Botched Coups and Failed Assassinations: The Bay of Pigs

You can’t win them all. In 1961, America experienced the sting of its first truly humiliating public defeat, a debacle that played out in real time on the international stage. The bungled and bloody Bay of Pigs Invasion would mark the first major misstep of the Kennedy administration, and as “Operation Zapata” began to unravel in Cuba, the resulting scandal would undermine America’s carefully crafted image as a shining beacon of virtue. In this episode:   Fulgencio Batista 1933 Sergeants uprising Mafia’s Playground Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz Che Guevara The Movement The Moncada Army Barracks 26 of July movement Granma Yacht  Brain Drain Dwight D Eisenhower John Fitzgerald Kennedy Operation Pluto Phases One, Two, and Three Operation Zapata Sonic Booms Brigade 2506 Carlos Rafael Santana Estevez The Attack  Mad Dog Flight FAR T-33s The Aftermath Tractors  Operation Mongoose Poison Cigar Exploding Mollusk The Fountain Pen Scuba Suit Poison Pills LSD Spray Thallium Salts ~ Become an Insomniac! Join the Midnight Masses by supporting the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content. ~ Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD ~ Send Shane and Duncan a message at [email protected] ~ Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word. ~ Follow us on INSTAGRAM