:''Note: "Playa Girón" is also the title of a song included in the album " Días y Flores", by Silvio Rodriguez.'' Playa Girón (; "Girón beach") is a beach and village on the east bank of the Bahia de Cochinos (Bay of Pigs), which is located in the province of

Matanzas Matanzas (Cuban ; ) is the capital of the Cuban province of Matanzas Province, Matanzas. Known for its poets, culture, and Afro-American religions, Afro-Cuban folklore, it is located on the northern shore of the island of Cuba, on the Bay of Mat ...

, on the southern coast of

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

. It is part of the municipality of Ciénaga de Zapata.

Geography

Playa Girón is located in one of the largest wetlands in the world, the Ciénaga de Zapata (Zapata Swamp). The adjoining village of Girón was named after the notorious French pirate Gilberto Giron (c.1604).

History

Bay of Pigs Invasion

In April 1961, Playa Girón was one of two landing sites for seaborne forces of about 1,500 armed Cuban exiles in the

Bay of Pigs Invasion The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called or after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in April 1961 by the United States of America and the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front ...

, an American CIA-sponsored attemptInfo on CIA website
/ref> to overthrow the new government of Cuban Prime Minister

Fidel Castro Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban politician and revolutionary who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and President of Cuba, president ...

. Over 72 hours, fighting took place in many parts of the Cienaga de Zapata, Playa Girón being the last remaining area occupied by the invaders. Today, the Museo Girón is a small museum dedicated to the historical conflict.

Other

Since 1962 the Campeonato Nacional de Boxeo Playa Girón amateur boxing tournament is held at the beach; winners have included Teófilo Stevenson and Juan Hernández.

Music

The Cuban folk singer

Silvio Rodríguez Silvio Rodríguez Domínguez (born 29 November 1946) is a Cuban musician, and leader of the Nueva Trova movement. He is widely considered as Cuba's best folk singer and arguably one of Latin America's greatest singer-songwriters. Known for his ...

composed a song called ''Playa Girón'', dedicated to the fishermen in a boat with that name in which he worked from 1969 to 1970. This song was later included in the album ''Dias y Flores'' (Days & Flowers), published in 1975. However, the ''Playa Girón'' theme has a double meaning. It refers to both the boat and the conflict won by Cuban government forces. Not to be confused with ''Prelude Giron'', another song by Silvio Rodríguez that also addresses the issue of the Bay of Pigs invasion. Another possible explanation, suggested by the lyrics themselves, is that the song is a reference to the preludes of the infamous Quinquenio Gris, the Grey Quinquennial.

Gallery

File:04052016PlayaGironPropagande.jpg, A roadside billboard in Playa Girón celebrating Cuban victory in 1961 File:Costa de Playa Girón.jpg, The surf breaking on the rocks of the Playa Girón File:Victory os Socialism.JPG, 'Victory of Socialism' political poster File:2012-02-14 001 IMG 7201.JPG, A view down the hall of the Museo of Playa Giróm File:Airplane in Museo Giron.jpg, A Hawker Sea Fury FB.11 - these were refurbished

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

airframes File:Russian tank.jpg, A Soviet-made T-34-85 tank File:Monument rus tank.jpg, A Soviet

SU-100 The SU-100 ( Russian: самоходная установка-100, СУ-100 romanized: '' Samokhodnaya Ustanovka-''100) is a Soviet tank destroyer armed with the D-10S 100 mm anti-tank gun in a casemate superstructure. It was used extens ...

tank destroyer File:Playa giron museum.jpg, The same Sea Fury viewed from the rear File:Puska rus.jpg, A mortar and baseplate in the museum File:Orudie.jpg, Rifles in a display case File:Gun pushka rus.jpg, A quad towed mount DShK AA

Geography

History

Bay of Pigs Invasion

Other

Music

Gallery

Bibliography

See also

References

External links