Che Guevara Death Day

[Orville Wrong]

40 years ago today in Bolivia.

OCTOBER 9, 1967: Early in the morning, the unit receives the order to execute Guevara and the other prisoners. Lt. Pérez asks Guevara if he wishes anything before his execution. Guevara replies that he only wishes to "die with a full stomach." Pérez asks him if he is a "materialist" and Guevara answers only "perhaps." When Sgt. Terán (the executioner) enters the room, Guevara stands up with his hands tied and states, "I know what you have come for I am ready." Terán tells him to be seated and leaves the room for a few moments. While Terán was outside, Sgt. Huacka enters another small house, where "Willy" was being held, and shoots him. When Terán comes back, Guevara stands up and refuses to be seated saying: "I will remain standing for this." Terán gets angry and tells Guevara to be seated again. Finally, Guevara tells him: "Know this now, you are killing a man." Terán fires his M2 Carbine and kills him. (Dept. of Defense Intelligence Information Report - 11/28/67).

[crank-e]

The executioner recently had cataract surgery... in CUBA! :confused:

[tobedawg]

I guess It's time to dust off my copy of "Motorcycle Diaries".. *sighs*

It's funny that a Communist Revolutionary would have so many T-Shirts and hats in his likeness, designed in sweat shops throughout the World.. ;)

[Motti]

I wish I knew about this earlier, would have smoked a Montecristo No. 4. Hasta la victoria siempre!

[Orville Wrong]

The whole story of Guevara's last months is here: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB5/index.html

It's riveting. Guevara was a shitty communist, but he wasn't a sociopath like Stalin or Mao. A true idealist, he got disillusioned with the stultifying details of the planned economy of post-revolutionary Cuba (who wouldn't) and hied off to South America to be a guerrilla again. He was a ruthless murderer of class enemies, but a populist to the end: In the last hours before his capture, as the American-trained Bolivian army unit dedicated to his liquidation closed in, he and his dwindling band gave a peasant woman 50 pesos not to inform on them, and in his diary admitted he knew she would anyway. She did.

He had been ripped by a mortar shell and had six bullets in him already when he stood to be shot.

[Duemellon]

Soldiers fight for ideologies. Leaders fight for power. Citizenry don't give a fuck as long as they're fed & feel like they'll be fed tomorrow.

[Merv Kemp]

http://www.intternetti.net/~jiri/motivation/revolutionareies.jpg

[the-dude]

http://www.intternetti.net/~jiri/motivation/revolutionareies.jpg
That is HILARIOUS!

[Measure Up!]

The whole story of Guevara's last months is here: http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB5/index.html

It's riveting. Guevara was a shitty communist, but he wasn't a sociopath like Stalin or Mao. A true idealist, he got disillusioned with the stultifying details of the planned economy of post-revolutionary Cuba (who wouldn't) and hied off to South America to be a guerrilla again. He was a ruthless murderer of class enemies, but a populist to the end: In the last hours before his capture, as the American-trained Bolivian army unit dedicated to his liquidation closed in, he and his dwindling band gave a peasant woman 50 pesos not to inform on them, and in his diary admitted he knew she would anyway. She did.

He had been ripped by a mortar shell and had six bullets in him already when he stood to be shot.

All this after he went to Congo to lead a revolution there. He had to come back shortly because, among other reasons, his fighters thought that they couldn't be killed as long as they were protected by spiritual forces. Turns out they could.

[phenrich]

This week's Economist provides a somewhat different angle on Che's life: http://www.economist.com/daily/news/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9968985&top_story=1

[silentpaul]

http://weblogs.clarin.com/cronicas/archives/CHEBART.jpg