“MAY 24, 1960: CIA Director Allen Dulles updates the National Security Council on two semi-covert radio activities related to Cuba. He reports that ‘several well-known Cuban refugees [are] purchasing time for anti-Castro broadcasts from a short-wave station in Cuba.’ In addition, he announces that Radio Swan is now on the air for ‘test purposes. The […]
Category: quotes
5/19/1960
“MAY 19, 1960: A small group from Brigade 2506, housed by the CIA in the motel Marie Antonet in Fort Lauderdale, are met by Manuel Artíme and two CIA officials, ‘Jimmy and Karl.’ Jimmy is identified as the chief of the operation, and later as chief of the infiltration team. The team is subsequently transported […]
5/17/1960
“MAY 17, 1960: Radio Swan goes on the air, on schedule. According to the CIA, the station’s signal reaches not only its target area of Cuba, but the entire Caribbean as well. The station’s programs are taped in studios in Miami, then routed through the Swan transmitter.” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology […]
5/15/1960
“MAY 1960: CIA operative Howard Hunt spends several days in Cuba on an undercover visit, during which he observes Cuban attitudes toward the revolutionary government and visits areas around revolution-controlled radio stations. After returning to Washington, he reports on his findings to his supervisors at the CIA and offers several recommendations, including a suggestion that […]
5/14/1960
“MAY 14, 1960: The New York Times reports that a new commercial radio station will begin broadcasting soon from Swan Island. The station, the Times reports, plans to broadcast nothing of greater international import than waltzes, Latin American music, and commercials.” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology of Events,” The National Security Archive, […]
5/13/1960
“MAY 13, 1960: President [Dwight D.] Eisenhower meets with his advisers to discuss what to do about General [Rafael] Trujillo in the Dominican Republic. The conversation touches upon dealing with [Fidel] Castro. Eisenhower comments that he would like to see Castro and Trujillo ‘both sawed off.’” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology of […]
5/12/1960
“MAY 12, 1960: Cuban forces bring down a Piper Apache plane near Mariel killing the pilot, a U.S. citizen named Matthew Edward Duke.” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology of Events,” The National Security Archive, NSArchive2.gwu.edu […]
5/7/1960
“MAY 7, 1960: Two U.S. warplanes fly over Cuban territorial waters, close to the Cuban coast, and a U .S. destroyer enters Cuban waters. Two other U.S. warplanes fly over Cabo Cruz.” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology of Events,” The National Security Archive, NSArchive2.gwu.edu […]
5/3/1960
“MAY 3, 1960: Fidel Castro proposes José Miró Cardona as new Cuban ambassador in the United States. Newspaper reports cite U.S. officials as seeing in the Cuban government’s attitude a measure to improve relations between the two countries.” “The Bay of Pigs Invasion/Playa Giron: A Chronology of Events,” The National Security Archive, NSArchive2.gwu.edu […]
4/25/1960
“APR 25, 1960: The MRR [Movimiento de Recuperación Revolucionaria-Revolutionary Recovery Movement] sends a memorandum to the CIA, summarizing the history, motivations, positions and goals of the organization. The document describes six major points of the MRR platform: respect for the dignity of the individual; firm devotion to representative democracy; unbreakable faith in the concept of […]