In April 1961, the United States attempted to invade Cuba and overthrow premier Fidel Castro. On the 17th of April about 1,300 exiles armed with United States weapons landed at Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs) on the southern coast of Cuba. They hoped to gain support from the local populations, cross the island to Havana, and overthrow Castro. However, they were quickly defeated by Castro's army. The invasion by the CIA-backed exiles was spurred by the events that took place after Castro took office. Castro took control of Cuba in January of 1959, and in 1960 he took over U.S. oil refineries in Cuba. As a result, the United States stopped buying Cuban sugar. Castro responded by talking over all of U.S. businesses in Cuba. This led President Kennedy to authorize the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.

 

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