Cuban invasion of Panama

The Cuban invasion of Panama was a military operation carried out in April 1959 in which Cuban troops, along with some Panamanian guerrillas, sought to initiate a revolution in Panama modeled after the Cuban example. The mission was led by Panamanian Enrique Morales in support of a coup attempt by Roberto Arias. It was the first effort by Cuba to export its revolution through guerrilla warfare and marked a turning point in how the United States and Latin American media and governments perceived Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution. The invasion also contributed to the emergence of guerrilla groups across Latin America, reflecting Cuba's broader strategy of revolutionary export during the Cold War.