This week, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., introduced a resolution honoring Assault Brigade 2506 which took on the Castro regime.
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-NJ, co-sponsored the resolution.
“Sixty years ago, these courageous men fought to defend their beloved homeland from the Castro’s authoritarian grip,” Rubio’s office noted. “The resolution highlights the importance of continuing ‘to support policies that promote the respect for democratic principles, civil liberties, freedom, and justice in Cuba, in a manner consistent with the aspirations of the Cuban people.’”
“As the son of Cuban exiles, I am proud to introduce this resolution honoring the valor of the Brigade 2506 veterans,” Rubio said on Tuesday. “These men, who risked their lives in the hopes of liberating Cuba from tyranny, deserve our recognition and gratitude for their tireless defense of democracy. Sixty years after these patriots took up arms on the beaches of Playa Girón, we honor the Brigaders both living and deceased.”
“With this bipartisan resolution, we remember the Cuban people’s 60-year struggle to break free from the yoke of dictatorship, and we honor the 1,400 members of Assault Brigade 2506 members who put their lives on the line trying to restore democracy, freedom, human rights, and justice in their homeland,” Menendez said. “As the son of Cuban exiles, I will continue to use the strength of my voice and power of my office to ensure the Cuban people’s struggles have not been in vain, and that their aspirations continue to serve as a guiding light for United States policy toward Havana.”
The resolution was sent to the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee which Menendez chairs.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
Vahe David Demirjian
March 18, 2021, 8:34 pm at 8:34 pm
Next month marks the 60th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion, feted in Havana as the “first defeat of US imperialism in Latin America.” The 8th Party Congress of the Cuban Communist Party (in which Cuba leader Miguel Diaz-Canel is expected to be confirmed as general secretary of the PCC) will he held on this anniversary, but because Fidel Castro’s evil plans for Latin America were doomed to fail thanks to pushback from JFK, LBJ, and Reagan, this anniversary will be a muted one.
It is important to remember that some of the members of Brigade 2506, despite seeking to oust Castro, felt nostalgic for the days of Fulgencio Batista. One Bay of Pigs fighter, Luis Posada Carrilles, was involved in the destruction of Cubana Flight 455 in 1976, and another, Jose Basulto, founded Brothers to the Rescue (aka Hermanos al Rescate).