"I think, Che was not only the intellectual, but also the most complete person of our epoch."
Jean-Paul
Sartre.
This is a short essay about Che Guevara's life. It was made in order toobtain a good grade for my Writing English class, and, because I had wantedto know more about this man. I decided to talk about him, because I thinkhe is a perfect example of a man who never gives up, no matter what, thatbelieves in equality for everyone and that is disposed to die, if he has todefend his ideals. Nowadays, Che Guevara becomes a legend. I am going totalk about his life, and how he died for the world deeply convincing in histhoughts. He reflected of his mission in this life like helping out othersto be free and to get their rights back from oppressive governments, andeven though of his failure, his ideals are still alive.
Ernesto Guevara was born on June 14th, 1928 in Argentina. His parentswere members of privileged middle class. Elder Guevara engaged in acampaign to stop Nazi propaganda in the America. His mother was equallyoutspoken. Several times she had been arrested for her political activismand, like her husband, would always support her son in his revolutionarycareer.
When Ernesto was 2 years old, he turned asthmatic and his family had tomove to the countryside, where his father tried to heal him teaching himsports like football, baseball, swimming, and rugby. During grade school
Guevara's decease forced him to receive much of his education at home fromhis parents. Che became interested in literature, philosophy and physicalactivities. Especially, he was fond of travelling. In fact, in 1952, hedecided to travel through Argentina with a friend riding a motorcycle. In
1947 he entered to the University of Buenos Aires in order to become adoctor. In 1951, after taking his final exams from the university, he madea much longer journey: he visited Chile, where he met Salvador Allende,
Peru, where he worked for some weeks in the San Pablo leprosarium,
Colombia, where he was arrested but soon released, Venezuela, and Miami. Hereturned home with his absolute sure of one thing, that he did not want tobecome a middle-class ordinary doctor. He qualified, specializing indermatology, and went to La Paz, Bolivia, during the National Revolutionwhich he condemned as opportunist, because those revolution establishedproamerican government. From there he went to Guatemala, earning his livingby writing archaeological articles about Maya ruins.
In Guatemala, Ernesto worked as a doctor in a health program. Suddenly,the American troops invaded Guatemala. In these days he became "Che". Hegot this nickname from some his Cuban friends in 1953. The most importantthing of this trip was that he got to know Marx's theory. Guatemala'sgovernment made him outlaw as a dangerous communist and he escaped in theembassy of Argentina, and two months later, went to Mexico. He arrived to
Mexico on September 21st, 1954.
There, in Mexico-City, Ernesto met Fidel Castro, who convinced him toparticipate in the Cuban Revolution. They began to prepare for a revolutionin the special camp, where they learned combat and tactic training. Afterfew months, Fidel decided to invade Cuba. There were eighty-two men whenthey boated in the ship and secretly sail to the Cuba. They got land in
December 3, 1956, but were assaulted by Cuban army and, unfortunately, onlyfifteen men survived. Castro's rebels waited till recovering wounds in themountains and then started to act. Country population supported rebellionsby giving them food and new recruiters. They began to take some areas undertheir control and Castro carried out agrarian and social reforms that werehold by Cuban people. Che was one of the best and lucky commanders who wonfew important fights against Batista's army. In addition, he served as thetroop doctor. This civil war lasted for three years (1956-1959), andfinally, on January the 1st, the rebels won. They entered to Havana, anddictator Batista fled to Dominican Republic.
Che Guevara became the second man in Cuban government after Castro. Hegot Cuban citizenship, and organized and directed the National Institute of
Agrarian Reforms to carry the new agrarian laws expropriating the largelandholders; ran Department of Industries and occupied President of the
National Bank of Cuba. He negotiated and signed commercial contracts withthe Soviet Union and others socialistic countries. When there was Caribbeancrisis, he got bad attitude for the Soviet Union, because of Khrushchev'sdecision to remove nuclear weapon from Cuba. He thought that USSR was on hewrong way using their principle of peaceful co-existing.
Soon, Che lost his interest in management of Cuban economy, because ofsome fails in the results, and in the end of 1963; his duties were limitedto international relationships. He was like a "revolutionary ambassador".
He undertook government's diplomatic tour visiting many countries and wassent to represent Cuba at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
However, revolution movement called Guevara, who tired of being politicalfigure. It was better for him sneaking in the jungles with AK-47 thansitting at the bureaucrat's table. He disappeared from social life and wentto Africa trying to raise revolution forces. Regrettably, his African tripwas unsuccessful. He couldn't organize left forces there and was compelledto return back to America.
Che's final revolutionary adventure was in Bolivia. In April 1967 heillegally came to Bolivia with small group of guerrilla's fighters. At thebeginning, everything was good: there was organized strike of themineworkers and rebels won several fights. Soon, CIA came to help o
Bolivian dictatorship regime, and in the October Che's group were seizedand almost terminated. Che Guevara was wounded and captured. The next dayhe was executed. His body was hidden and only in 1997 it was found andburied in Cuba.
After his death, he was instantly transformed into an icon of therevolutionary commitment and heroism. He was type of man who persistentlymoves to the aim. His aspiration to life didn't have the borders. Che
Guevara was "a man of total integrity, a man of stoic and Spartan livinghabits ". Despite of his failures in economic and diplomacy, he served as aconvincing symbol of the dedicated revolutionary whose actions were alwaysin harmony and moral ideals. He died for these ideals.
Selected bibliography:
1. Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. - Che Guevara. NY, 1989.
Internet web sites:
1. http://www.che-lives.com/
