Che Guevara
On the 14th of May 1928, Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born into an upper-class family in Rosario, Argentina. His father, a staunch supporter of Republicans from the Spanish Civil War, hosted veterans in their home filled with more than 3,000 books. Young Ernesto developed an affinity for the poor despite his privileged background and suffered from acute asthma throughout his life. He excelled as an athlete, playing rugby under the nickname Fuser and participating in local chess tournaments by age 12. In 1948, he entered the University of Buenos Aires to study medicine while interspersing his studies with long introspective journeys that would fundamentally change his worldview.
His first expedition in 1950 covered 4,500 kilometers on a bicycle equipped with a small engine through rural northern Argentina. Later that year, he spent six months working as a nurse at sea on merchant freighters and oil tankers. The second journey began in 1951 when he took a year off from medical school to travel 8,000 kilometers across South America with friend Alberto Granado. They aimed to volunteer at the San Pablo leper colony in Peru but instead witnessed crushing poverty in remote areas where peasant farmers worked small plots owned by wealthy landlords. Guevara described shivering communist couples who did not even own blankets as victims of capitalist exploitation. These experiences convinced him that helping people required leaving the realm of medicine for political action.
Guevara arrived in Guatemala City on the 7th of July 1953 after traveling through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador. He settled there in January 1954 under President Jacobo Árbenz, whose democratically elected government enacted major land reform programs redistributing uncultivated portions of large land holdings to landless peasants. The United Fruit Company lost more than 200,000 acres of uncultivated land to these reforms. Guevara decided to make his home in Guatemala to perfect himself and accomplish whatever was necessary to become a true revolutionary.
In May 1954, a ship carrying infantry and light artillery weapons dispatched by communist Czechoslovakia arrived in Puerto Barrios. The United States responded by saturating Guatemala with anti-Árbenz propaganda through radio broadcasts and air-dropped leaflets while bombing raids began using unmarked airplanes. On the 27th of June, Árbenz resigned under pressure allowing Carlos Castillo Armas and CIA-assisted forces to march into Guatemala City and establish a military junta. The new regime rounded up suspected communists and crushed previously flourishing labor unions. Guevara joined an armed militia organized by communist youth but soon returned to medical duties when frustrated by the group's inaction. After Árbenz took refuge in the Mexican embassy, Guevara sought protection inside the Argentine consulate before receiving a safe-conduct pass weeks later. This coup cemented his view that Marxism achieved through armed struggle was the only way to rectify socioeconomic inequality endemic to Latin America.
Guevara met Raúl Castro in Mexico City on the 6th of July 1955 who subsequently introduced him to Fidel Castro during a long conversation that night. Before daybreak he had signed up as a member of the 26th of July Movement despite planning initially to serve as combat medic. He underwent arduous 15-hour marches over mountains across rivers and through dense undergrowth learning hit-and-run tactics of guerrilla warfare. General Alberto Bayo named him the best guerrilla of them all after scoring highest on all tests given.
They set out for Cuba aboard the Granma on the 25th of November 1956 attacking Batista's military soon after landing where many of the 82 men were killed or executed upon capture leaving only 22 survivors. During this initial bloody confrontation Guevara laid down his medical supplies and picked up a box of ammunition dropped by a fleeing comrade proving symbolic in his life. Only a small band survived to regroup deep in the Sierra Maestra mountains where they received support from urban guerrilla networks and local campesinos. As supplies diminished and mosquito bites resulted in agonizing walnut-sized cysts on his body, Guevara considered these the most painful days of the war yet he became an integral part of the rebel army convincing Castro with competence diplomacy and patience.
Castro named Guevara commander of the La Cabaña Fortress prison for a five-month tenure running from the 2nd of January through the 12th of June 1959. He reviewed appeals of those convicted during revolutionary tribunal processes conducted by two to three army officers an assessor and a respected local citizen. On some occasions the penalty delivered was death by firing squad. One of the first public executions ordered by Guevara involved Colonel Rojas chief of police in Santa Clara whose officers had held out against rebels until the last moment of fighting during the Battle of Santa Clara.
Rojas' family received a letter implying safe departure but Guevara ordered him executed on the 7th of January 1959. When footage aired on television Rojas' family screamed as he was shot becoming one of the first killings ever broadcast globally. Between 1,000 and 20,000 Cubans were estimated killed under Batista's collaborators while several hundred people were executed nationwide during this time with Guevara's jurisdictional death total ranging from 55 to 105. In a February 1959 letter to Luis Paredes López in Buenos Aires Guevara stated unequivocally that executions by firing squads were not only necessary for the Cuban people but also an imposition of the people.
Guevara became Minister of Industries and President of the National Bank placing him at the zenith of economic power within Cuba. He signed currency bills solely Che signaling his distaste for money and class distinctions it brought about. His long-time friend Ricardo Rojo remarked that day he literally knocked the props from under widespread belief that money was sacred. The government established the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA) which quickly became most important governing body administering land reform laws.
Before 1959 Cuban literacy rate stood between 60-76% with educational access limited in rural areas lacking instructors. The Cuban government dubbed 1961 year of education mobilizing over 100,000 volunteers into literacy brigades sent into countryside constructing schools training new educators teaching predominantly illiterate guajiros peasants to read and write. By campaign completion 707,212 adults had been taught raising literacy rate to 96%. To eliminate social inequalities Guevara emphasized creating el Hombre Nuevo selfless cooperative obedient hardworking gender-blind incorruptible non-materialistic anti-imperialist citizen motivated by moral rather than material incentives replacing pay increases abolished by him with certificates of commendation or pay cuts.
Castro sent Guevara out on three-month tour starting the 12th of June 1959 covering mostly Bandung Pact countries including Morocco Sudan Egypt Syria Pakistan India Sri Lanka Burma Thailand Indonesia Japan Yugoslavia Greece plus cities Singapore and Hong Kong. In Jakarta he visited Indonesian president Sukarno discussing revolution of 1945, 1949 establishing trade relations bonding as both shared revolutionary leftist aspirations against Western imperialism. He spent 12 days in Japan from 15 to the 27th of July participating negotiations expanding Cuba's trade relations refusing visit lay wreath at Tomb Unknown Soldier commemorating soldiers lost during World War II instead stating Japanese imperialists killed millions Asians.
Instead Guevara visited Hiroshima where American military detonated atomic bomb 14 years earlier sending postcard home stating fight better for peace one must look at Hiroshima. Upon return September 1959 it became evident Castro held more political power while affected wealthy cattlemen mounted campaign denouncing communist encroachment joining newly disaffected rebel leader Huber Matos. Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo offered assistance Anti-Communist Legion Caribbean training Dominican Republic composed mostly Spaniards Cubans Croatians Germans Greeks right-wing mercenaries plotting topple Castro regime.
Guevara left Cuba in 1965 fomenting continental revolutions across Africa South America coordinating African liberation movements exile such MPLA Angola MNR Congo-Brazzaville stating Africa represented one more important fields struggle forms exploitation existing world. He envisioned crafting alliance African leaders Ahmed Ben Bella Algeria Sékou Touré Guinea Kwame Nkrumah Ghana Julius Nyerere Tanzania Gamal Abdel Nasser Egypt fostering global dimension ensuing continental revolution Latin America first unsuccessfully Congo-Kinshasa later Bolivia captured CIA-assisted Bolivian forces summarily executed the 9th of October 1967.
His experiences studying Marxism-Leninism led posit Third World underdevelopment dependence intrinsic result imperialism neocolonialism monopoly capitalism remedies proletarian internationalism world revolution. Despite disagreements legacy Time named him one 100 most influential people 20th century Alberto Korda photograph titled Guerrillero Heroico cited Maryland Institute College Art most famous photograph world. Guevara remains revered reviled historical figure polarized collective imagination multitude biographies memoirs essays documentaries songs films perceived martyrdom poetic invocations class struggle desire create consciousness new man driven moral rather material incentives evolved quintessential icon various leftist movements critics political right accuse promoting authoritarianism endorsing violence political opponents.
Up Next
Common questions
When and where was Ernesto Guevara de la Serna born?
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born on the 14th of May 1928 in Rosario, Argentina. He entered an upper-class family that hosted Spanish Civil War veterans and contained over 3,000 books.
What events led Che Guevara to abandon medicine for political action?
Che Guevara abandoned his medical career after witnessing crushing poverty during two major journeys across South America between 1950 and 1952. These experiences convinced him that helping people required leaving the realm of medicine for direct political action against capitalist exploitation.
How did the Guatemalan coup influence Che Guevara's revolutionary ideology?
The United States-backed coup on the 27th of June 1954 cemented Che Guevara's view that Marxism achieved through armed struggle was the only way to rectify socioeconomic inequality. This event transformed his perspective from a doctor into a committed revolutionary who believed violence was necessary to change Latin American conditions.
Who introduced Fidel Castro to Che Guevara and when did they meet?
Raúl Castro met Ernesto Guevara in Mexico City on the 6th of July 1955 and subsequently introduced him to Fidel Castro. That same night Che Guevara signed up as a member of the 26th of July Movement despite initially planning to serve as a combat medic.
What were the results of the Cuban literacy campaign led by Che Guevara?
The Cuban government mobilized over 100,000 volunteers during 1961 to teach reading and writing to rural peasants known as guajiros. By campaign completion 707,212 adults had been taught raising the national literacy rate from between 60-76% to 96%.
When and how did Che Guevara die during his final mission in Bolivia?
Che Guevara was captured by CIA-assisted Bolivian forces and summarily executed on the 9th of October 1967. He had traveled to Bolivia to coordinate continental revolutions but failed to establish a successful guerrilla front before his death.