Fidel Castro has had many lovers in his long and turbulent life. However, only one of them wanted to kill him. Her name was Marita Lorenz and she was an American of German descent. The spice of the story is added by the fact that the plan to kill the Cuban dictator was born at the CIA headquarters.
El Commendante met his mistress and would-be assassin on February 27, 1959. She was 19 at the time and, together with her parents, on board the MS "Berlin" - her father was the captain of the vessel - she was on a cruise in the Caribbean. Their meeting is a complete coincidence.
When the ship entered the Gulf of Havana, the newly minted Cuban leader decided to pay an unexpected visit. Heinrich Lorenz, not wanting to annoy the impetuous Castro, let him on board and even invited him to his table. It was a decision he regretted about the end of his life.
A dictator and a beautiful teenager
It quickly turned out that the beautiful daughter of the captain caught the eye of the loving Cuban. As he writes in his latest book "Women of Dictators 2" Diane Ducret, right after dinner - to the despair of her parents - Castro took Marita to the bridge.
The leader of the Cuban revolution was an extremely loving man. The next object of his sighs was to be Marita Lorenz.
From there she shows her Havana lights. “It all belongs to me. Cuba is mine. Isn't she wonderful? Do you like what you see? ”He makes sure in poor English. Then he pulls her to him and gives her a final blow:"I am Cuba."
Of course, such declarations turned the young girl's mind. For now, however, nothing is happening. It might even seem that the whole story will end in an innocent flirtation, especially since the ship sails to Nowy Jarek after a few days. Nothing could be more wrong!
Before MS "Berlin" went on a further voyage, Fidel obtained Marita's New York address and her phone number. As soon as the new beloved of his heart came home, he started calling her promising a star from the sky and presented her with… ten buckets of coconut ice cream.
Finally, in mid-March, he sent a plane to fetch her. The girl did not hesitate for a moment and after only a few hours she was back in Havana.
She was received with real honors at the airport. A limousine and 20 soldiers were waiting for her. Their task was to escort Marita to the famous room 2406 at the Hilton, where El Commendante lived and worked. Upon reaching her destination, she was surprised by the children's cars strewn across the floor of the presidential suite.
Marita and Fidel on board the MS "Berlin". Photo taken on February 27, 1959, the day it all began.
As it turned out, the toys belonged to Castro himself, who - according to Miss Lorenz - remained a big child. He likes to play with models of military vehicles and tanks. A but she didn't come to play with toys. Finally, after waiting more than an hour, Fidel appeared and - as Diane Ducret writes in his book:
He draws the curtains, takes Marita's hand, and plays a romantic CD. Although more than fifty years have passed since that meeting, the heroine retains its idyllic character. “This is my best memory of Fidel. I lay in his arms on the bed in the Hilton listening to the song Piano mágico .
The idyll, lasting five hours, was interrupted by the brother of the Cuban dictator - Raúl. He summoned Fidel on some urgent state affairs. The one who was leaving said: don't come out, wait for me here. I love you .
It turns out, however, that the Cuban is not in a hurry to see a young lover. You see her less and less, making up more excuses. In this situation, a girl in love, having nothing better to do, actually becomes his personal secretary.
In April, they both fly to New York, where the Castro international press conference is held. Despite the initial dislike of the Americans and foreign journalists, Fidel - after a long speech - manages to convince many of them that he is the right man, in the right place.
This mainly applies to journalists. As himself says, they all love him. It even goes so far as to say: I am like Jesus! I have a beard, I have a similar figure and I am thirty-three years old like him .
In April 1959, Fidel and Marita went to New York, where Castro was surrounded by a wreath of admirers all the time. This definitely didn't appeal to Marita.
The popularity of El Commendante evidently does not like Marita, who becomes jealous and is fed up with the constant calls from journalists wanting to meet the Cuban leader alone. It comes to the fact that at some point he shouts to the gathered journalists: No woman will cross this threshold! I will decide who we let in. I'm Marita, and this is Fidel's private apartment! Right ?!
This sudden outburst is of great importance for the further history of Miss Lorenz and Fidel's relationship. It is thanks to him that the CIA determines that his beautiful companion is an American. A plan is born at the headquarters of the Central Intelligence Agency to use her against her lover .
At the service of the Central Intelligence Agency
Frank Sturgis was delegated to implement the intricate plot. Latin American specialist, tasked with placing people favorable to the United States in local governments. In mid-1959, he manages to infiltrate the Castro brothers' closest circle and establish contact with Marita.
In August, he offers her help in freeing herself from her increasingly possessive lover. Another version says that it was the girl herself who approached him. Perhaps it was the fact that she was four months pregnant because of the fact that it was the decisive factor. . Either way, the handle clicked and Marita started working with the CIA. It mainly involved delivering secret documents to Sturgis.
Everything was going well until October 15th. On that day, the home-grown agent decides to eat dinner alone . Like writes the author of "Women dictators 2":
Fidel feels he is going to fall aside. Some time after the meal, the girl becomes weak. He has difficulty moving and thinking. He sinks into a strange half asleep. He remembers driving a car, a doctor, screaming and excruciating pain.
When she regains consciousness, she discovers that she is no longer pregnant. To make matters worse, she's covered in blood in an unfamiliar hotel room. She is only helped by Camilo Cienfuegos, one of Castro's closest friends. Unfortunately, the girl does develop symptoms of sepsis.
Havana Hilton. This is where Fidel Castro and his entourage lived after the overthrow of Batista.
Her life is saved by being transported to a clinic in New York, where she is slowly recovering. After recovering, of course, he has no intention of returning to Cuba. He goes to his native Germany. And so could the story of her romance Fidelm end. However, everything turned out quite differently.
In May 1960, an article appeared in the American biweekly "Confidential" in which Alice Lorenz (Marita's mother) accused Castro of raping her daughter. Ta, seeing that she will not run away from the past, returns to the States and resumes cooperation with the CIA.
This time he is undergoing appropriate training at a facility in Florida. He is to take part in Operation 40, , which aimed to stop communism in the countries neighboring the United States - also through attacks, if necessary.
Here is Frank Sturgis himself.
Fidel must die
In October, she learns what the task awaits her. It is the killing of Fidel Castro, who is drifting more and more towards communism. A big reward awaits her for completing the mission. As soon as the Cuban dictator gives up the ghost, two million dollars will be transferred to her Swiss account and she will become a national heroine.
On boarding the plane to Havana, she is determined to kill her former lover, who eventually loses her child to her and almost dies herself.
However, during the flight, she has doubts. She still loves Fidel and when they finally meet, instead of poisoning him, she throws herself into his arms. Then she spends the last night with him and returns to Miami without completing the assignment. Fidel doesn't even realize that he was literally one step away from death.
Source:
Trivia is the essence of our website. Short materials devoted to interesting anecdotes, surprising details from the past, strange news from the old press. Reading that will take you no more than 3 minutes, based on single sources. This particular material is based on:
- Diane Ducret, Women Dictators 2 , Znak Social Publishing Institute, Krakow 2013.