(June 14th 1928- October 9th 1967)
“Hasta la Victoria, Siempre!”
Over 40 years have passed since Ernesto “Che” Guevara wrote those words in his letter to Fidel Castro. In the time since, Guevara’s image, as famously captured by photographer Alberto Korda, has become ubiquitous with the word “revolutionary”. In nearly every corner of the world youth of all colors, nationalities, religious backgrounds, and financial status paid tribute to Che on the recent anniversary of his CIA sponsored assassination. That he has influenced generations of students and scholars, Latinos and non-Latinos worldwide is without question. However, though much of the world now views Che Guevara in a favorable light, this was not always the case. To this day, in the hearts and minds of many Cubans and anti-communists, it still isn’t. He is either worshipped or reviled depending on whom is asked. Surely though, when it comes to Ernesto “Che” Guevara, emotions do not seem to reside in any middle ground.
Beginnings:
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in Argentina on June 14th, 1928. Though troubling asthma hampered him, Guevara was active both in sports and the classroom. His parents fostered an environment of progressive free thinkers and poetic expression for their 5 children, Guevara being the oldest of the bunch. The poetic speeches that young Ernesto would later become famous for were rooted in a household that nurtured his interest in fiction and poetry.
Guevara was an avid admirer of the seminal Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda. Later in life Neruda, himself a leftist, would come to write extensively of the “great loss” that was Guevara’s life upon Che’s death. Ironically, among Guevara’s belongings at his time of execution was a notebook containing many of Che’s favorite works of poetry, including some of Neruda’s own work.
Road Trip:
Fast forward to January 4th, 1952 where Che at the age of 23 interrupted his medical studies in order to join his good friend Alberto Granado as they embarked on a cross-continental motorcycle trip through South America on a small 500cc bike they came to call La Poderosa II. Historians agree that this trip was instrumental in establishing the social and political beliefs of the mature Ernesto Guevara.
In an interview with National Geographic, Carlos M. Vilas, a history professor at the Universidad Nacional de Lanús in Buenos Aires, Argentina noted, “His political and social awakening has very much to do with this face-to-face contact with poverty, exploitation, illness, and suffering” both Guevara and Granado encountered repeatedly throughout this trip.
The trip itself is what many feel is the most romanticized aspect o Guevara’s life: At this time, a young handsome studious Argentine medical student traveling the Americas without much money on the adventure of a lifetime with his good friend.
Guevara maintained a detailed diary of his travels during this period that was later published under the name “The Motorcycle Diaries”.
Che would be compelled to travel yet again in July of 1953. During the trip Guevara witnessed firsthand the role of U.S. interference in Latin American affairs with the CIA initiated coup d’état attempt in Guatemala. This was Che’s first view at the imperialistic identity attributed to the U.S in Latin America during that time period.
It was also on this soul-searching trip that Ernesto Guevara would come to meet the brothers Castro, Fidel and Raul. In the very near future, these three men would dramatically alter the political landscape of Latin America and extend the reach of Communism into the United States’ backyard.
Batista and the Brothers Castro:
In November of 1956 Che alongside Fidel, Raul and a handful of Cuban dissidents going by the name 26th of July Movement set sail from Mexico to invade the island of Cuba aboard the now historic ship, Granma. Tired of Fulgencio Batista’s oppressive regime, the small group of revolutionaries was determined to put an end to Batista. By January of 1959, the 26th of July Movement emerged victorious.
By most accounts, Guevara was instrumental throughout the fighting. Fidel and Raul held the man in high esteem, so much that Fidel anointed Che an official Cuban citizen shortly after defeating Batista’s forces. It is after this new socialist Fidel Castro led government is in place that Guevara began to cement his international reputation of revolutionary fighter.
1959 would be the year that el Che would come to cement his legacy of true revolutionary. Being charged with command of the famed fortress La Cabana by Castro, Guevara ordered and at times participated in the deaths of hundreds of men (perhaps well over a thousand men, by some counts) not sympathetic to the new Castro government. Though it is needless to say, that there has yet to be seen a revolution without spilled blood, many historians agree the executions at La Cabana were the darkest moments of the Castro & Guevara led revolution.
The events at La Cabana fortress as well as el Che’s roles in the deaths of the persons there have been hotly debated through time. Some say those executed were the worst of Batista’s regime. Others maintain there were many innocent men (and perhaps teenage boys) that were personally executed by Guevara himself.
However, Guevara’s heart was never into running governments. After a failed stint as President of the Bank of Cuba among other bureaucratic positions, he decided to look for other revolutionary causes where he may be of greater help. With a heavy heart, he chose to leave Cuba and Castro shortly afterwards.
Revolutions Abroad:
For a short period in 1965, Che Guevara wound up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, then known as the Congo. There, Guevara tried to implement his brand of guerilla warfare on the Laurent-Désiré Kabila led fighters attempting to seize power in the wake of a post-Patrice Lumumba Congo. This was not a successful mission on Guevara’s part to say the least. He lasted less than a year and was not enamored with Kabila nor any of his troops. The feelings were likely mutual.
Describing his time in the Congo in his diary The African Dream, Che begins the book with the words, “This is the history of a failure”.
Bolivia, Felix Rodriguez, the CIA and the End:
Upon returning to Cuba after the Congo debacle, Che had his eyes squarely focused on the next revolucíon. As early as February of 1967 Guevara was in Bolivia attempting to lead an insurgency versus the Renee Barrientos led (and U.S backed) Bolivian government. It was here in Bolivia that el Che would come to meet his demise.
This coup would not prove as easy as that of the Batista regime 10 years earlier. The CIA was well aware of Guevara’s whereabouts and intentions and this made all the difference. The principal CIA operative being a Cuban by the name of Felix Rodriguez, was hell bent on bringing down Guevara. Rodriguez’s family had ties to Fulgencio Batista’s regime prior to Castro & Co. taking over the island and due to this, the man was decidedly anti-Castro.
After spearheading the failed Bay of Pigs Invasion, Rodriguez seized on the opportunity to strike a large blow to the Latino Communist movement in Bolivia. With relative ease, Rodriguez and Bolivian Special Forces troops were able to track down and capture Guevara and his men. On October 9th, 1967 Guevara was unceremoniously executed at the hands of the Bolivian army while in capture. Much has been made of both the Central Intelligence Agency’s role in Guevara’s death. It has been argued that el Che’s death was a CIA sanctioned execution as opposed to being killed in action. It has also long been rumored that Rodriguez wore Guevara’s Rolex for many years after his death, personally confiscating it from Guevara’s corpse.
el Che, circa 2007:
To this very day the Korda captured image of Ernesto “Che” Guevara, has endured as a controversial symbol. It has been seen on t-shirts worn by college kids and Jay-Z. Madonna emulated the image on her album cover. Mike Tyson tattooed it on his ribs. Babies wear onesies with the image emblazoned on the front. To many around the world, it is symbolic of a person that gives himself to a cause. To others, it is the face of a ruthless man with a totalitarian heart.
Hollywood has taken on both sides of Che’s reported duality with the Robert Redford directed “The Motorcycle Diaries” chronicling his formative journey through Latin America. Andy Garcia showed the darker side of Che in “The Lost City” where Che’s character can be seen zestfully killing at La Cabana with impunity. And coming in 2008, Benecio del Toro will play Guevara in two separate major motion releases, “Guerilla” and “The Argentine”. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 most influential persons of the past century.
Regardless of the views held of him, his influence undoubtedly continues to be seen, heard and felt to this day.
