War against the Bandits The War Against the Bandits is a name given by the Cuban government to a six - year rebellion ( 1959 – 1965 ) in the Escambray Mountains by a group of insurgents who opposed the country ' s government led by Fidel Castro . The rebelling group of insurgents was a mix of former Batista soldiers , local farmers , and former allied guerrillas who had fought alongside Castro against Batista during the Cuban Revolution . The end result was the elimination of all insurgents by Cuban government forces in 1965 . Rebellion . The uprising began almost immediately after the success of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 . It was led by former anti - Bastista revolutionaries that rejected the Castro coup and the ensuing close ties to the Soviet Union and local peasants who were disenchanted by his expropriations . The insurgent " guajiro " rural farmers were aided by some former Batista ' s forces , but were mostly led by former Revolutionary Directorate rebels ( 13 March Movement ) , such as anti - communists Osvaldo Ramirez and Comandante William Alexander Morgan , both of whom had fought Batista ' s " casquitos " in the same area only a few years before ( Morgan himself was executed in 1961 long before the resistance ended ) . The CIA provided some aid to the insurgents , but withdrew all support after the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961 , ensuring their ultimate defeat . Some of the failures could be attributed to Castro ’ s " roll up " of CIA operatives in Cuba . Following the failure of the Bay of Pigs Invasion , Osvaldo Ramirez returned to the Escambray Mountains and declined an offer by Fidel Castros ' emissary , Comandante Faure Chomón , to surrender . According to Dr . Miguel A . Faria , Chomon had been Ramirez ' s chief in the Revolutionary Directorate in the Escambray during the guerrilla war against Batista . The Cuban government ' s main tactic was to deploy thousands of troops against small groups of rebels , forming progressively constricting rings of encirclement . The Communist leaders that Castro sent to clear the Escambray Mountains were ordered to exterminate the rebels . They were to " comb the brush , elbow to elbow " until they had completely cleared the hills of anticommunist rebels . The leaders of the Cuban counter - insurgent forces " Lucha contra Bandidos " ( LCB ) were Commandantes Raul Menendez Tomassevich , founding member of the Cuban Communist Party and Lizardo Proenza . Superior numbers and the lack of outside assistance , particularly supplies , led to the rebels ' defeat . The outnumbered anticommunist guerrillas often fought to the death . Cuban forces used sweeps by long columns of militia , which cost the government substantial losses but ultimately won the war . Hispano - Soviet advisor Francisco Ciutat de Miguel , who was also present at the Bay of Pigs Invasion , played a major role in the pacification operation . Castro employed overwhelming force , at times sending in as many as 250 , 000 government troops . The insurgency was eventually crushed by the Castros ' use of vastly superior numbers . Some of the insurgents ultimately surrendered , but they were immediately executed by firing squad . Only a handful managed to escape . The War Against the Bandits actually lasted longer and involved more soldiers than had the previous struggle against Batista ' s forces . Cuban government combat leader Victor Dreke gave a pro - Castro viewpoint in his 2002 book " From el Escambray to the Congo " . This is notable for its virulent condemnation of former comrades from the war against Batista . However , Dreke also describes the tactics and mindset of the Cuban government forces and its ruthless use of force and no - prisoners attitude .