Carlos Luis: Directing operation of Bay of Pigs Brigade 2506 Museum

Since its grand opening in April, Bay of Pigs Brigade 2506 Museum’s president Carlos Luis has been leading the museum’s mission to tell the story of 1,500 Cuban exiles who sought the overthrow of the Castro regime in an April 1961 invasion.

Remembering and honoring those veterans during this year’s 65th anniversary, the new 11,000-square-foot museum at 1821 SW Ninth St. in Little Havana tells their stories. More than 100 members of the brigade were killed, and more than 1,000 were captured and held prisoner for nearly two years. The new $8.5 million museum replaces a smaller home at the site that once held the museum. An adjacent lot was also purchased to help accommodate the larger museum.

“We wanted to make sure that we preserve the story as being told by the veterans themselves. So, we’ve been able to record and document the experiences of over 300 veterans, and we have taken a lot of the story of exactly what happened,” Mr. Luis said.

The museum also has a theater, an event room, and a dedicated veterans’ room, plus archives and a research library that preserve documents and oral histories, as well as an educational center for youth and an event space.

“Another concept unique to the museum is that you’re going to have somebody giving you the tour of the museum who is an actual veteran,” he said. “No museum has that ability to have an actual veteran tell you exactly what happened.”

Mr. Luis’ father, René Luis, is a Brigade veteran, which is one of the most significant reasons why he said he had to get involved with the Bay of Pigs Brigade 2506 Museum.

About seven years ago, Mr. Luis started helping the museum with basic daily needs, like paying utility bills. From there, he created a board consisting of veterans and their descendants. He quickly rose and became the museum’s vice president, and four years ago he took on the role of president.

Now, visitors can relive the story of Brigade 2506 through state-of-the-art displays that bring these historical moments to life, he added. The museum offers a kiosk where visitors can search for the names of all the veterans and their life stories, including photos and videos.

With education being one of the main objectives for the museum, Mr. Luis said he plans to add more courses teaching about Brigade 2506 to area colleges, universities, and grade schools. Currently, Florida International University offers a course that covers the general history of Brigade 2506 and the Bay of Pigs Invasion, as well as the political forces driving this momentous chapter in the history of the Cold War.

Every year, the museum invites Miami-Dade County school teachers to learn more about the Bay of Pigs and helps them set up a curriculum for their students. In the next five years and beyond, Mr. Luis wants to continue to expand Bay of Pigs’ outreach.

“We’re hoping to expand and continue to grow, not only in education with other colleges and universities, but looking for continued growth as far as attractions,” he said.

Mr. Luis spoke with Miami Today reporter Abraham Galvan.

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