Che Guevara
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna
 ( 1928 – 1967 )
 Born June 14, 1928,
in Rosario, Argentina
Studied at the
University of Buenos Aires
Political Activist in native Argentina,
Guatemala, Bolivia and Cuba
Revolution For The Human Being
“His commitment to the revolution is explained first of all
by his desire to liberate humanity from the invisible cage in
which society encloses men and women when they are
condemned to remain only wolves to other men and
women. Socialism (Communism) has no meaning – and
cannot triumph – if it does not represent a project for
civilization, a social ethic, a model of a society totally
agnostic to the petty values of individualism, fierce
egotism, competition, the war of all against all in a
capitalist system. His approach to the revolution is above
all a matter of human encounters.”
(Olivier Besancenot and Michael Lowy, 32)
Che Guevara and Fidel Castro
_______________________________________
In 1954, he met Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and his brother Raul while in Mexico.
Guevara became part of Fidel Castro's efforts to overthrow the Batista government in
Cuba. He served as a military advisor to Castro and led guerrilla troops in battles
against Batista forces. When Castro took power in 1959, Guevara became in charge of La
Cabaña Fortress prison. It is estimated that between 156 and 550 people were executed
on Guevara's extra-judicial orders during this time.
Later, he became president of the Cuban national bank and helped to shift the country's
trade relations from the United States to the Soviet Union. Three years later, he was
appointed minister of industry. Guevara left this post in 1965 to export the ideas of
Cuba's revolution to other parts of the world.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMHDXRordYQ
___________________________
“I don't know if the Cuban
revolution will survive or not. It's
difficult to say. But [if it doesn't] . .
. don't come looking for me among
the refugees in the embassies. I've
had that experience, and I'm not
ever going to repeat it. I will go out
with a machine gun in my hand, to
the barricades. . . I'll keep fighting
to the end.”
–
Ernesto 'Che' Guevara
“The life of a human being is worth more than all the gold of the richest man on Earth”
Bolivia
In 1966, he began to try to incite the people of Bolivia to
rebel against their government, but had little success. With
only a small guerrilla force to support his efforts, Guevara
was captured and killed in La Higuera by the Bolivian army
on October 9, 1967.
“If you tremble IndIgnatIon at every InjustIce then you are a comrade of
mIne.” – Ernesto Che Guevara
Since his death, Guevara
has become a legendary
political figure. His name is
often equated with
rebellion, revolution, and
socialism. Others, however,
still remember that he could
be ruthless and ordered
prisoners executed without
trial in Cuba. Guevara's life
continues to be a subject of
great public interest and
been explored and
portrayed in numerous
books and films, including
The Motorcycle Diaries
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIku1y_effg
(2004).
Work Cited
Besancenot, Olivier. Che Guevara - His Revolutionary Legacy. New York: 2009. 32. Print.
CHE. Dir. Steven Soderbergh." Perf. Benicio Del Toro, . IFC Films: 2008, Film.
"Che Guevara Biography." Bio True Story (A&E Television Networks) (2011): 1. Web. 4 Apr 2011.
<http://www.biography.com/articles/Che-Guevara-9322774>.
"Ernesto 'Che' Guevara ." IMDB (1990): 6. Web. 4 Apr
2011.
<http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0346466/bio>.