{"id":51364,"date":"2014-12-22T12:00:08","date_gmt":"2014-12-22T12:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=51364"},"modified":"2015-05-05T21:27:10","modified_gmt":"2015-05-05T20:27:10","slug":"the-day-anti-castro-forces-tried-to-bomb-the-u-n","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2014\/12\/the-day-anti-castro-forces-tried-to-bomb-the-u-n\/","title":{"rendered":"The Day Anti-Castro Forces Tried to Bomb the U.N."},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ernesto<\/a>

Ernesto “Che” Guevara, Minister of Industries of Cuba, addresses the General Assembly on Dec. 11, 1964. UN Photo\/TC<\/p><\/div>\n

When the politically-charismatic Ernesto Che Guevera, once second-in-command to Cuban leader Fidel Castro, was at the United Nations to address the General Assembly sessions back in 1964, the U.N. headquarters came under attack \u2013 literally.<\/p>\n

The speech by the Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary was momentarily drowned by the sound of an explosion.<\/p>\n

The anti-Castro forces in the United States, backed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), had mounted an insidious campaign to stop Che Guevera from speaking.<\/p>\n

A 3.5-inch bazooka was fired at the 39-storeyed glass house by the East River while a CIA-inspired anti-Castro, anti-Che Guevara vociferous demonstration was taking place outside the U.N. building on New York\u2019s First Avenue and 42nd street.<\/p>\n

\"Ernesto<\/a>

Ernesto \u201cChe\u201d Guevara, Minister of Industries of Cuba, addresses the General Assembly on Dec. 11, 1964. UN Photo\/TC<\/p><\/div>\n

But the rocket launcher \u2013 which was apparently not as sophisticated as today\u2019s shoulder-fired missiles and rocket-propelled grenades \u2013 missed its target, rattled windows, and fell into the river about 200 yards from the building.<\/p>\n

One newspaper report described it as \u201cone of the wildest episodes since the United Nations moved into its East River headquarters in 1952.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the United States resuming full diplomatic relations with Cuba on Wednesday \u2013 after a 53-year hiatus \u2013 will there be a significant change in its attitude towards the politically-ostracised Caribbean nation in the world body?<\/p>\n

The United States has routinely led or co-sponsored scores of U.N. resolutions critical of human rights violations in Cuba and consistently voted against every single General Assembly resolution calling on Washington to lift the economic embargo on Havana imposed in 1960.<\/p>\n

At the last General Assembly vote in October 2014, an overwhelming majority \u2013 188 out of 193 members \u2013 voted to end the embargo, for the 23rd consecutive year.<\/p>\n

As in most previous years, the only two countries to vote against the resolution were the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n

And three other countries that have traditionally voted with the United States \u2013 Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands \u2013 abstained on the vote this year.<\/p>\n

After the vote, and as if anticipating a change in the political horizon, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez invited the United States to establish \u201cmutually respectful relations.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can try to find a solution to our differences through respectful diplomacy. We can live and deal with each other in a civilised way despite our difference,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Asked about the historic U.S.-Cuba agreement, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he had been informed in advance of the announcement by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis news is very positive. And I\u2019d like to thank President Barack Obama of the United States and Cuban President Raul Castro for taking this very important step towards normalising relations,\u201d Ban said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs much of the membership of the United Nations has repeatedly emphasised, through General Assembly resolutions during the last many, many years, it is time Cuba and the United States normalise their bilateral relations,\u201d Ban told reporters Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe United Nations stands ready to help both countries to cultivate their good neighbourly relations,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n

As longtime U.N. staffers would recall, the failed 1964 attack on the U.N. building took place when Che Guevera launched a blistering attack on U.S. foreign policy and denounced a proposed de-nuclearisation pact for the Western hemisphere, as he addressed delegates.<\/p>\n

It was one of the first known politically motivated terrorist attacks on the United Nations.<\/p>\n

After his Assembly speech, Che Guevera was asked about the attack aimed at him. \u201cThe explosion has given the whole thing more flavour,\u201d he joked, as he chomped on his Cuban cigar.<\/p>\n

When he was told by a reporter that the New York City police had nabbed a woman, described as an anti-Castro Cuban exile, who had pulled out a hunting knife and jumped over the wall, intending to kill him, Che Guevera said: \u201cIt is better to be killed by a woman with a knife than by a man with a gun.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad\u00ad_______________________________<\/p>\n

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