60 Cuban Survivors Return To Miami

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 13

60 Cuban Survivors Return To Miami

(New Zealand Press Association) MIAMI (Florida), April 14. Sixty wounded and sick survivors of the Cuban invasion, indemnified for 21 million dollars, returned to a cheering welcome by 20,000 Cubans in Miami today.

They swore to return to prison unless the indemnity of all 1179 of the captives was raised, United Press International reported. The survivors, some on crutches, others with arms and legs missing, saluted smartly as they appeared in the doorway of the plane which brought them from Havana. They limped along a roped-off lane to waiting ambulances and limousines. Upon arrival, the survivors issued a statement saying they would "consider ourselves prisoners until the last one of our companions is at liberty; the Brigade 2506 is one and indivisible.” Brigade 2506 was the unit that invaded the Bay of Pigs. April 17. 1961, only to be captured three days later bv the militia of the Cuban Prime Minister (Dr. Castrol. Those returned today were the most seriously injured members of the invasion force. All appeared to be well fed. They were taken to hospital for physical exam-

mations. Twenty-five were admitted to hospital. The rest were released to spend the week-end with their families. The four members of the Cuban Families’ Committee, which negotiated the release said they had been unable to reduce Dr. Castro’s demands He wanted 62 million dollars to free all 1179 captives from a military court sentence of 30 years in prison with hard labour.

Dr. Castro put a price on each prisoner, ranging from 25,000 to 500.000 dollars each The committee would start as soon as possible to buy the freedom of the other captives, paying for the lowest-priced prisoners first, said the committee’s treasurer, Mr Enrique Waca. He quoted Dr. Castro as telling the negotiators: “I am sure that within four months all the prisoners will be back in the United States.” The committee issued an urgent appeal to the Western world to contribute.