Read this biography to learn about Che Guevara, the Latin American Marxist revolutionary who was executed in 1967.
Subjects:
Themes:
Revolutionary
Born: 14 June 1928
Died: 9 October 1967 (execution)
Birthplace: Rosario, Argentina
Best known as: Latin American Marxist revolutionary
Name at birth: Ernesto Guevara de la Serna
Ernest "Che" Guevara worked and studied medicine in various parts of Latin America before teaming up with Fidel Castro in 1959 to force a revolution in Cuba. After the revolution, Guevara was second only to Castro in power. In 1965 he left Cuba and travelled the world, working unsuccessfully toward Marxist/Leninist revolutions in the Congo and Bolivia. Known for his flamboyance and ruthless dedication to revolution, Guevara became an anti-capitalist icon in the 1960s. He was captured in Bolivia by U.S.-backed military forces and executed in 1967.
Extra credit: Guevara's remains were discovered in Bolivia in 1997 and moved to a mausoleum in Cuba... He was played by actor Benicio Del Toro in the 2008 film Che, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
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Enrichment Activities
- Define: Marxism, capitalism, revolution, and icon
- Write a report about Che Guevara's influence in world politics.
- Research the lives, political careers, and philosophical beliefs of Fidel Castro, Karl Marx, and Lenin.
