Che Guevara was a Latin American guerilla leader and revolutionary theorist. He was considered a hero to the New Left radicals of the 1960's. He was a key player in Fidel Castro's revolution against Batista. He was captured and executed in the Bolivian jungle in 1967.
In 1949, he made one of his first trips on bicycle exploring Argentina, coming into contact with the native people for the first time. In 1951, he made a much longer journey, accompanied by a friend, all over South America. He went all over Argentina, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, and Miami,FL. He qualified in becoming a dermatologist during the National Revolution in Bolivia. He later went to Guatemala, by now being a full-fledged Marxist, but refused to join the Communist Party. This refusal didn't give Che any job opportunities. He lived with Hilda Gadea who introduced Guevara to Nico Lopez, who was one of Fidel Castro's Lieutenants. In September of 1954, he went to Mexico City and worked in the General Hospital. Hilda and Nico joined Che and he was then enticed to join Castro and his group. He had finally found a capable leader that would do what Che believed in.
By joining Castro and his group, Che was trained in guerilla warfare by the Spanish Repubilican Army. Che excelled in the teachings (thus getting the name "Che") and became one of the leaders of the class. He was one of the most intelligent guerilla officers and he was a very clever person, too. When they (Fidel's group)overthrew the Batistan government. Che became second only to Castro in the new government. By being second-in-command, he was in charge of administering the new agrarian laws, was appointed President of the National Bank of Cuba, and forced the non-communists out of the government. His policies he enacted shortly after taking his office temporarily ruined the Cuban economy.
In 1959, shortly after Castro came to power, Che married Aledia March. Together they traveled the globe, visiting many places including Egypt and India. Returning to his duties as Minister of Industry, he signed a trade pact with the USSR, and ended the Cuban sugar industry's dependance on the U.S. Market. Still interested in revolutions, he began to develop theories about how a revolution must be fought. This later led to his failure in Bolivia, and then his death. One of his thoughts was that "It is not always necessary to wait until the conditions for revolution exist: the instructional focus can create them." His Communist philosophy also led him to believe that "Man really attains the state of complete humanity when he produces, without being forced by physical need to sell himself as a commodity." His drive to aid in revolutions led him to Bolivia to try to aid their revolution.
He was successful for awhile, but then after grossly underestimating a Bolivian government force, he was captured after a battle.
He was shot a day later, some day in the middle of 1967.
His remains were found thirty years later and returned to Cuba.
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