Republican presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., speaks at the Georgia Republican Convention, Friday, May 15, 2015, in Athens, Ga. Georgia Republicans will hear from three White House hopefuls, Rubio, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as the party gathers for its annual convention Friday. The appearances come as Georgia Republicans look to raise their profile in the 2016 nominating contest. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has commemorated the anniversary of the Assault Brigade 2506’s (Brigade 2506) involvement in the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Brigade 2506 was a military special operations group designed by former US President Dwight D. Eisenhower and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to lead a military revolution against Communist Dictator Fidel Castro’s government.
During ‘Operation Zapata’, also known as the Bay of Pigs invasion, Brigade 2506 landed on the southwestern coast of Cuba to begin military operations against Dictator Castro.
Brigade 2506 was overwhelmed by Castro’s forces and US support, under former President John F. Kennedy’s leadership, was insufficient to sustain the brigade, leading to the death of more than 100 brigadiers and the surrender of over 1000 more.
According to the Brigade 2506 museum, “incoming President John F. Kennedy through a series of political, tactical and operational lapses rendered the mission ineffectual.”
Secretary Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles, lauded Brigade 2506 for fighting on behalf of freedom and liberty.
“64 years ago, the courageous patriots of Brigade 2506 embarked on a heroic mission at the Bay of Pigs in pursuit of freedom and liberty for Cuba,” said Rubio. “Today we honor the men who risked their freedom and sacrificed their lives in seeking to liberate their homeland from Castro's communist tyranny.”
At its height, Brigade 2506 was composed of over 1,000 members, 537 of which remain alive today.
Despite subsequent US operations to destabilize Cuba’s communist government, the communist regime has maintained a stronghold on the island since coming to power in the 1960s.
American lawmakers have consistently criticized the Cuban government for its legal, political, and human rights abuses.
Republicans and Democrats, however, have clashed over how the US should approach Cuba.
While Democrats have opted for a conciliatory strategy, Republicans have advocated for applying maximum pressure on the regime.
A telling example of policy differences between the two camps occurred when former President Joe Biden lifted Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism only for President Donald Trump to quickly re-designate Cuba as such.
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