I decided to find out about him a bit more inspired by one of our discussions at my spanish class called: 'Spanish Conversation and Culture' - where we discuss cultural, historical, political events as well as books, songs, and films - all in Spanish language.
Everybody has seen Che's famous image printed either on T-shirts or on notebooks' covers. I knew who he was but never really made an efford to discover what's more behind the image, until now. Here is a reason behind my recent ignorance. I come from a place where we were forced to communism and my country was very much under control of then-powerful USSR, and during my childhood and early teenagehood a lot was happening (without getting into details). Having learnt/ read as well about atrocities and horrors of post-revolution in China, Russia, and of post-world-war communism installation in easter european countries (including my country) I think I cannot be blamed for a bit of reluctance towards the subject; putting anything-communism related into the same pot.
Going back to the subject of Che. He is a hero of Latin America and after reading the book I understand why. The book has been a fascinating read, Che being a fascinating character (which does not mean I am convinced he was all that goody goody). It gave me an insight of the situation Latin America was in the 40's, 50's and 60's.
In the introduction, the author introduces the image of Che as a hero quoting her own sister's words: "His death touched us all. He transcended ideology (...). Che (...) stood up for his continent against immense odds. He was one of us. We could identify with him. He had rejected privilage and power. And when he went to his death, he possessed nothing. Like Gandhi. Like Christ."
I have seen the film 'Motorcycle diaries' about his first long trip around Latin America and I loved it and loved the character of young Ernesto (nicknamed 'Che' later in his life) - a medical student suffering from severe asthma, and a very sensitive soul, noticing all the injustice that was around. During that trip he started to have a dream of a united Latin America, seeing all Latin Americans as his brothers.
I have also watched a documentary 'The true story of Che' which showed him from a completely different angle than the book above. They showed a lot of negatives, mentioned a lot about executions, punishments of fellow fighters under his command, about him being very rough as a doctor and presented him as a stuck-up radical communist who presumably fell out with Castro (and they suggest in the film he left for Africa because of that). And yet in another documentary that I have seen, which was mainly about Fidel Castro, Che was very clearly portrayed as a hero.
This particular biography book was written by a fellow argentinian - Lucía Álvarez de Toledo - and she obviously admires Che. It seems to me that certain actions or behaviours are a bit sugar-coated in the book. For example his unfair treatment of his first wife, or the excuses in relation to executions and punishments. Unfortunately, I have not read any other biographies about him so cannot compare, but it is just the impression that I get. It still does not change the fact that this book - his biography is very interesting. Che's personality was very charismatic and millions love him till now. He hated imperialism and all it represented, which in case of Latin America meant real abuse of the Latin American countries and their habitants. So, he decided to fight for what he believed in - for the people and justice, for liberation of Latin world from the USA influence.
Here are some interesting quotes from the book:
"For Ernesto, the soul of a people was reflected in the sick who were in hospital, those in custody at police stations or the passers-by with whom he struck up a conversation during his travels". (when he was a student)
"I am neither Christ nor a philanthropist, I am exactly the opposite of a Christ...for the things I believe in I fight with all the weapons within my reach and I try to leave my opponent flat on the floor, instead of letting me be nailed to a cross or to any other place." (in his letter to his mother - while he was in custody in Mexico - before going to Cuba to fight)
"There are those who accuse Che of enjoying the executions, of being a sadist who went around cracking skulls and organising mock executions. I hesitate to trust these accounts because they originate with the enemies of the revolution, people who were forced to leave their country because they disagreed with Castro politically or because they were US employees and had lost their livelihood. They might well demonise those whose ideology differed from theirs." (Che's times at La Cabaña¨, where he "set up a tribunal...to judge the enemies of the Cuban people.." It was claimed "that he sent thousands to their death").
"But he thought that the only way to uphold their fragile revolution was to send its enemies before the firing squad and not allow any political or humanitarian plea to affect his decision."
"Time would prove that all Castro ever wanted was his island. Once he got it, he would do everything within his power to hand on to it - something he has done successfully for almost fifty years. At the time of the Revolution, he managed to persuade the Cuban people he truly was the embodiment of Cuban nationhood: unlike Batista, he was not an American stooge and under his tutelage their island would no longer be a casino and whorehouse. It would be for the Cuban people. In this he was different from Che, who wanted to end capitalism, exploitation, imperialism, foreign domination, racism, US supremacy, hunger, illiteracy and inequality wherever it was found. Che wanted the world and he was prepared to die for it."
"Sartre (Jean-Paul Sartre) would famously say after Che's death that he considered him the most complete man of the century."
"Che believed that underdevelopment was not what came before development but what some nations had to endure because others were developed at their expense."
"His vision of the New Man differed from the vision of Marx, Lenin and even Mao, all of whom had written about the concept. For him, the material incentives and the profitability the Soviets advocated for their enterprises, at the centre of the Soviet economy, were not advancing the cause of socialism. According to Che, it was a chimera attempt to arrive at socialism using the tools of capitalism. He felt there was a better way, a more efficient one to arrive at communism, via the New Man. This man would understand that one should not work for the accumulation of material goods, something which was egotistical and individualistic. He would know that it was his selfless moral duty to work for society, and that society would in turn look after him and his family. To create this New Man, the revolution had provided for the eradication of illiteracy and a comprehensive healthcare system for all. Che so totally believed this to be the case that, when he left for his campaign in the Congo, he wrote a forewell letter to Castro stating he was not leaving his wife and children anything material because he knew the revolution would look after them."
"...quoting from Martí: 'The best form of saying is doing'."
"...from Che's ashes rose San Ernesto de la Higuera, who has performed a miracle or two and to whom Bolivian campesinos pray to this day. For the black population of Cuba, who were forcibly transported to the island as slave labour and are still practicing Santería, the religious rituals of their Yoruba faith, he joined the pantheon of Ologún and is worshipped alongside Yemanyá, Oshún and Oxalá.
For the rebellious youth of the 1960's, Che had already become the poster boy of campuses across the Americas, a symbol of revolt against the status quo and the Vietnam War.
For the consumer societies of the Western world, obsessed with celebrity, he became the face on the compulsory T-shirt churned out by merchants who know a good deal. It is ironic that the very system he tried to destroy is keeping his image alive today."
"He died for the future (...). His intention was to create a civilised society by changing himself first, thus proving that it is possible for anyone else to do the same thing. He started life as a carefree upper-class Argentine boy in search of fun and adventure, and became a revolutionary who fought on behalf of the downtrodden of two continents and laid down his life for his fellow man and for his beliefs."
"What makes Che so attractive - and why his photo remains empowering for the youth of today - is that he was always true to himself. He went to his death like a man, almost cheerfully. His turn had come and that was that. He meant it when he said, 'Wherever death may surprise us, it will be welcome, provided this, our cry of war, has reached a receptive ear and a hand extends to pick up our weapon."
"Sartre (Jean-Paul Sartre) would famously say after Che's death that he considered him the most complete man of the century."
"Che believed that underdevelopment was not what came before development but what some nations had to endure because others were developed at their expense."
"His vision of the New Man differed from the vision of Marx, Lenin and even Mao, all of whom had written about the concept. For him, the material incentives and the profitability the Soviets advocated for their enterprises, at the centre of the Soviet economy, were not advancing the cause of socialism. According to Che, it was a chimera attempt to arrive at socialism using the tools of capitalism. He felt there was a better way, a more efficient one to arrive at communism, via the New Man. This man would understand that one should not work for the accumulation of material goods, something which was egotistical and individualistic. He would know that it was his selfless moral duty to work for society, and that society would in turn look after him and his family. To create this New Man, the revolution had provided for the eradication of illiteracy and a comprehensive healthcare system for all. Che so totally believed this to be the case that, when he left for his campaign in the Congo, he wrote a forewell letter to Castro stating he was not leaving his wife and children anything material because he knew the revolution would look after them."
"...quoting from Martí: 'The best form of saying is doing'."
"...from Che's ashes rose San Ernesto de la Higuera, who has performed a miracle or two and to whom Bolivian campesinos pray to this day. For the black population of Cuba, who were forcibly transported to the island as slave labour and are still practicing Santería, the religious rituals of their Yoruba faith, he joined the pantheon of Ologún and is worshipped alongside Yemanyá, Oshún and Oxalá.
For the rebellious youth of the 1960's, Che had already become the poster boy of campuses across the Americas, a symbol of revolt against the status quo and the Vietnam War.
For the consumer societies of the Western world, obsessed with celebrity, he became the face on the compulsory T-shirt churned out by merchants who know a good deal. It is ironic that the very system he tried to destroy is keeping his image alive today."
"He died for the future (...). His intention was to create a civilised society by changing himself first, thus proving that it is possible for anyone else to do the same thing. He started life as a carefree upper-class Argentine boy in search of fun and adventure, and became a revolutionary who fought on behalf of the downtrodden of two continents and laid down his life for his fellow man and for his beliefs."
"What makes Che so attractive - and why his photo remains empowering for the youth of today - is that he was always true to himself. He went to his death like a man, almost cheerfully. His turn had come and that was that. He meant it when he said, 'Wherever death may surprise us, it will be welcome, provided this, our cry of war, has reached a receptive ear and a hand extends to pick up our weapon."
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