Che Guevara

Early Life

-born 1928, grew up in Argentina-Leftist upbringing-“affinity for the poor”-very intellectual- read numerous literary/poetic greats-motorcycle journey across S. America-got medical degree-realized armed struggle was more important

Cuban Revolution

-moved to Mexico where he met Fidel Castro

-guerilla war to remove Batista- “U.S puppet whose strings needed cutting”

1956- 82 men invade Cuba

March through mtns.- ambushes, recruitment, organizing schools, health clinics

Brilliant military strategist- “Castro’s brain”

Brutal discipline- executed deserters, spies

“Che ran out to me, defying the bullets, threwme over his shoulder, and got me out of there.The guards didn’t dare fire at him. Later, theytold me he made a great impression on them, and when they saw him run out with his pistolstuck in his belt, ignoring the danger, they didn’t dare shoot.”

Communist Cuba

-take Cuba in 1959

-oversaw dozens of executions of traitors

war criminals with popular support

-debates over due process

-Lead land redistribution- limited holdings to 1,000 acres

-took 480,000 acres owned by U.S. corp.

-U.S. bans sugar imported from Cuba, later-* Bay of Pigs*

-raised literacy rates from~68% to 96%, higher edu. access

Philsophy

-Bring about intrinsic motivation for work-led by example- long hrs at ministry, in construction, cutting sugar cane-certificates for meeting quotas, pay cuts for not-capitalism- “contest among wolves” “one can only win at the cost of others”-”Man truly achieves his full human condition when he produces without being compelled by the physical necessity of selling himself as a commodity”

Controversey

-Work reforms- less productivity, greater desertion-facilitated Soviet missile setup -felt betrayed by Soviets, thought imperialist liberation worth possibility of “millions of atomic war victims” -Soviets “forgotten Marx”-had differences w/ “pragmatist” Castro -saw Soviets as corrupt, pre-monopolist -more ideologically “pure”

Onward

Left Cuba in 1965 to fight in Congo after Patrice Mumumba assassinated -Left due to corruption, lack of will-Fought in Bolivia -unknown- C.I.A. trained military-Captured, executed- 1967

Legacy

-Icon-Cuban Revolution- continuing effects-Comparable to Castro?-Polarizing- Fighter for Equality vs. Brutal Communist-Cold War