OCTOBER

OCTOBER (MISSILE) CRISIS:

After the mercenary invasion at Playa Girón (Bay of Pigs) was defeated in April 1961, the United States stepped up its plans to invade Cuba with its armed forces and increased aggressions of all kinds, including terrorist actions and the attempts against the leaders of the Revolution. On January 3, 1962, the Cuban revolutionary government protested firmly against the U.S. authorities for the 119 violations of the national airspace by pirate aircraft, 76 of them coming from the Guantanamo Naval Base.

Given that situation, Cuba began to quickly reinforce its defense with the determined cooperation of the USSR. In the summer of 1962, under those difficult circumstances, the government of that country proposed deploying nuclear weapons on the island, with the purpose of strengthening the defensive potential and deter the imminent American military aggression.

It was clear for the Cuban leaders that the presence of those weapons would affect our relations with Latin America, but they also realized what it meant in the balance of power between the socialist camp and the West. For that reason, and as a gesture of reciprocity towards the country that had supplied the weapons for Cuba’s defense, they accepted to run the risks and pay the political price that they knew that decision implied.

Through “Operation to Add”, the Soviet Union brought to Cuba and deployed medium range missiles with nuclear warheads, as well as some land, air and anti-aircraft units for cover.

On October 22, 1962, the United States government decreed the naval and economic blockade against Cuba. The U.S. Administration declared that it would use force to stop the ships that were carrying weapons for the Cuban people’s defense. This brought on the so-called “Caribbean Crisis” or “Missile Crisis”, known in Cuba as the “October Crisis”, which imperiled world peace for several days.

The U.S. government threatened the USSR into withdrawing the missiles and strategic weapons deployed on Cuban territory. Cuba’s reply was to issue the order of combat to guarantee the defense of the threatened homeland. During the days of the crisis the people firmly kept to their combat posts, determined to honorably defend the achievements attained.

The unilateral decision of the Soviet leaders of withdrawing those weapons form the island, received a dignified response from the Cuban people and its leaders, that did not accept the United States’ attempt to inspect the Cuban territory.

Home