Ernesto Che Guevara was killed in custody 40 years ago, on 8th October 1967. There is no tomb built in his name. At the twentieth anniversary of the death of Che on 8th 1987, the Cuban leader, Che’s comrade in arms since they met in Mexico, said “Those who disposed of his (Che’s) body so that he would not become a symbol, those who under the guidance of the methods of their imperial masters, did not want any trace to remain, have discovered that although there is no body, nevertheless a frightening opponent of imperialism, a symbol, a force, a presence that can never be destroyed, does exist.”
When they hid Che’s body they showed their weakness and their cowardice, because they also showed their fear of the example and the symbol. They did not want the exploited peasants, the workers, the students, the intellectuals, the democrats, the progressives or the patriots of this hemisphere to have a place to go to pay tribute to Che. And in the world today, in which there is no specific place to go to pay tribute to Che’s remains, tribute is paid to him everywhere.”
Born in Rosario in Argentina in 1928 Ernesto Che Guevara entered the university and qualified as a doctor. He fell into the hands of his enemies and was murdered. A fair trial was denied to him. He was captured while fighting in Bolivia as one of the greatest internationalists of the 20th century. He once joined the freedom fighters in the Congo and fought with them hand in hand.
Young Che travelled in Latin America extensively, but not as a playful youth. He gathered first-hand information about the lives of peasants and other downtrodden masses of Latin America. This trip would have changed Che immensely, and was the beginning of his mission
In his twenties, while living in Guatemala in 1954 under the elected government of Jacobo Arbenz, he involved himself in anti-imperialist political activities. When the Arbenz government was overthrown by a CIA – organized coup, Che was forced to go to Mexico in mid-1955, where he met Fidel Castro and agreed to join his guerrilla expedition to overthrow the regime of the Cuban dictator Batista. It is said that Che and Castro became comrades-in-arms after less than five minutes of discussion. Both of them identified with each other’s hearts and minds. Che’s contribution to the Cuban revolution was unique and decisive.
Whatever the task he undertook, Che always accomplished it with the utmost dedication. He was intelligent, innovative and creative. Che, a workaholic, spent sleepless nights reading and writing. His intellectual capacity can be traced in his works. He always wanted to be a perfect example of a man building socialist society.
Among the workers Che was one of them. Among the peasants he was one of them. Among the intellectuals he was a revolutionary intellectual. When he appeared before the General Assembly of The United Nations he was a fine diplomat. Addressing the United Nations he said “peaceful co-existence is not the right of only the developed countries but it is also the right of poor countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Voluntary work in Cuba was the brainchild of Che. He saw voluntary work as essential and inseparable in preparing man to achieve victories for the society. He believed that voluntary work goes hand in hand in a socialist society. He always believed that man could be convinced to serve the mankind selflessly and that personal gains are not necessary to encourage and man.
An uncompromising anti-imperialist, Che Guevara always wished for the early destruction of Imperialism, the main enemy of mankind. He foresaw the victory of the Vietnamese Revolution and its destructive effect on imperialism. He appealed to the anti-imperialists the world over to: “CREAR DOS, TRES, MUCHOS VIETNAMES” (Create Two, Three, more Vietnams).
Che wanted to devote himself to creation of more Vietnams. That is why he fought the imperialists hand in hand with liberation fighters in the Congo. That is why he left Cuba for Bolivia to launch the anti-imperialist guerrilla war. Che sacrificed his life in his final sacred mission against imperialism.
Che was impatient. But he was not an adventurist.
