| On October 1967, the Bolivian army, assisted by the | | | | 1954 where he first met Fidel Castro. The next is the |
| CIA agent Félix Rodríguez murdered | | | | history of Ernesto Guevara's transformation to |
| Che Guevara in the remote Bolivian mountains. After | | | | Commandante 'Che' Guevara. |
| the murder, they dismembered his two hands from the | | | | In Algiers on 24 February 1965, Che delivered his last |
| body and preserved them in formaldehyde. The | | | | public speech to the "Second Economic Seminar on |
| reason was to maintain a CIA style proof for the | | | | Afro-Asian Solidarity" where he said: |
| disbelievers about his death. On 1997, thirty years later, | | | | "We cannot be indifferent to what happens anywhere |
| in the Bolivian town of Vallegrande, a team of Cuban | | | | in the world, for a victory by any country over |
| and Argentine scientists dug up a grave of seven | | | | imperialism is our victory; just as any country's defeat |
| skeletons. An olive army jacket shrouded the scull of | | | | is a defeat for all of us. The practice of proletarian |
| "Skeleton No. 2," which was lying face down without | | | | internationalism is not only a duty for the peoples |
| the hands. Watched by the silent crowd of journalists | | | | struggling for a better future, it is an inescapable |
| and local folks, a Cuban member of the team bowed | | | | necessity. If the imperialist enemy, American or any |
| his head in respect and removed the olive jacket. | | | | other, develops its attack against the underdeveloped |
| Several Cuban scientists broke down in sobs. Patricia | | | | peoples and the socialist countries, simple logic |
| Bernardi, one of the three Argentine forensic | | | | determines the necessity of an alliance between the |
| anthropologists on the excavation team clarified, | | | | underdeveloped peoples and the socialist countries. If |
| "Everyone was overcome with emotion, not just the | | | | there were no other uniting factor, the common enemy |
| Cubans. Che was such a mythic figure." (Ref: | | | | should be it." |
| Newsweek July 21, 1997, p.17-23) His remains returned | | | | Today, most of the socialist countries of 1965 had |
| to Cuba and finally lay to rest at Santa Clara, the | | | | erased off themselves but the fortitude to carry |
| legendary city where Che had won the decisive battle | | | | ahead proletarian internationalism is the true legacy of |
| of the Cuban Revolution. | | | | Comandante 'Che' Guevara. 'An inescapable necessity' |
| In the recent years, the consumer culture has on | | | | as Che had emphasized in his last speech. The post |
| purpose transformed Che as its dearest icon, an icon | | | | 1997 hype has intentionally tried to bury this spirit. |
| of rebellion. This trend has aggravated from the eve | | | | Without any doubt, we greatly need the iconic |
| of the 30th anniversary of his death in the nineties. The | | | | presence of Che Guevara today but for different |
| Walter Salles directed film The Motorcycle Diaries | | | | reasons. We want him as our symbol of inspiration for |
| released in 2004 and based on the young Guevara's | | | | the anti-imperialist struggle we are fighting from |
| early travels through Latin America received a lot of | | | | different corners of the globe. We want him to inspire |
| media hype. The original book, also a surprised hit, sold | | | | us to believe in our hearts, that a new and better world |
| very well in America and Europe. This year a nearly | | | | is achievable. We want our children to know about this |
| four-and-a-half-hour long epic film directed by Steven | | | | utterly honesty and selfless human being, a tireless |
| Soderbergh on Che, was premièred at Cannes | | | | fighter who was born in Argentina, played an essential |
| in May and expected to be another hit as the film, | | | | role in the revolution of Cuba and to free Congo and |
| according to media reports, stresses his last days in | | | | Bolivia devoted all his efforts and ultimately, life. |
| Bolivia and also is prominently featuring Che's comrade | | | | In the farewell letter to his children, Che had written: |
| in arms Tania. Che merchandises has flooded the | | | | Grow up as good revolutionaries.... Remember that the |
| markets of Northern America and Western Europe | | | | revolution is what is important, and each one of us, |
| with Che branded T-shirts, posters, cigars, cigarettes, | | | | alone, is worth nothing. |
| coffee mugs, baseball caps, wristwatches and liquor | | | | Above all, always be capable of feeling deeply any |
| bottle labels. It is paradoxical that after murdering Che, | | | | injustice committed against anyone, anywhere in the |
| America transformed him to a profit-earning | | | | world. This is the most beautiful quality in a |
| commodity. | | | | revolutionary. |
| Che's resurrection as a popular icon has nothing to do | | | | Orlando Borrego, one of Che's closest confidants |
| with the ideals for which he lived and died. He was | | | | during the early years of the revolution said, "In a world |
| born in an aristocratic family, educated as a doctor but | | | | of ferocious competition and consumerism, some |
| turned instead a dynamic revolutionary, a dreamer, | | | | element of humanity is still looking for a hero with |
| who had dreamed to erase inequality from the world. | | | | values". Erroneous interpretation of these 'values' which |
| His journey on the revolutionary path started in 1951 | | | | largely facilitated the process of making the 'Che icon' |
| while traveling through Latin American countries on the | | | | is apparently innocent looking but has an evil design |
| motorcycle La Poderosa II where Che witnessed | | | | behind. It must be deeply condemned and strongly |
| extensive poverty, oppression and misery of the | | | | prevented. Wearing a Che T-shirt is not the way to |
| common people. He also developed the viewpoint to | | | | show our respect for this great man. Similarly, by |
| perceive the entire Latin America as a single entity, not | | | | decorating our walls and computer screens with the |
| as a group of separate nations. This travel experience | | | | Alberto Korda photograph after shedding his ideological |
| and his study of Marxist literature were forming his | | | | or political significances aside will not make us |
| world outlook. Later in 1953 on a trip through Bolivia, | | | | revolutionaries. Not even a true sympathizer for the |
| Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, | | | | great cause. Christopher Hitchens's intention is amply |
| Honduras, and El Salvador he finally arrived at | | | | clear when he writes, "Che's iconic status was |
| Guatemala. It was here that Ernesto Guevara de la | | | | assured because he failed." Here, we want to raise |
| Serna will acquire the nickname 'Che' through which, in | | | | the other question to this former socialist: did Che really |
| the later days he will be known worldwide. In | | | | failed? |
| Guatemala, President Jacobo Arbenz was leading a | | | | At the end let us recall what Fidel said in his speech at |
| democratically elected government, rarity for this | | | | the mass meeting in memory of Che on 19 October |
| continent, and through land reforms and other social | | | | 1967: |
| initiatives he was trying to redress the country's | | | | "If we want to say how we want the men of future |
| socio-economic inequality against the looming US | | | | generations to be, we should say: let them be like Che. |
| dominance. But the Arbenz regime was overthrown | | | | If we want a model of a man, a model of a man who |
| soon by a coup d'état backed by the CIA in | | | | does not belong to his time, a model of a man who |
| 1954 and Guevara, a close witness of the events was | | | | belongs to future times, from the heart, I say that the |
| now convinced that only armed revolution was the | | | | model, without a single blemish in its conduct, without a |
| only solution for a better world. He also realized by | | | | single blemish in its attitude, without a single blemish in |
| heart that United States would never allow any | | | | its actions - that model is Che. |
| government to exist who attempts to change the | | | | If we want to know how we want our children to be, |
| socio-economic inequality and will always | | | | we should say, with all our mind and heart: we want |
| whole-heartedly try to destroy it. From Guatemala, | | | | them to be like Che. |
| Che arrived in Mexico City in the early September of | | | | |