Johannesburg, 10 June 2025. The Forge, a meeting place for students and intellectuals in the centre of Johannesburg, witnessed today the enduring relevance of Ernesto Che Guevara's thinking and his great influence on the Cuban revolutionary process. It was clear that Che also lives and thrives in Africa.
The cold winter did not deter the nearly 50 people who gathered in the small space to talk about Che, the human being, who travelled throughout Latin America and saw with his own eyes the injustice of the capitalist system and from then on wanted to fight it; Che the dreamer, ‘man of the future’ as Commander Fidel said, the highest example of that new man to whom we aspire to be; Che the doctor, who came to the conclusion that the best remedy for disease is the Revolution and the socialist Revolution that puts man at the centre of its development; Che the internationalist, who, being Argentinean, fought in Cuba, Bolivia and Africa for a better, fairer and more equitable world; Che who believed in Fidel's Revolution and joined it without thinking twice, leaving a historical legacy for future generations.
Part of that legacy is Cuba's internationalist vocation, which goes where it is called, where it is most needed, as the internationalist medical brigades have clearly demonstrated in more than 60 years of history. Fighting Ebola in Africa, battling Covid-19 on five continents, saving lives after natural disasters: this is what our doctors, our army of white coats, have done, bringing not death and war, but life and peace, following the enduring example of Commander Che Guevara.
This was highlighted by Bryan Betancourt, Second Secretary of the embassy, and Dr Rusbel Medina, member of the Cuban medical brigade in South Africa, who were the main speakers at the meeting. They also held an in-depth debate with the participants, who were interested in learning more about Che, about Cuba and its Revolution, about the Cuban doctors, the unsung heroes of modern times.
(Cuban Embassy in South Africa)