9 – His Death was neither Brave nor Noble
Given the heroic light he is held in according to the legend, it is no surprise to learn that the events surrounding his death are also mythologized. For example, it is claimed that he told his executioners to shoot him because “he is only a man.” The reality is very different according to people who were there. When enemy soldiers found him, he said: “Do not shoot! I am Che Guevara, and I am worth more to you alive than dead.”
The famed rebel was a pitiful sight upon capture as a lack of food and supplies took its toll while he hid in the jungle. After being caught, he was tied up and held in a local schoolhouse. During his internment, he kicked an officer who tried to take his pipe and spat at another man who tried to question him. On October 9, 1967, the President of Bolivia ordered the execution of Guevara.
According to Felix Rodriguez, who was involved in the capture of Che at La Figuera, Guevara “turned white like a piece of paper” when he went to speak with him around 30 minutes before the execution. Eventually, Che said: “It’s better this way. I should never have been captured alive.” Mario Teran, who was an alcoholic, volunteered to kill Guevara because three of his friends had died in a previous battle with the rebels.
Rodriguez ordered Teran to avoid shooting him in the head. Instead, he was supposed to make it look as if the rebel leader had died during a fight with the Bolivian Army. Teran shot him in the legs and then the torso, but in doing so, he merely added to the legend. Instead of dying as a pathetic wreck in an abandoned schoolhouse, it initially seemed as if Che Guevara had died bravely in battle.
Overall, the notion that Che Guevara was a champion of freedom is completely erroneous. He had no problem forcing the people of Cuba to work long hours for little or no pay. Che was also opposed to free speech, religion, the press, protest, and assembly. As soon as the new regime assumed power, Che was instrumental in crushing dissenting voices and ensuring Cuba remained under the iron yoke of a dictator.
Where Did We Find This Stuff? Some Sources and Further Reading
Encyclopedia Britannica – Fulgencio Batista
Encyclopedia Britannica – Fidel Castro
Independent Institute – The Killing Machine
Smithsonian Magazine – The Story Behind Che’s Iconic Photo
Human Rights Watch – Cuba: Fidel Castro’s Record of Repression
History Channel – Batista Forced Out by Castro-Led Revolution
History UK – Castro Vs Batista: The Rebellion Which Changed the World
Wilson Center – Soviet-Cuban Relations, 1960-61
Armando Valladares – Against All Hope: A Memoir of Life in Castro’s Gulag
Ernesto “Che” Guevara – The African Dream: The Diaries of the Revolutionary War in the Congo
Jacobin Magazine – Che Guevara in the Congo
Wall Street Journal – Che Guevara Was No Hero to the Many He Abused
The Conversation – Cuba Is Poor, But Who Is to Blame – Castro or 50 Years of US Blockade?
Grunge – What You Didn’t Know About Che Guevara
Apro Funk – Che’ Guevara A Racist? A Glimpse into His Diary
NDTV- ‘Do Not Shoot!’: The Last Moments of Communist Revolutionary Che Guevara
BBC – Bolivia’s Army in Dispute with Government Over Che Guevara Homage
The Guardian – Che Guevara’s Legacy Still Contentious 50 Years After His Death in Bolivia
The New York Times – Execution Still Haunts Village, 50 Years After Che Guevara’s Death
Medium – Cuba: 60 Years of Revolution, 60 Years of Oppression