publicized 2006General source · 2 sourcesDebated
Cuba's Count: 638 Alleged Plots
On the timeline · around publicized 2006 ·
What happened
Fabián Escalante, the former head of Cuba's counterintelligence tasked with protecting Castro, claimed there had been some 638 plots and schemes to kill him over the decades (634 in his book) — a figure popularized by the 2006 documentary '638 Ways to Kill Castro.'
Why it matters
The '638' number became legendary, capturing the sheer scale of the effort — even as it vastly exceeds the eight plots the United States has officially confirmed.
How we know
The figure comes from Cuban intelligence sources and cannot be independently verified; it is far higher than the number substantiated by US investigations.
Sources
- South China Morning Post. 638 Ways to Kill Castro · General source
- NBC News. Fidel Castro and the CIA's 7 Most Bizarre Assassination Attempts (2016) · General source