Ernesto “Che” Guevara

1. Ernesto “Che” Guevara

2. Whois Che? • May 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967 • AnArgentinemarxistrevolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, dipomat, and militarytheorist. • Major figure of the Cuban Revolution.

3. Young che • WellRead • Jack London, Karl Marx, Jules Verne, Pablo Neruda, Federico García Lora, Walt Whitman, and MANY more. • Athletic (despitesevereasthma) • Swimming, football, golf, shooting, cycling, rugby • Medical School • Univeristy of Buenos Aires

4. WhatsparkedChe’sinterestto try and changetheworld? • “Hungerto explore theworld” • Duringcollege, took 2 longjourneysthatwouldchangetheway he viewedhimself and theeconomicconditions of LatinAmerica. • Mainlyinspiredbyhissecondtripcoveringmost of South America. • SpecificEncounterstoChangeHis View • Enragedbytheworkingconditions of theminers • Spent a night in thedesertwith a persecutedcommunistcouplewhodidnnoteveown a blanket. • “Theshiveringflesh-and-bloodvictims of capitalistexplotation” • Crushingpoverty in remote rural areas (specifically in the Andes) • Bytheend of thetrip Che didnotviewLatinAmerica as separatecountriesbut as a single continentthatneededtouniteunder a commonliberationsstrategy. • Boarderless, united

5. WhatsparkedChe’sinterestto try and changetheworld? (cont’d) • Duringhistrip: • Closecontactwithpoverty, hunger, disease • Lack of treatment/lack of money • Thethings he witnessed are whatledhimgetout of medicine and becomeinvolved in the “politicalarean of armedstruggle.”

6. Thestart of his“ArmedStruggles” • Onanothertripthrough Central & South America Che witnessedwhat he called “dominions” of theUnitedFruitCompany • Afterseeingtheconditions of theworkingclass, Che wrote a lettertoanAunt at theend he sworeonthepicture of (recentlydeceased) Joseph Stalin that he wouldseetheCapitalistcompanyvanquished. • In Guatemala, Che wasintroducedtoPresident Jacobo Árbenz Guzmán by a Peruvian, leftisteconomist, Hilda Gadea. Árbenzwastryingimprove living standardsbysayingthatunusedportions of largeland holdings wereto be giventolandlesspeasants. • Biggestlandowner of the time – UnitedFruitCompany • Che likedwhat he wasseeing in Guatemala and appreciatedtheefforts of PresidentÁrbenz so he decidedtostay in Guatemala awhile and learntheways of a true revolutionary. • Startedcontactwithexiledlinkedto Fidel Castro. • He recievedhisnickname “Che”, anArgentinevocativeusedforemphasis similar to “bro”, orthe Canadian “eh”

7. Thestart of his“ArmedStruggles” • JoinedanarmedmilitiaformedbyCommunistYouthtofightthe CIA sponseredarmy and thedictorship of Carlos Castillo Armas – quicklygottired of theinaction and returnedto medical duties. • Guevara wasmarkedformurderafterArbenztookrefuge in theMexicanconsolate . Guevara soughtrefuge in thetheArgentinianconsolateafterthearrest of Hilda Gadea, a . • Guevara madehiswaytoMexico and latermarried Hilda. • Theoverthrow of ÁrbenzhardenedGuevara’sfeelingstowardthe U.S. feelingthatthe U.S. wasopposinganygovernmentthatwastryingtofixthesocioeconomicinequalities of LatinAmerica.

8. A mindtowardsrevolution • Duringtheearly-mid 1950s Guevara was living in Mexicocity and reunitedwithseveral of the Cuban exiles he hadbefriended in Guatemala. • Wasintroducedto Raúl Castro whothenintroduced Guevara to Fidel Castro (whowasplottingtooverthrowthedictatoriship of Fulgenio Batista). • Guevara soonsigned up withFidel’srevolutionarymovement. Guevara and Fidel, despitedifferingpersonalitiesunitedundertheircommon anti-imperialismviews. • Che originallyplannedonbeingthemedicbutwendthroughthemilitary training anyway. He excelled in thewartactsbeingtaught and wascalled “thebestguerrila of themallbytheir instructor. Stilldidnot decide to be combatantuntilthefirstfirefight in the Cuban Revolution.

9. Cuban Revolution • DuringGuevara’s time living in the Sierra Maestra mountains of Cuba in the late 50s (thebeginningstages of the Cuban Revolution) he discoveredtherewere no schools, no electricity, minimalaccesstohealthcare, and more than 40 percent of theadultswereilliterate. • Duringhis time in Cuba Guevara set up healthclinics, workshopsteachingmilitarytactics, factoriestomakegrenades, ovensfor bread, organizedschools, and started a newspaper. • Gainedthetitle of “Comandante” (commander) from Fidel. (i.e. second in command) • As second in command, Che was a harsh leader whosometimesshotdefectors, deserterswerepunished as traitors, and searchedforsoldierswhowent AWOL • Becamefearedforhisbrutality and ruthlessness. • Alsotookhis role as one as teacher; readingtothefighters and makingsuretheymade time dailytoteachthesurrounding campesinos toreadanwrite (callingitthebattleagainstignorance)

10. MiddleYears • Duringthefollowingyears Guevara helpedwithchanges in Cuba, The Congo, and Algeria.

11. Bolivia • In 1966, Guevara wasthoughtto be deadbythe U.S. CIA • Disguisedhimself and took off to Bolivia • Trained in theÑancahuazúvalleybuilding a guerrilla army as the “NationalLiberationArmy of Bolivia” • Argentine-born East German operativeHaydée Tamara BunkeBider, (a.k.a. Tania) becameChe’sprimaryagent in La Paz. • The CIA Captured and executed Guevara in 1967 in Bolivia. • Thisisthebookwe are goingtoreadKilling Cheisabouttheeventsleading up tothe capture of Che.

12. Quiz • What nationality was Guevara? • Where did Guevara meet his first wife? • What dictator did Che work closely with I the 60s? • In which country was Che captured & executed? • Who captured & executed Che?

13. Quiz • What nationality was Guevara? Argentinian • Where did Guevara meet his first wife? Guatemala • What dictator did Che work closely with I the 60s? Fidel Castro • In which country was Che captured & executed? Bolivia • Who captured & executed Che? The CIA