Havana, April 19 (RHC)-- Cubans marked on Wednesday, April 19th the 56th anniversary of their victory over the 1961 U.S.-sponsored mercenary invasion at Playa Girón, also known as Bay of Pigs.

As a prelude to the invasion, on April 15th, eight CIA-supplied B-26 bombers, painted with Cuban insignias, attacked Cuban airfields and then returned to the U.S. 

Launched from Guatemala and Nicaragua, the main invading force  landed on April 17th at Playa Girón.  It was made up of one thousand five hundred mercenaries, members of the paramilitary group Brigade 2506, trained and funded by the CIA. 

The military invasion was defeated within just 72 hours by the Cuban Revolutionary Armed Forces under the direct command of then Prime Minister Fidel Castro. 

The Cuban victory at Bay of Pigs has gone down in history as the first military defeat of U.S. imperialism in Latin America.

This year's commemoration has a special connotation, since it is the first anniversary without the indisputable leader of the victorious Cuban forces, Fidel Castro, who died last November at the age of 90. Activities to mark the date include a patriotic ceremony at Playa Girón, photo exhibits, theatrical performances and artistic galas dedicated to Fidel and the 155 Cuban martyrs of Bay of Pigs.