Omega 7
Encyclopedia
Omega 7 was a small Cuban paramilitary
group based in Florida
and New York
made up of Cuban exile
s whose stated goal was to overthrow Fidel Castro
. The group had less than 20 members.FBI Info
Omega 7 formed in the early 1960s after John F. Kennedy
abandoned overt US support for the Cuban exiles in supposed fear of Soviet
nuclear retaliation. Kennedy's decision to discontinue his support came at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis
in which Kennedy agreed with the USSR to not invade or attack Cuba
, and restrain those who were planning to carry out attacks against Cuba, in exchange for the removal of nuclear weapons from Cuba. As a result, groups like Omega 7 emerged. Many of the Cuban exile community categorized Kennedy as an incompetent who quickly gave in to Soviet intimidation in believing the Soviets would attack the US. Kennedy was assassinated a year later (see John F Kennedy assassination).
Omega 7 is now said to be disbanded, with some of its leaders imprisoned in the United States. Omega 7 is considered a terrorist organization by the Cuban government. According to the FBI, its members are mostly Bay of Pigs
veterans trained in demolition, intelligence, and commando techniques. Omega 7 operated internationally but is said to have carried out most of its attacks in the USA; these were mainly car bombings and direct assassinations, most of them done in a manner very difficult to trace.
These paramilitary
groups have been accused of plotting and carrying out numerous assassinations of Cuban communist political leaders, spies, and supporters, as well as attacks on Cuban airliners, Cuban government-run hotels, embassies, and ships. During their most active years (1960s-80s) Omega 7, like other anti-Castro movements, were seen favorably by many Cubans in exile and anti-communists.
A famous brother group was Alpha 66
(still extant).
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
group based in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
made up of Cuban exile
Cuban exile
The term "Cuban exile" refers to the many Cubans who have sought alternative political or economic conditions outside the island, dating back to the Ten Years' War and the struggle for Cuban independence during the 19th century...
s whose stated goal was to overthrow Fidel Castro
Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
. The group had less than 20 members.FBI Info
Omega 7 formed in the early 1960s after John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
abandoned overt US support for the Cuban exiles in supposed fear of Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
nuclear retaliation. Kennedy's decision to discontinue his support came at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis
Cuban Missile Crisis
The Cuban Missile Crisis was a confrontation among the Soviet Union, Cuba and the United States in October 1962, during the Cold War...
in which Kennedy agreed with the USSR to not invade or attack Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and restrain those who were planning to carry out attacks against Cuba, in exchange for the removal of nuclear weapons from Cuba. As a result, groups like Omega 7 emerged. Many of the Cuban exile community categorized Kennedy as an incompetent who quickly gave in to Soviet intimidation in believing the Soviets would attack the US. Kennedy was assassinated a year later (see John F Kennedy assassination).
Omega 7 is now said to be disbanded, with some of its leaders imprisoned in the United States. Omega 7 is considered a terrorist organization by the Cuban government. According to the FBI, its members are mostly Bay of Pigs
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion was an unsuccessful action by a CIA-trained force of Cuban exiles to invade southern Cuba, with support and encouragement from the US government, in an attempt to overthrow the Cuban government of Fidel Castro. The invasion was launched in April 1961, less than three months...
veterans trained in demolition, intelligence, and commando techniques. Omega 7 operated internationally but is said to have carried out most of its attacks in the USA; these were mainly car bombings and direct assassinations, most of them done in a manner very difficult to trace.
These paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups have been accused of plotting and carrying out numerous assassinations of Cuban communist political leaders, spies, and supporters, as well as attacks on Cuban airliners, Cuban government-run hotels, embassies, and ships. During their most active years (1960s-80s) Omega 7, like other anti-Castro movements, were seen favorably by many Cubans in exile and anti-communists.
A famous brother group was Alpha 66
Alpha 66
Alpha 66 are an anti-communist terrorist organization, formed by Cuban exiles in Puerto Rico in 1961, in opposition to Fidel Castro. The founder and first leader, Nazario Sargen, was a former member of the 26th of July Movement organization led by Fidel Castro, suggesting that their politics may...
(still extant).
See also
- Opposition to Fidel CastroOpposition to Fidel CastroThe Cuban dissident movement is a political movement in Cuba whose aim is "to replace the current regime with a more democratic form of government". According to Human Rights Watch, the Cuban government represses nearly all forms of political dissent....
- Cuban FiveCuban FiveThe Cuban Five, also known as the Miami Five are five Cuban intelligence officers convicted in Miami of conspiracy to commit espionage, conspiracy to commit murder, and other illegal activities in the United States...
- Cuba-United States relationsCuba-United States relationsCuba and the United States of America have had an interest in one another since well before either of their independence movements. Plans for purchase of Cuba from the Spanish Empire were put forward at various times by United States...
- Cuban PowerCuban PowerCuban Power, also known as El Poder Cubano or United Cuban Power was an Anti-Castro terrorist group that conducted bombings against Cuban targets and states and entities they felt to be sympathetic to the Castro regime through early and mid-1968....