The Outsiders / "Che"
Guevara
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Ernesto "Che" Guevara
While still in school, Guevara became involved in agitation against the Argentinean dictator Juan Peron. Afterwards, Guevara traveled to many countries like Peru, Bolivia, Panama, Costa Rica where he cultivated relations with leftist movements. In 1953, Guevara joined the leftist regime of Jacobo Arbenz Guzman in Guatemala. After Arbenz was overthrown by the extreme-right and the CIA (1954), Guevara met Fidel Castro in Mexico and joined his revolutionary cadre, training Castro's forces in guerrilla warfare. Guevara fought alongside Castro during the Cuban revolution, quickly becoming Castro's main adviser. When Castro came to power in 1959, he conferred Cuban citizenship on Guevara, who then formally adopted his nickname "Che'' (which means "hey you''). Guevara held several important posts in the Castro government. First, he served as president of the National Bank of Cuba (1959-1961). Then he became minister of industry (1961-65). He was responsible for land redistribution and for the nationalization of industry. He took more interest, however, in revolutionary warfare to spread communism in Latin America. Later, Guevara leaded guerrilla warfare activities in Zaire ( former Belgian Congo) and other African countries. An avid Marxist, Guevara persuaded Castro to align Cuba with the Communist nations. In 1965 Guevara dropped from public view and little was heard about him .He had gone to carry on revolutionary activities elsewhere. Guevara chose Bolivia as a starting point for his revolutionary war. He planned to trigger a revolution that would overthrow the government. After this objective was achieved, Bolivia would become a haven for revolutionary movements in the surrounding countries. However, Guevara did not enjoy the warm reception he expected. The communist party shunned him, and the peasants of the region where he started his guerrilla campaign mistrusted him. In 1967 his group was destroyed by Bolivian forces in Vallegrande near Santa Cruz, and Guevara was captured and hurt in one leg. Inside the Vallegrande High School, Guevara lay wounded and defeated, a prisoner of the Bolivian Army. There to interrogate him was a Cuban-American agent of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Felix Rodriguez. Guevara was executed and buried in an unknown location on October 9, 1967, becoming a martyr of mythical proportions, especially to left-wing students nations around the world. The failure of his attempt ended Cuba's hope of revolution in Latin America. In 1995, Mario Vargas Salinas, a retired general of the Bolivian Army, decided to end the silence and mystery of where Che and his comrades had been buried. Excavations were held near Vallegrande, but Guevara's remains were not found. On June 18, 1997 the remains of Ernesto (Che) Guevara were discovered along with those of his comrades. Once confirmed that the remains found were those of Guevara, they were transported to Cuba to receive Christian burial and homage. Ernesto (Che) Guevara writings include Guerrilla Warfare (1961) and Guerrilla Warfare: A Method (1966). Bibliography (Alejandro Masferrer,"Como la CIA ubico al Che Guevara en Bolivia...desde el cielo", El Diario/La Prensa, 05-28-1995, pp PG. * Johnson E. Fairchild, GUEVARA, CHE (1928-1967)., Vol. 11, Colliers Encyclopedia CD-ROM, 02-28-1996. * Luis Escobar," Se rompe el misterio sobre el cadaver del Che Guevara", El Diario/La Prensa, 11-25-1995, pp PG.* Gorriti, Gustavo, "Beyond the epics of failure: The post-utopian Left", Vol. 36, Journal of Interamerican Studies & World Affairs, 04-01-1994, pp 157. *The Academic American Encyclopedia (1996 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia Version), 1996 Grolier, Inc. Danbury, CT.) |
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