HIALEAH GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) - Gov. Ron DeSantis made a South Florida stop Wednesday to honor the legacy of the Bay of Pigs invasion, which happened more than 60 years ago.
“Today is, believe it or not, the 63rd anniversary of the Bay of Pigs,” DeSantis said.
The Bay of Pigs was a failed operation by Cuban exiles in 1963 in an attempt to try and stop Fidel Castro’s regime. It is also a household tale in Cuban-American families.
“See, at our kitchen table, we talk about that,” said a speaker.
“For a lot of Americans, it’s very difficult to understand what is communism,” said speaker. “You have to live, you have to go through it every day to know what communism is.”
During his stop at the Hialeah Gardens Museum to honor Brigade 2506, DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1264, dubbed the “anti-communism education bill,” which would require instruction in public schools on the history of communism.
Students will learn about the atrocities of communism so that they can appreciate the freedom they have in the U.S.
“So today we are here fighting tyranny, fighting communism, a little bit different venue, in a little bit different way through legislation,” DeSantis said.
The governor was joined by Florida Department of Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr.
“Unfortunately, not everybody across the state has that opportunity from their families or from others who saw it firsthand,” Diaz said.
DeSantis also took a moment to reflect on the passing of former U.S. Senator and two-term Florida Gov. Bob Graham.
“So we mourn the passing of Bob Graham,” he said. “He was a great Floridian. He served this state with honor and integrity and really made a great contribution. So we are going to be giving him the state honors of lowering the flag at half-staff once the date of interment is publicized, and I think that that’s very, very much appropriate. So we’re really thankful for his service and he served very, very ably for this state for many, many years.”
The new curriculum will be introduced in the 2026-2027 school year for grades K-12 in an age-appropriate way.
There will be an event held at the Martyr Monument in Little Havana at 5 p.m. to to honor the Bay of Pigs invasion.
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