1967: Ernesto “Che” Guevara
October 9th, 2008 Headsman
As of 1:10 p.m. Bolivia time this date in 1967, Ernesto “Che” Guevara was no longer a man: he was only a god.
The Argentinian-born doctor turned Cuban revolutionary icon and the man who wrote the book on guerrilla warfare had put abroad to foment insurgency. His efforts in the Congo foundered; his bid to replicate the Cuban revolution in Bolivia was doing likewise when he was captured.
After holding him overnight, the government sent a coded order to execute him in the field. Che had done the same thing with his own hands to several who betrayed the Sierra Maestra guerrillas.
Soldier Mario Teran drew the short straw for a footnote to destiny; when he hesitated, Che chastised him with the legendary parting words “that someone invented or reported”:
“Shoot, coward, you’re only going to kill a man.”
Maybe so, but the man looked Christ-like when they put his body on display for the press. As certain as they made his death, still Che lives.
CIA asset (and George Bush Sr. confidante) Felix Rodriguez took his watch as a trophy. The rest of Che Guevara belongs to the world.*
This site could hardly attempt a definitive rendering of such a towering and controversial figure, a task fit for two, three, many biographies.
Lengthy video documentaries are here and here. Many of Che’s own words are collected here. Declassified U.S. National Security Archive documents relating to his capture and death are here.
And highly recommended is SovMusic.ru’s huge library of Che Guevara mp3 files — like this Francesco Guccini song:
* Especially, of course, its marketers.
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Also On This Date
Possibly Related Executions
- 1945: Benito Mussolini, his mistress, and his aides
- 1922: Robert Erskine Childers, for carrying the gun of Michael Collins
- 1871: The Paris Commune falls
Entry Filed under: 20th Century, Arts and Literature, Bolivia, Capital Punishment, Cuba, Cycle of Violence, Death Penalty, Doctors, Execution, Executioners, Famous, Famous Last Words, Guerrillas, History, Infamous, Intellectuals, Martyrs, Myths, No Formal Charge, Notable Participants, Politicians, Popular Culture, Power, Revolutionaries, Shot, Soldiers, Summary Executions, Wartime Executions
Tags: 1967, alberto korda, che guevara, christ, cia, communism, counterinsurgency, cuban revolution, ernesto che guevara, felix rodriguez, fidel castro, francesco guccini, george bush, icon, mario teran, marketing, national security archive, october 9, photography
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13 Comments Add your own
1. Matthew | October 9th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Good riddance.
2. David | October 9th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
A “towering” figure?
A “task fit for…many biographies” ?
The man was a pathological killer.
Your judgment is now suspect.
3. Headsman | October 9th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Your judgment is now suspect.
Oh, noes!
It’s willing to inform on other judgments! It just wants to cooperate!
4. ExecutedToday.com »&hellip | October 13th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
[...] — winning a post-coup 1963 election by the comfortable margin of 100-0 — and met with Che Guevara during the latter’s African mission, while also setting up the first stirrings of [...]
5. ExecutedToday.com »&hellip | October 22nd, 2008 at 1:58 am
[...] Che Guevara [...]
6. ExecutedToday.com »&hellip | November 27th, 2008 at 1:21 am
[...] Che Guevara would say of the martyrs, “El único delito era el de ser cubano” — “Their only crime was to be Cuban.” [...]
7. Rubin | April 2nd, 2009 at 1:44 am
Another prophet of our times killed. His struggle seems very relevant today. The same bastards that he fought and put him in the ground, today have dragged us all down a financial toilet.
Viva la’revolucion
8. Eugene RUS | April 7th, 2009 at 3:31 am
CIA American cowards = of the pig
9. esonner | April 16th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
At last Ernesto “Che” Guevara is finally a GOOD COMMUNIST. What I do not understand is why the young Fascists do not wear Pol Pot on their T-shirts. The ony difference between these two is that Saloth Sar aka Pol Pot lived long enough to put his ideals (same as Che’s) into practice.
10. MackPap | June 19th, 2009 at 2:44 am
Essoner, someone should tell you about a country called Cuba. Somehow, ol’ Pol Pot Guevera’s pals forgot to murder a million or so of their fellow citizens after their revolution in Cuba. Maybe they just haven’t got around to it, and will start this week.
11. Anthony | June 29th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Not much of a comeback, MackPap. Guevara wasn’t in charge and indeed he expressed comfort with the idea of killing large numbers of people. Fidel was in charge and wasn’t as fanatical and “pure” as Guevara. Of course Castro didn’t kill anywhere near as many people for political reasons as did Pol Pot. He incarcerated lots, but on the large scale he only enslaved them, so there you go.
Anyway, pretty even-handed post by the headsman, I would say. I would quibble with calling a failed medical student a “doctor.”
12. ExecutedToday.com »&hellip | October 31st, 2009 at 1:35 pm
[...] embodied the underbelly of the American dream to the likes of Stephen King and Bruce Springsteen. 20. October 9, 1967: Ernesto “Che” Guevara - One of the posts most frequently sought out by visitors viewing a second or third page. Play the [...]
13. cubanfreedom fighter | November 8th, 2009 at 5:57 pm
My favorite pictures of “El Che” are at http://mikeely.wordpress.com/2009/10/13/understanding-che-guevara-42-years-after-his-murder/
I can’t wait to see similar portraits of Chavez, Castro and Raul. The worst thing about it is the wait. VIVA CIA, VIVA NSA, VIVA USA!!! que morir por la paria es vivr!!!
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