The Cohba cigar era began when Castro noticed the cigars smoked by his bodyguard Bienvenido "Chicho" Perez. Castro noticed that Perez frequently had a "very aromatic, very nice" cigar. Castro inquired about what brand of cigar he smoked, and Perez replied that they were hand rolled by a good friend of his, and that friend would be glad to roll some especially for Fidel, as gifts.

The friend Perez mentioned was the director and also a worker at Havana's La Corona cigar factory in Havana. His name was Eduardo Rivera, and Castro asked if he would become his personal cigar producer. He and five other cigar rollers that he chose personally were set up in the former diplomatic mansion called El Laguito (Spanish language for the little lake) in a suburb of Havana. Security at this cigar factory was tightly controlled, since these cigars were meant for the dictator himself. Only high-ranking officials and the pre-screened workers were allowed into most areas of the factory. A short time later, this same factory became the first cigar factory to be completely staffed by women torcedoras, (cigar rolling workers.)

The cigars produced in El Laguito were set aside for Castro and other high-ranking communist party and Cuban officials. They also were were presented frequently to foreign dignitaries as gifts.

With all of the fears and rumors of the United States CIA attempting to assassinate Fidel Castro, security became even tighter at the factory and surrounding the Cohiba cigars that he smoked. They were made under secretive and extremely secure conditions, especially the long and thin cigars that were Fidel's favorites for him personal smokes. Though never proven, it is alleged that the CIA contemplated planting explosives in Castro's cigars as a means to assassinate him.

For more information about Cuban cigars, please visit Cohiba Cigars