Che Guevara was
a Marxist revolutionary who aligned himself alongside Fidel Castro who went on
to become an iconic cultural hero. He was born in Argentina, and studied
medicine before traveling in South America, observing the conditions that
spurred his Marxist beliefs. He helped Fidel Castro overthrow the Cuban
government and then headed to Bolivia where he hoped to lead the Bolivian
people to rebel against their government, but the effort was met with apathy by
most. With only a small guerrilla force to support his efforts, Guevara appealed
to Castro for help, but Castro turned a deaf ear. Castro surely approved of the
idea of peasant revolts, but it was he, Castro, who wanted to be seen as the
leader, not Guevara. Guevara was captured and killed in La Higuera by the
Bolivian army on October 9, 1967. Since his death, Guevara has become somewhat
of a legend and you can find his face on t-shirts at various stores…just the
kind of capitalistic endeavor that he hated so much and fought against. Of
course as with the case of many, Guevara’s image has been romanticized through
the years. It is thought that he ordered the deaths of many while in Cuba.
