Che Guevara

The victims of Che poster

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (b. June 14, 1928, died October 9th, 1967) was a guerrilla Marxist leader, with Fidel Castro, of the Cuban revolution and a cultural icon for liberals, leftists and radical anarchists. Despite being a mass murderer, his image is still used as propaganda which adorns millions of t-shirts and posters as a counterculture symbol.

Early Life

Guevara was the eldest of five children born to father Ernesto and mother Cecilia in Rosario, Argentina. His schoolmates nicknamed him "pig" (Chancho) because he rarely bathed, something of which he was rather proud. He received an education in medicine and as a result was chosen to be the medic for Fidel Castro's revolution.

Cuba Revolution

Portrait by Alberto Korda.

In 1955, Guevara met with Raul and Fidel Castro to plot the overthrow of US-backed Fulgencio Batista government. Their first revolutionary plan was an assault on Cuba from Mexico. Castro promoted Guevara to commander status. He had a plan to attack 1500 Batista forces that had encircled Castro's forces. He defeated Batista's forces and marched on toward Havana. On New Years Eve 1958, Batista's forces were defeated and on New Years day, Batista fled to the Dominican Republic. Castro and Guevara became Cuba's new socialist revolutionary leaders.

Castro's Cuba

Guevara was appointed commander of the La Cabaña Fortress prison. He oversaw the trial and execution of many former Batista regime officials. Roberto Martin-Perez was imprisoned for 30 years in Castro's dungeon prison. Roberto says "Castro ordered mass murder...in order to consolidate his power." Guevara, as Castro's chief executioner, relished the slaughter of defenseless men and boys. Guevara became feared for his brutality and ruthlessness. During the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, Castro ordered Guevara to take up a command post in Western Cuba. He never saw any fighting and did not participate in the Cuban victory. However, he dropped his pistol and grazed his cheek. Guevara was the main proponent of missiles in Cuba and urged Khrushchev to nuke the United States, displaying his utter stupidity and inhumanityIn December 1964, he gave a speech before the U.N. General Assembly mocking the imperialism of the USA.

The number of executions he ordered is unknown, with conservative estimates ranging from 400 to 2,000 over his lifetime. Unfortunately, lack of records mean that the exact number will probably never be known.

South America

Guevara authored a book entitled Guerrilla Warfare. He left Cuba to lead a Communist guerrilla movement in South America. Bolivian soldiers, trained, equipped and guided by U.S. Green Beret and CIA operatives, hunted him down in the Bolivian jungle where he was captured. He said "Do not shoot! I am Che Guevara and worth more to you alive than dead." He was executed by Mario Terán, a sergeant in the Bolivian army.

Video

• The Victims of Che Guevara

Books

• Che Guevara and the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him, Humberto Fontova.
• Exposing the Real Che Guevara: The Liberal Media's Favorite Executioner, Humberto Fontova, Sentinel, April 2007 ISBN-10: 1595230270 [1]
• Che Guevara Planned Attacks Against the U.S. Humberto Fontova, Newsmax.com, November 21, 2007