Caribbean Matters: Have you heard of the failed 'Bayou of Pigs' coup attempt?

Those aware of the many invasions Caribbean nations have endured may remember The Bay of Pigs, the U.S.’s history of “interventions” in Haiti, or Ronald Reagan’s “Operation Urgent Fury” debacle in Grenada. In today’s edition of Caribbean Matters, however, we’ll be discussing the little-known and even less-remembered “Operation Red Dog,” also dubbed “The Bayou of Pigs,” due to its point of origin (and failure) in Louisiana.

Operation Red Dog was a nasty plot to overthrow the government of the island of Dominica that was foiled on April 27, 1981. The motley crew behind the failed coup consisted of white supremacists from Canada, neo-Nazis, David Duke and the KKK, far-left Caribbean radicals, and Dominican Rastas—and there’s also wide speculation about the involvement of U.S. politicians like Ron Paul!

Reminder: Dominica is not to be confused with the Dominican Republic—though back in 1981, several U.S. newscasts reporting on the failed invasion incorrectly identified it just that way.

Caribbean Matters is a weekly series from Daily Kos. If you are unfamiliar with the region, check out Caribbean Matters: Getting to know the countries of the Caribbean.