The Marines did not have to land—Machado resigned—but his middle-of-the-night departure was followed by a bloodbath, as warring factions within the army, student groups, and organized vigilantes sought vengeance for the viciousness of the regime. Thousands were killed. One of the worst encounters took place at the Hotel Nacional, a luxurious Vedado hotel designed by McKim, Mead, and White, the prestigious American architectural firm responsible for New York’s Pennsylvania Station, the Morgan Library, the Boston Public Library, and Columbia University Library. The Nacional was a popular
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