# Cuban invasion of Panama

The Cuban invasion of Panama was a military operation in which Cuban troops and some Panamanian guerrillas invaded Panama in April 1959 with the aim of promoting a Cuba style revolution. The invasion was led by Panamanian Enrique Morales to support a coup attempt by Roberto Arias. The invasion was the first attempt to export the Cuban revolution to other countries using guerrilla warfare and marked a turning point for various media and political sectors in the United States and Latin America regarding the intentions of Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution. The Cuban invasion of Panama marked the subsequent rise of guerrilla groups in Latin America as part of the Cuban strategy of exporting the revolution and the conquest of power in the context of the Cold War.

## Background

During the Cold War, Cuba often positioned itself internationally by providing direct military assistance to those who shared the same ideology and to resistance movements. Informally, Cuba's ambitions of foreign military intervention began shortly after the Cuban Revolution in 1959, though it was officially adopted and pronounced in 1966 by Fidel Castro at the Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

## Events
### Plot and preparation

The plot was hatched in January 1959, during a meeting of Arias with Castro, who promised to assist Arias with arms and men. On 3 April 1959, local guerillas of the Revolutionary Action Movement supported by Cuba looted a weapons store and went onto the mountains, prompting a military operation by the Panamanian guardsmen the next day. On 6 April 1959, the National Guard engaged the rebels, killing two insurgents while two guardsmen, including Omar Torrijos, were wounded. On 9 April 1959, another confrontation took place which ended with the escape of the guerillas previously captured although some were captured a few days later. On April 15, the Panamanian government denounced Cuba's plans to invade Panama before the international community. A force of 200 personnel was trained for invasion in Pinar del Río at the orders of Dermidio Escalona. The yacht carrying the force set sail from the Batabanó on 19 April 1959 carrying 82 Cubans, 2 Panamanians (including Floyd Britton) and an American, led by the Cuban César Vega. A doctor, four nurses and four bomb experts were on board, as well as 37 machine guns, 32 carbines and rifles, 10 grenades, 17 pistols and revolvers and 6 portable radio equipments. On 24 April 1959, Cuban forces arrived on the shores of Panama for an invasion attempt in support of a coup attempt to topple the Panama government, the first Cuban military intervention in a foreign nation following its communist revolution. The attempted coup was planned by diplomat Roberto Arias, nephew of deposed ex-president Arnulfo Arias and husband of famous British ballerina Margot Fonteyn.

### Arrival of invasion force

The invasion force arrived in Panamanian jungles on 25 April 1959. During the landing attempt, Enrique Morales, leader of the 22nd May Youth Revolutionary Movement drowned leaving the group without a commander. After landing the group soon split up into several detachments to recruit locals and then rendezvous. On 26 April 1959, the Arias couple went fishing on their boat The Nola and during the voyage ordered fishermen to raise a buoy loaded with arms. The fishermen reported the couple, who hurriedly decided that Arias should try to escape detection. In the night Arias jumped ship, boarding the shrimp boat Elaine, while Fonteyn used her own yacht as a decoy to divert the government forces. She returned to Panama City to turn herself in, hoping her surrender would help her husband. On 27 April 1959, Colonel Bolívar Vallarino gave a press conference denouncing the invasion and presenting three captured prisoners (two Cubans and one Panamanian). On 28 April 1959, the besieged invaders in Nombre de Dios demanded to be taken to Cuba to which the Panamanian government responded negatively demanding "the unconditional surrender of the invaders." On 28 April 1959, Fidel Castro distanced himself from the invasion stating it to be irresponsible. On 30 April 1959, 30 Panamanian National Guard personnel were deployed to Nombre de Dios for the first Battle against the Cuban forces but were called back so a team of neutral observers could reach the location. By 30 April, Cubans were 20 miles from the Panama Canal having marched 35 miles up the coast. The invasion force on 30 April numbered 89 men with 300 more reportedly en route.

### Failure of the invasion

In April 1959, Fonteyn was arrested, detained for 24 hours in a Panamanian jail, and then deported to New York City. The coup was repelled by members of the Panamanian National Guard with support from the United States and Guatemala and 87 men of the invading force surrendered on 1 May 1959 after negotiating with investigating committee of the Organization of American States consisting of representatives from Brazil, the United States, Argentina, Costa Rica, and Paraguay. The invading force claimed that their surrender was in accordance with Castro's orders.

## Aftermath

All the surrendered invaders were released and sent back to Cuba, a month later. Che Guevara declared that Cuba was exporting revolutionary ideas but not the revolution itself. In 1959, Roberto Aria and Fonteyn were charged with attempted gun-smuggling from their yacht off the coast of Panama and he was accused of fomenting a revolt against President Ernesto de la Guardia Jr. Meeting at the prison with the British ambassador to Panama Sir Ian Henderson, Fonteyn confessed her involvement and the British Foreign Office granted that her statement was confidential. The British embassy arranged for her release, and flew her to New York City, without disclosing to the United States government that she had been involved with Cuba in the plot. Arias took refuge in the Brazilian embassy of Panama for two months and arrived safely in Lima, Peru, the same day Fonteyn arrived in New York. Eventually the charges were dropped and, after a governmental change, the couple were permitted to return to Panama. Documents released in March 2010 by the British government showed that they were both involved in the unsuccessful coup attempt.
The invasion was the first step that led to heightened tensions between Cuba and the United States and the subsequent rise of guerrilla groups in Latin America, as part of the Cuban strategy of exporting the communist ideas, It also directly caused the establishment of Latin American Solidarity Organization leading to Ñancahuazú Guerrilla and resulted in increased leftist militancy across Latin America. It later resulted in the formation of Revolutionary Coordinating Junta.