Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
Ernesto Guevara’s life is extraordinary. More famously known as ‘Che’, the Argentinean revolutionist traveled around South America with communist troops in the hope of overthrowing the Cuban Government, and his story is still very much a part of Cuban life today.
His ventures have been documented through his personal journals and manuals, such as The Motorcycle Diaries and Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War, and his biography has also been presented on film.
For many people, however, passively learning about Guevara’s accomplishments is simply not enough, and enthusiasts often take the initiative to travel the ‘Che Trail’ around America in an attempt to experience his historical journeys first-hand.
At the wake of the release of director Steven Soderbergh’s two part film series, simply titled Che, Kay Taylor outlines the most influential aspects of Guevara’s life, including his development of guerilla warfare, attempts to invade Cuba and his eventual capture and execution in Bolivia.
Ernesto Guevara was born in 1928, and in 1953 he began traveling around South America on a motorbike, following his graduation at university. Taking the more un-traveled paths of Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala, Guevara witnessed the immense poverty of the American people living there.
The sights and experiences of this trip largely affected him, as the inhumane conditions that people were forced to live in was something that he hadn’t personally encountered growing up in middle-class Argentina.
He was also angered by the fact that Cuba’s army General, Fulgencio Batista, had overthrown the Cuban president, and vowed to do something to rectify the situation.
In 1955, Guevara met fellow revolutionist Fidel Castro, whose movement aimed to invade Cuba and promote communism. Whilst hatching their plans, Guevara and Castro built a secluded hide-out in the Sierra Maestra mountains, which are visited today through the Adventure Company’s ‘Che Trail’.
The Santa Clara region of Cuba now holds host to the Guevara mausoleum and museum, which displays items including his iconic beret and leather jacket, amongst other things.
Guevara and Castro recruited peasants to support their movement, something which Guevara stressed to be of utmost importance towards succeeding in a revolution. He also taught people about guerilla warfare, as he believed that violence was an essential part of a revolutionary movement.
The pair were subsequently captured and put in jail, but their feats were by no means over. After their release, Guevara and his followers invaded central Cuba in 1958, and Fidel Castro’s government was born.
Now a Cuban citizen, Guevara was credited as being one of Castro’s most influential politicians. During his time in government, he published some of his most famous material, including Guerrilla Warfare in 1961, which was transcribed for American President John F. Kennedy, and Guerrilla Warfare: A Method in 1963.
In 1966, after resigning from his position as a politician, Guevara took his guerilla warfare to Santa Cruz in Bolivia, but his movement was not strong enough to overcome the Bolivian troops.
He was captured and executed on October 9, 1967, aged 39, and his death marked the beginning of the legend that is ‘Che’.
He was once reported as saying: “The decisive moment in a man's life is when he decides to confront death. If he confronts it, he will be a hero whether he succeeds or notâ€.
Nowadays, people remain fascinated by the in-depth issues of conflict and discovery surrounding Guevara’s conquests. His travels around Peru, Lima and the Peruvian Amazon are re-lived by thousands through his Motorcycle Diaries, and from visiting the destinations themselves.
Many people explore the Amazon forests on foot and by canoe to discover the region’s abundant nature, and the area in Bolivia where Guevara was killed acts a reminder to anyone who has been affected by his life’s movements.
While Guevara died over forty years ago, his story and influences still live on, with Cuba remaining to be an independent communist country.
By Kay Taylor