Che Guevara (1928-1967)

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna,
known as Che Guevara, was born
on 14 June 1928 in Rosario,
Argentina into a middle-class
family. He studied medicine at
Buenos Aires University and
during this time travelled widely
in South and Central America. The
widespread poverty and
oppression he witnessed, fused
with his interest in Marxism,
convinced him that the only
solution to South and Central
America’s problems was armed
revolution.
In 1954 he went to Mexico and
the following year he met Cuban
revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.
Guevara joined Castro’s ’26th July
Movement’ and played a key role
in the eventual success of its
guerrilla war against Cuban
dictator Fulgencio Batista.
Castro overthrew Batista in 1959
and took power in Cuba. From
1959-1961, Guevara was
president of the National Bank of
Cuba, and then minister of
industry. In this position, he
travelled the world as an
ambassador for Cuba. At home,
he carried out plans for land
redistribution and the
nationalisation of industry.
A strong opponent of the United
States, he guided the Castro
regime towards alignment with
the Soviet Union. The Cuban
economy faltered as a result of
American trade sanctions and
unsuccessful reforms. During this
difficult time Guevara began to
fall out with the other Cuban
leaders. He later expressed his
desire to spread revolution in
other parts of the developing
world, and in 1965 Castro
announced that Guevara had left
Cuba.
Guevara then spent several
months in Africa, particularly the
Congo, attempting to train rebel
forces in guerrilla warfare. His
efforts failed and in 1966 he
secretly returned to Cuba. From
Cuba he travelled to Bolivia to
lead forces rebelling against the
government of René Barrientos
Ortuño. With US assistance, the
Bolivian army captured Guevara
and his remaining fighters. He
was executed on 9 October 1967
in the Bolivian village of La
Higuera and his body was buried
in a secret location. In 1997 his
remains were discovered,
exhumed and returned to Cuba,
where he was reburied.

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