It’s small but highly motivated force that has set sail for the shores of Cuba, determined to overthrow tyranny and bring the blessings of republican government and economic prosperity. Intel leads them to believe that they will be welcomed as liberators, that their arrival will, in fact, ignite a revolution that is already smoldering in the Cuban mountains.
It doesn’t work out quite that way. The Cuban natives are either indifferent or outright hostile to the ardent-hearted members of the expedition. Government troops quickly contain the landing, shoot up the invading force and capture its leadership. The invasion undertaken with high ideals and high hopes is a complete disaster.
If this sounds to you like 1961 and the Bay of Pigs, your knowledge of history is strong — but you’re wrong.
This event took place more than a century earlier, when Cuba was still the property of Spain. The failed invasion was the fourth and final filibustering expedition of Narciso Lopez, a Spanish general-turned-rebel. It was one of the most prominent examples of a phenomenon that roiled Latin America from Cuba to Mexico to Nicaragua during the 1850s.
Nowadays, filibustering is a technique used to delay and derail legislation. I don’t know how it came to denote long-winded speeches and congressional gridlock. Filibuster is a corruption of a Dutch word meaning “freebooter.” As in buccaneer. As in semi-piratical adventurer.
Narciso Lopez was a filibuster.
Part 1 of the The Frontier Partisans Podcast series on filibustering — Spawned By The Frontier — is now live on Spotify, Podbean and other podcasting services. You can access it here.
Matthew says
Fascinating. You seem to post these just when I need something to do!
deuce says
Robert E. Howard once told Lovecraft that the possibilities inherent to the various filibustering expeditions made his “mouth water”. They did so for the exact same reasons why REH found the exploits of Gaiseric/Genseric, Hengist and Horsa, Cotez and Pizarro so compelling. Desperate men winning big against the odds on one throw of the blood-drenched dice.
JimC says
I did not know that. Perfect.
Quixotic Mainer says
Great episode!
The whole “Contra” movement is kind of a filibuster expedition too if you squint at it just right.
I’m reading “Sea Rover’s Trade” at the moment and loving it, Little makes a lot of great correlations and avenues into how the gallants of old live on today. I mean, who doesn’t want to be a high minded semi piratical adventurer?
JimC says
Thank you. I think the notion of being a high-minded semi-piratical adventurer was a big part of the appeal of filibustering. Also, they drank a lot.