Bay of Pigs museum

At the museum, our guide explained the events which occurred in the lead-up to and during the Bay of Pigs invasion. This attempted invasion was carried out with an army of mercenaries deployed by the government of the United States and American intelligence agencies in April 1961. These forces aimed to overthrow the nation’s communist government as it hindered the ability of American corporations to exploit Cuba in the two years since it had come to power. In describing the Bay of Pigs invasion, our guide at the museum talked about incidents which occurred prior to the landing at the Bay of Pigs. This included bombings in the port of Havana carried out by the United States as well as attempts made to assassinate Fidel Castro, the long-time leader of Cuba.

The strong nationalism present throughout the country was particularly prevalent in the museum which explores the sentiment as a means of defence against exploitation. In addition to learning about the Bay of Pigs invasion through the information presented, the artifacts from the time of the incident were displayed in the museum. Among these artifacts were pictures of Cubans who died defending their country’s political independence at Playa Girón in the spring of 1961. These photos made the human cost of American imperialism feel less abstract and provided a stark and harrowing example of the pain that Cuba and its people have had to endure because their natural resources have been the target of foreign colonialists.