Miami, April 24 (RHC)-- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill into law which he said will strengthen Florida's education standards by requiring teaching on what he calls "the dangers and evils of Communism."
Signing the legislation on the 63rd anniversary of the failure of the U.S.-supported mercenary invasion of the Bay of Pigs, or Playa Giron, DeSantis was joined by state Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. at a Hialeah Gardens museum which honors the efforts of the 2506 Assault Brigade during the invasion.
"Today is a sacred day. It is a day that reaches into the deepest part of our hearts," said Rafael Montalvo, the president of the Bay of Pigs Invasion Veterans Association.
Florida Governor DeSantis said the state of Florida is committed to fighting Communism. "We had a lot of brave men suit up and fight Communism and fight tyranny and so today we are here, fighting tyranny and fighting communism. It's a little bit different venue and through legislation we are committed to telling the truth about this ideology," he said.
Sixty-three years ago, in 1961, the U.S. trained and funded mercenary invasion was carried out on the southern coast of Matanzas province in an attempt to establish a beachhead and call for U.S. intervention. In less than 72-hours, the invasion failed and the young Cuban Revolution declared the victory as the first military defeat of U.S. imperialism in the Americas.
DeSantis was surrounded by some of the surviving members of Brigade 2506 when he signed the legislation. He said that beginning in the 2026 school year, education on the history of Communism will be expanded in the state.
"We're going to tell the truth about Communism in the state of Florida. We're going to tell the truth about the evils of Communism," said DeSantis. "It is vitally important that every student learns about the dangers of Communism," said Diaz. "I know firsthand the evils that Communism brings, and I am proud to stand by Governor DeSantis as he signs this legislation to ensure Florida remains the bastion of freedom."
The Florida governor saidthat school children as young as kindergarteners will soon be learning about the history of Communism.
The law will also create the Institute for Freedom in the Americas at Miami-Dade College which will promote the importance of economic and individual freedoms to advance human progress, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The bill passed with bipartisan support, with only seven Democrats in the Florida House and Senate voting against.
According to the right-wing governor's office, the new legislation enables the "Florida Department of State, in collaboration with the Florida Department of Education, to recommend to the Legislature the creation of a Florida-based museum on the history of Communism."
