Political mythology has its own craftsmen, and in Cuba, none has been more prolific than Castroism. Of all the fables spun by the regime, none resonated as strongly as that of the supposed 638 assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. A figure so absurd, so disproportionate, that it could only be upheld in a country without a free press and under a propaganda machine obsessed with creating heroes where there were none.
But the time has come —with seriousness, historical rigor, and a necessary touch of irony— to dismantle this monumental narrative fraud.
The perfect myth for an overflowing ego
According to official propaganda, Fidel survived so many assassination attempts that any head of state would seem like a novice. Neither Kennedy, nor De Gaulle, nor Churchill, nor any leader faced with wars, terrorism, or real conspiracies amassed a similar list.
On the other hand, they "attempted to kill" Fidel more than 600 times... but there was never a confirmed gunshot; never a sabotaged plane, never a poison that truly reached his hands. Nothing. Not a single solid piece of evidence.
What existed was a sickly need to present oneself as a superior being: invincible, persecuted, indispensable. The myth of the man who could not die because he was greater than history itself.
The original sources: Castroism forging itself
Most of these alleged attacks come from:
• Reports from the Ministry of the Interior,
• Statements by Fabián Escalante, former head of Cuban security
• Official interviews from the regime itself
• Internal propaganda documentaries
• "Heroic" accounts from the ideological apparatus
All of them are biased sources, closed, unverified, and constructed with a political objective: to exalt the leader and justify internal repression under the guise of a constant state of threat.
The myth did not arise from independent research or declassified files; it emerged from the very essence of Castroism, which was the judge, the party involved, the narrator, and the protagonist of its own personal show.
Yes, there were plans… but plans are not attacks
The CIA, infiltrators, mobsters, opponents, and other actors considered ideas, explored options, and even drew up operational drafts. That is documented.
But:
• No shooter was within meters of Fidel.
• Not a single sniper attempt was made.
• No bomb exploded near him.
• There is no evidence of aerial sabotage.
• There is no evidence of poisoned pills "about to be used."
Everything remained in the phase of project, conversation, and speculation within a context of the Cold War where imagination was more prolific than action.
What the regime did was combine imaginary plans + discarded ideas + rumors + fantasies + useless drafts, until arriving at a fabulous figure, worthy of a comic book rather than historiography.
The tragic irony: the only one who acted against Cuba was himself
While Fidel repeated that "imperialism could not kill him," the only thing that was proven was that no one seriously attempted to do so.
But in the meantime, he did manage to:
• Destroy the economy
• Suffocate freedoms,
• Impoverish an entire country
• Imprison and execute dissenters
• Sink Cuba into the longest stagnation in its history.
The bitter truth is this: the real attack was carried out by Fidel against his own people, and that one was indeed successful.
The myth as a political tool
Why create so many imaginary attacks? Because they served three strategic needs:
The cult of personality: A "indestructible" leader inspires obedience.
The external enemy as an eternal excuse: If they want to kill him, then he is indispensable.
Internal repression justified: Any dissident could be labeled as a "CIA agent."
It was the perfect tale:
A steadfast hero in the face of a world that hated him, yet never succeeded in touching him.
A narrative built with bricks of fantasy and ideological cement.
The great fable unraveled
When analyzing declassified files, international investigations, and external testimonies regarding Castroism, it becomes clear:
• There is no independent record of actual attacks.
• There is no case in which Fidel was in immediate danger.
• There is not a single attempted attack that was executed and failed.
• Everything that was spread was exaggeration, manipulation, or fabrication.
The myth, therefore, was a tool of power: the creation of a hero who never had to dodge a bullet.
The historical scam is laid bare
Fidel Castro was never a figure of biblical proportions being hunted. He was not the target of a global manhunt by invisible assassins. He did not miraculously survive daily plots against him.
He was simply a leader with a thirst for glory, who needed to invent enemies to justify his absolute rule and satisfy an ego that could not fit on the island.
And in his delusion of grandeur, this wretch attempted to present himself as a Alexander the Great… when neither his stature nor his dignity were enough to support such a fantasy.
The 638 attacks were his greatest work of fiction. An epic novel written by him and supported by a regime thirsty for myths.
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Opinion article: Las declaraciones y opiniones expresadas en este artículo son de exclusiva responsabilidad de su autor y no representan necesariamente el punto de vista de CiberCuba.