Why did the Central Intelligence Agency make repeated unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro?

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) engaged in multiple unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro during the 1960s as part of broader efforts to remove his communist regime from power. These operations were driven by the U.S. government's deep concern over the establishment of a Soviet ally in the Western Hemisphere, particularly following Castro's large-scale expropriation of U.S. assets and his alignment with the Eastern bloc.123

The plots, which were often elaborate and unconventional, involved recruiting agents within the Cuban government and collaborating with organized crime figures who had been ousted from the island by the revolution. Proposed methods included the use of poisoned or exploding cigars, contaminated scuba gear, and even depilatory agents intended to cause his beard to fall out.145

These assassination attempts were part of a wider strategy of covert actions and economic pressure, including the Bay of Pigs invasion and a comprehensive trade embargo, aimed at destabilizing the Cuban government.236