Abstract
Operation Truth (Operación Verdad) was the Cuban Revolution’s first major intervention in the global mass media. In late January 1959, the revolutionary government invited journalists and politicians from around the world to witness the trials and executions of individuals accused of committing human rights abuses during the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship. This essay argues that Operation Truth prompted a battle of information waged to define the legitimacy of emotion and calculation as a way of supporting political action in Cuba. Operation Truth coverage judged the revolutionary leaders’ suitability as governing officials by characterizing them as bearers of a “true masculinity,” and positively or negatively judging their “Latin” identity.