Che Guevara - A Latin Revolutionary Icon

Being a bio-science student then, I always wondered who Che Guevara was, since my college days. I thought that he was some kind of music rock star or some Hollywood celebrity. I noticed his images on almost everything, right starting from t-shirts to blotches and magazines. His images were mostly used for commercial purposes and even I was gifted with a blotch with his image on by my closest friend.   

(Photo courtesy: trcs.wikispace.com)

Through his biography by Richard L. Harris, Ph. D (Professor of California State University) I came to know that Che Guevara is a renowned revolutionary leader in Latin American countries. He was named Ernesto Guevara de la Serna and was born to an Argentine family on June 14, 1928. He completed his medical studies in Argentina and he was politically interested especially in anti-imperialism and was a pro-Marxist. In the middle of his medical studies, he expedited on motor bike with his friend Alberto Granado almost all around the Latin American countries. Thereafter, he published his note ‘The Motorcycle Diaries’ and the diary led to the production of a film.

His motorcycle expedition around Latin America caught his attention on the injustices of the miners and common people, since then he got to be the anti-imperialist, which he desired to be one. He too had a love story to which he got married thrice and had about five children.  

Che leading a prosaic lifestyle, had been successful in enforcing the famous Guerilla warfare with his friend Fidel Castro. Since then Che became an outstanding guerilla fighter and got promoted to a commandant, top ranked post in Guerilla warfare. The guerilla force has brought revolution in Cuba and Congo, where the force had gained some public support. Che had held some great posts such as president of Central bank of Cuba, Minister of Industry and the Head of Cuban Mission in Asia, Europe and South American countries. He even spoke at the United Nations General Assembly on the crisis in the Congo.

Che and his forces had a successful revolution in Congo and Cuba but his Guerilla forces failed in bringing the revolution in Bolivia. Later, while establishing his core camp in Bolivia, he was captured in 1967 and then executed by the Bolivian armies and authoritarians despite the US CIA protest against his execution. Bolivian government although had a tough time deciding the fate of Che, they somehow with some reasonable sense had Che shot in the prison. To the general public, the government revealed that Che died of the wounds that he acquired during the Guerilla warfare. So for around some decades, none knew about Che burial until the discovery of his burial remains in 1997 in Bolivia and thus the remains were returned to Cuba.

The Times Magazine included Che as the one of the most influential 100 people of the 20^th century. Even to these days many leaders in Latin America and others pays homage and tribute to Che and some leaders has also adopted to follow Che’s anti-imperialist ideologies. Nowadays his images are found in almost all around the world with the impression on many surfaces. With his heroic looks and his historic actions, he still tends to be an inspiration to many younger generations around the world. He was an intrepid leader! Che is a great source of inspiration to me!

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