Che Guevara was wounded and captured in an ambush by the Bolivian army on October 8, 1967. The next day he was executed in cold blood, on instructions from Washington. When this news was confirmed, on October 18, a solemn evening in memory of Che, in the Plaza de la Revolución de La Habana, was attended by a million people. There, Fidel Castro pronounced a sensitive speech.
In July 1997, 30 years after Che's assassination, his remains and those of some of his comrades dead with him in Bolivia were taken to Cuba and deposited in a memorial erected for that purpose in the city of Santa Clara, Cuba. On that occasion, Fidel delivered an emotional speech.
Today, more than ever before, Ernesto “Che” Guevara is revered as a symbol of rebellion, courage, dignity and honesty for his relentless fight against oppression, poverty, hunger, illiteracy and disease, imperialism, colonialism, neocolonialism and capitalist exploitation in Latin America and worldwide. His legendary existence has left us with a huge legacy and profound teachings in the path of class struggle for justice and his endless desire to create the consciousness of a "new man" driven by moral rather than material incentives.
In 1967, in Bolivia, well-known reactionary powers tried to silence “Che” Guevara, to extinguish his guiding light, to bury his example. All they accomplished was to multiply his universal presence, to amplify his voice, to make his inspiration shine bright like a shooting star in the sky.
In today's increasingly unequal world, “Che” Guevara’s ideas, optimism and perseverance are more alive and valid than ever in the hearts of all the progressive women and men of the world.
Ever Onward to Victory!.
