay of Pigs, carrying US weapons. They expected to find support amongst the local population, only to discover they were not welcome. Although they had planned to cross the island to Havana, it was evident quickly that the exiles were bound to lose. Kennedy had the option of using the US Air Force against the Cubans, but decided against it in one of the rare humane and sensible actions of his presidency. By the time the fighting ended two days later, 90 exiles had been killed and the rest were prisoners.

The failure of the invasion was an embarrassment for the Kennedy administration. Some critics blamed him for not giving it adequate support, others for allowing it to occur in the first place. The captured exiles were later ransomed by private US interests. 

This fiasco had two long-term affects. First, it showed Castro that he needed to be very wary of the US. With good reason, he always thereafter believed the Americans might try to invade again. Second, it resulted in passage of the Foreign Assistance Act by the US Congress on September 4, 1961. That law prohibited aid to Cuba and authorized presidents to create a "total embargo upon all trade" with Cuba.

The embargo is still in place, although there has been a modest weakening of its constraints. Maybe it’s time for the US to get its collective head out of its collective ass and remove the embargo altogether. Fifty years is an awfully long time to hold a grudge for being made to look stupid.

Paul Richard Harris is an Axis of Logic editor and columnist, based in Canada. He can be reached at paul@axisoflogic.com

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