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This article needs review ASAP. Please view [[Talk:Legacy_of_Che_Guevara#Article_needs_to_be_totally_reviewed.2C_and_all_political_references.2C_unrelated_to_Guevara.2C_removed.|talk section]]. |
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[[File:Flags of the world with Che.jpg|thumb|320px|Protestors carrying a mosaic of national flags bearing the ''[[Guerrillero Heroico]]'' likeness of Che Guevara.]] |
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The legacy of Argentine [[Marxism|Marxist]] revolutionary [[Che Guevara]] (June 14, 1928 – October 9, 1967) is constantly evolving in the collective imagination. As a ubiquitous symbol of [[counterculture]] worldwide, Guevara is one of the most recognizable and influential revolutionary figures of the twentieth century. However, during his life, and even more since his death, Che has elicited controversy and wildly divergent opinions as to who he was and what he represented. Mostly revered and occasionally reviled, he is passionately characterized along the entire continuum as everything from a heroic defender of [[Oppression|the poor]], to a cold-hearted [[executioner]]. Admired, sanctified, romanticized and derided, his crystallized status as either a brilliant intellectual or a violent ideologue is usually dependent on where one falls along the [[left-wing|left]] and [[right-wing|right]] of the [[political spectrum]]. The debate around his legacy is further complicated by the fact that Guevara exists simultaneously as several different entities, both literal man and global emblem, leading to disputes between what people contend he did and what he now represents. |
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==Written legacy== |
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::''See also: [[Che Guevara#List of English works|Che Guevara's list of works]]'' and [[The Motorcycle Diaries (book)|''The Motorcycle Diaries'']] |
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Guevara's extensive written legacy includes intellectual writings on radical [[Marxist]] politics and [[social theory]], military/[[guerrilla warfare]] strategy and tactics, diplomatic memos, books, speeches, magazine articles, letters, poetry and diaries, as well as official documents preserved in Cuban government archives. Che's practical and theoretical work had a profound political impact around the globe during the second half of the 20th century, especially in the developing world, where revolutionary organizing and [[anti-colonial]] struggles were inspired by his thought and example.<ref>[http://mostlywater.org/index.php?q=commandante_ernesto_che_guevara_1928_1967 Commandante Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928–1967)] by ''The Mostly Water Collective''</ref> As a consequence, his writings have been translated into hundreds of different languages. |
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==Martyrdom and sanctification== |
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{{further2|[[Che Guevara in popular culture#In religion|Saint Ernesto]]}} |
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{{Quote box|"Che was not only a heroic fighter, but a revolutionary thinker, with a political and moral project and a system of ideas and values for which he fought and gave his life. The philosophy which gave his political and ideological choices their coherence, colour, and taste was a deep revolutionary humanism. For Che, the true Communist, the true revolutionary was one who felt that the great problems of all humanity were his or her personal problems, one who was capable of "feeling anguish whenever someone was assassinated, no matter where it was in the world, and of feeling exultation whenever a new banner of liberty was raised somewhere else. Che’s internationalism -a way of life, a secular faith, a [[categorical imperative]], and a spiritual "nationality"- was the living and concrete expression of this revolutionary Marxist humanism."|— [[Michael Löwy]], author of ''The Marxism of Che Guevara: Philosophy, Economics, Revolutionary Warfare'' <ref name = "Löwy">[http://www.internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article1144 The Spark that does not Die] by [[Michael Löwy]], ''International Viewpoint'', July 1997</ref>}} |
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[[File:Che Guevara statue closeup.jpg|thumb|150px|right|Statue of Che Guevara near the site of his execution in [[Bolivia]].]] |
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In 1967, while pictures of Guevara's dead body were being circulated and the circumstances of his death debated, his legend began to spread. Demonstrations in protest against his execution occurred throughout the world, and articles, tributes, songs and poems were written about his life and death.<ref>[[File:Loudspeaker.svg|11px]] Carlos Puebla: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/spanish/audio/seriemilenio02e.ram "Hasta Siempre, Comandante"]</ref> Latin America specialists advising the [[U.S. State Department]] immediately recognized the significance in the demise of "the most glamorous and reportedly most successful revolutionary", noting that Guevara would be eulogized by communists and other leftists as a "model revolutionary who met a heroic death."<ref name = "Rusk">[[United States State Department|U.S. Department of State]]: [http://www.companeroche.com/index.php?id=108 Guevara's Death, The Meaning for Latin America] pg 6. October 12, 1967: Thomas Hughes, the Latin America specialist at the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research providing an interpretive report for Secretary of State [[Dean Rusk]].</ref> |
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British politician [[George Galloway]] has remarked that "one of the greatest mistakes the US state ever made was to create those pictures of Che's corpse. Its Christ-like poise in death ensured that his appeal would reach way beyond the turbulent university campus and into the hearts of the faithful, flocking to the worldly, fiery sermons of the [[Liberation theology|liberation theologists]]."<ref>George Galloway [http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/george-galloway-should-che-be-an-icon-yes-396109.html "Should Che be an icon? Yes"], ''The Independent'', October 6, 2007</ref> [[The Economist]] magazine has also pointed out how Che's post death photos resemble [[Andrea Mantegna]]'s ''[[The Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Mantegna)|The Lamentation over the Dead Christ]]''. Thus fixing Guevara as a modern saint, the man who risked his life twice in countries that were not his own before giving it in a third, and whose invocation of the "new man", driven by moral rather than material incentives, smacked of [[Ignatius of Loyola|Saint Ignatius of Loyola]] more than [[Marx]].<ref>[http://www.economist.com/displayStory.cfm?story_id=9947002 Che Guevara: Modern Saint and Sinner"] by ''[[The Economist]]'', Oct 11, 2007</ref> |
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This rung true the following year in 1968 when among [[Italy]]'s emerging new breed of Roman Catholic militants, named the Jacques Maritain Circle arranged a memorial [[mass (liturgy)|mass]] in Che's honor and Catholic services were held for him in several other countries. In addition, in [[Brazil]], mythmakers began to circulate thousands of photograph copies of a dead Che captioned "A Saint of Our Time".<ref name = "Cult" /> Italian students took up a similar tone and christened Guevara an "Angela della Pace" – "[[Angel]] of Peace."<ref name = "Cult">[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,838357,00.html The Cult of Che] by Time, May 17, 1968</ref> Regardless of Che's non-sanctifying failures and contradictions, or the obsolescence of his methods and ideology, the potency of his "messianic image", with its "symbolic" and "religious quality", continues to inspire many throughout the World.<ref name = "Messiah" /> |
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==1960s & 70s symbol of rebellion== |
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{{Main|Guerrillero Heroico}} |
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{{Quote box|"Through the image, the complexities of Che's life and thought are reprocessed into an abstraction that can serve any cause. It has been painted as graffiti in Bethlehem, carried in demonstrations from [[Palestine]] to [[Mexico]] and borrowed by such artists as [[Pedro Meyer]], [[Vik Muniz]], [[Martin Parr]] and [[Annie Leibovitz]]. It has been used to represent causes as diverse as world trade, [[anti-Americanism]], teenage rebellion and Latin American identity."|— [[Isabel Hilton]], ''[[New Statesman]]'' <ref name = "Messiah">[http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2007/10/che-guevara-image-revolution Still a Messiah?] by Isabel Hilton, ''[[New Statesman]]'', October 4, 2007</ref>}} |
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Guevara, who has been variously described as "the rock-hero biker revolutionary", "the martyr to idealism", and "[[James Dean]] in fatigues";<ref name = "Messiah" /> became a potent secular symbol of rebellion and revolution during the [[May 1968 in France|May 1968 protests in France]]. In the view of ''[[The Guardian]]'''s [[Gary Younge]], "(Che's) journey from middle-class comfort to working-class champion and his long-haired unkempt look, mirrored the aspirations and self-image of the [[Woodstock]] generation as they demonstrated against the Vietnam war."<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/jul/24/arts.cuba Che Family Album Presents New Image of Revolutionary] by [[Gary Younge]], ''[[The Guardian]]'', July 24, 2004</ref> For her part, the 1960s literary icon [[Susan Sontag]] spoke glowingly of the "inspiring beautiful legend" that was Guevara, comparing him [[Lord Byron]], [[Emiliano Zapata]], and [[José Martí]].<ref>''Viva Che!: The Strange Death and Life of Che Guevara'', by Andrew Sinclair, 1968, re-released in 2006, Sutton publishing, ISBN 0750943106, p. 124</ref> Moreover, the slogan ''Che lives!'' began to appear on walls throughout [[Western world|the West]],<ref name = "Pretty">[http://observer.guardian.co.uk/review/story/0,6903,1258340,00.html Just a Pretty Face ?] by ''[[The Guardian]]'', July 11, 2004</ref> while [[Jean-Paul Sartre]], a leading [[existentialism|existentialist]] [[philosopher]] who knew Guevara personally, encouraged the adulation by describing him as "the most complete human being of our age."<ref>Michael Moynihan, "Neutering Sartre at Dagens Nyheter"</ref> |
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{{Quote box |
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| quote = "That he was shot after capture demonstrates the fear that the Bolivian authorities felt even of an imprisoned Che. They were afraid to bring to him to trial: afraid of the echoes his voice would have aroused from the courtroom: afraid to prove that the man they hated was loved by the world outside. This fear will help to perpetuate his legend, and a legend is impervious to bullets." | source = — [[Graham Greene]], 1960s playwright <ref>''Viva Che!: The Strange Death and Life of Che Guevara'', by Andrew Sinclair, 1968, re-released in 2006, Sutton publishing, ISBN 0750943106, p. 82</ref> |
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In addition, more [[Far-left politics|radical left]] wing activists responded to Guevara's apparent indifference to rewards and glory, and concurred with Guevara's sanctioning of violence as a necessity to instill [[Socialism (Marxism)|socialist]] ideals.<ref>Trento, Angelo. ''Castro and Cuba : From the revolution to the present". p.64. Arris books. 2005.</ref> Even in the United States, the government which Guevara so vigorously denounced, students began to emulate his style of dress, donning military fatigues, [[beret]]s, and growing their hair and beards to show that they too were opponents of U.S. foreign policy.<ref>''Ernesto "Che" Guevara (World Leaders Past & Present)'', by [[Douglas Kellner]], 1989, Chelsea House Publishers (Library Binding edition), ISBN 1555468357, p. 101</ref> For instance, the [[Black Panthers]] began to style themselves "Che-type" while adopting his trademark black [[beret]], while Arab guerrillas began to name combat operations in his honor.<ref name = "Embalm">[http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,942333,00.html Che: A Myth Embalmed in a Matrix of Ignorance] by ''[[Time Magazine]]'' October 12, 1970</ref> Addressing the wide-ranging flexibility of his legacy, Trisha Ziff, director of the 2008 documentary ''[[Chevolution]]'', has remarked that "Che Guevara's significance in modern times is less about the man and his specific history, and more about the ideals of creating a better society."<ref>[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trisha-ziff/viva-the-chevolution_b_97747.html Viva the Chevolution!] by Trisha Ziff, ''[[The Huffington Post]]'', April 21, 2008</ref> In a similar vein, the Argentine writer [[Ariel Dorfman]] has suggested Guevara's enduring appeal might be because "to those who will never follow in his footsteps, submerged as they are in a world of cynicism, self-interest and frantic consumption, nothing could be more vicariously gratifying than Che's disdain for material comfort and everyday desires."<ref name = "BBC02" /> |
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==Personal legacy== |
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===In Cuba=== |
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[[File:SculptureCheGuevaraCuba.jpg|thumb|170px|left|Monumental image on [[Cuba]]n Ministry of the Interior, based on Irish artist [[Jim Fitzpatrick (artist)|Jim Fitzpatrick]]'s graphic of [[Alberto Korda]]'s [[Che Guevara (photo)|March 1960 photo]]. During Guevara's tenure as head of the Ministry of Industries (MININD) from 1961 to 1965, this building was the MININD's headquarters and his office was on the top floor.]] |
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Cuba has promoted Che as a "symbol of revolutionary virtues, sacrifice and internationalism" inside and outside the country since his death.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2991206.stm Cuba Honours Comrade Che] by ''[[BBC News]]'', June 15, 2003</ref> Guevara remains a "beloved national hero" in Cuba (almost a secular [[saint]], to many on the Caribbean island),<ref name = "PWW">Che Guevara Remains a Hero to Cubans'', by ''[[People's Weekly World]]'', October 2, 2004</ref> where he is remembered for promoting unpaid voluntary work by working shirtless on building sites or hauling sacks of sugar. To this day, he appears on a Cuban banknote cutting sugar cane with a machete in the fields.<ref>[http://www.ezilon.com/information/article_18610.shtml Cuba remembers Che Guevara 40 years after his fall] by Rosa Tania Valdes, ''[[Reuters]]'', October 8, 2007</ref> |
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The Cuban state has continued to cultivate Guevara’s appreciation, constructing numerous statues and artworks in his honor throughout the land; adorning school rooms, workplaces, public buildings, billboards, and money with his image.<ref>''Cuba's Face'', by Stanford University Germanic Collections</ref> His visage is also on postage stamps and the 3-peso coin beneath the words ''"Patria o Muerte"'' (Homeland or Death).<ref name = "PWW"/> Moreover, children across the country begin each school day with the chant "Pioneers for Communism, We will be like Che!". The [[University of Havana]] also possesses an academic [[Academic major|concentration]] in "Che."{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} [[Che Guevara Mausoleum|Guevara's mausoleum]] in [[Santa Clara, Cuba|Santa Clara]] has also become a site of almost religious significance to many Cubans,<ref name = "Pretty" /> while the nation’s burgeoning [[Tourism in Cuba|tourist industry]] has benefited greatly from the ongoing international interest in Guevara's life. For example, some 205,832 people visited the mausoleum during 2004, of whom 127,597 were foreigners. However, Argentine [[psychoanalysis|psychoanalyst]] [[Pacho O'Donnell]] regrets the formal rigidity of Che's state-crafted image, opining that "The Cubans have excluded everything about the younger Che that is not heroic, including that which is most deliciously human about him. Personal doubts, the sexual escapades, the moments when he and [[Alberto Granado|(Alberto) Granado]] were drunk, none of that fits with the immortal warrior they want to project."<ref name = "lettersNYT" /> |
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Despite the formal adulation, Guevara's legacy is less pronounced on a national policy front. In Cuba, Guevara's death precipitated the abandonment of guerrilla warfare as an instrument of foreign policy, ushering in a ''rapprochement'' with the [[Soviet Union]], and the reformation of the government along Soviet lines. When Cuban troops returned to Africa in the 1970s, it was as part of a large-scale military expedition, and support for insurrection movements in Latin America and the Caribbean became logistical and organizational rather than overt. Cuba also abandoned Guevara's plans for economic diversification and rapid industrialization which had ultimately proved to be impracticable in view of the country's incorporation into the [[COMECON]] system. As early as 1965, the Yugoslav communist journal [[Borba (newspaper)|Borba]] observed the many half-completed or empty factories in Cuba, a legacy of Guevara's short tenure as Minister of Industries, "standing like sad memories of the conflict between pretension and reality".<ref>Hugh Thomas. Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom. p. 1,007.</ref> |
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===In the Cuban-American community=== |
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Reverence among Cubans for Guevara's memory is by no means universal. Many [[Cuban exiles]] have spoken of Guevara in unfavorable terms, and he is remembered by some with the [[epithet]] "The Butcher of [[La Cabaña Fortress|la Cabaña]]", a reference to Guevara’s post-revolutionary role as "supreme prosecutor" over the [[revolutionary tribunal (Cuba)|revolutionary tribunal]]s at the fortress. Similar disapproval has been shared by [[Cuban-American]] actor and director [[Andy García]], who alleged in 2004 that "Che has been romanticized over the years, but there is a darker side to his story. He looks like a rock star, but he executed a lot of people without trial or defense."<ref>[http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2006/5/4/171619.shtml Andy Garcia Tells His Cuba Story, at Last] by ''[[NewsMax.com]]'' May 5, 2006</ref> Garcia's 2005 film ''[[The Lost City (2005 film)|The Lost City]]'', portrays what could be perceived by some, as the brutality of pre and post revolution [[Cuban revolution|Cuba]], including Che.<ref>[http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWI2ZDcyMTliNmNiMGIwYTliMDc3NDcyZmZiOTc5YTY= Don’t Let This Movie Get Lost] by Kathryn Jean Lopez, ''[[National Review]]''</ref> In reference to such polarization, Cuban-American academic Uva de Aragon has hypothesized that "we'll still have to wait many years for history to deliver a definite judgement on Che, when the passions of both sides have passed."<ref>''Sympathizers Mark 40th anniversary of Che Guevara's Death'', by the ''[[Associated Press]]'', October 8, 2007</ref> |
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===In Latin America=== |
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[[File:Plaza Che, Bogotá.jpg|thumb|200px|right|In [[Bogotá]], the [[National University of Colombia]] gave their "Santander Square" the nickname "Che Square".]] |
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In Latin America, the perceived failures of the liberal reforms of the 1990s intensified ideological antagonism towards the United States,<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4861320.stm How the US 'Lost' Latin America] by ''BBC News''</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/04/AR2005110401724.html?nav=rss_print/asection Anti-U.S. Protests Flare at Summit] by ''[[The Washington Post]]''</ref> leading to a resurgence in support for many of Guevara’s political beliefs: including [[Pan-Americanism]], support for [[popular front|popular movements]] in the region, the [[nationalization]] of key industries and [[Centralized government|centralization]] of government.<ref>[http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20060501faessay85302/jorge-g-castaneda/latin-america-s-left-turn.html Latin America's Left Turn] by ''[[Foreign Affairs]]''</ref> In nearly every upsurge of revolutionary movements in Latin America over the last forty years, from [[Argentina]] to [[Chile]], from [[Nicaragua]] to [[El Salvador]], from [[Guatemala]] to [[Mexico]] and [[Chiapas]], there are traces of "Guevarismo" – sometimes clear, sometimes faint.<ref name = "Löwy" /> In the view of the [[indigenous rights]] activist [[Rigoberta Menchú]], "In these present times, when for many, ethics and other profound moral values are seen to be so easily bought and sold, the example of Che Guevara takes on an even greater dimension."<ref>[http://www.powells.com/biblio/1876175739?&PID=33286 ''Latin America: Awakening of a Continent'': Synopses & Reviews] by ''Powell Books''</ref> |
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In Nicaragua, the [[Sandinista National Liberation Front|Sandinistas]], a group with [[Sandinista Ideologies|ideological roots]] in [[Guevarism]] were [[Nicaraguan general election, 2006|re-elected to government]] after 16 years. Supporters wore Guevara T-shirts during the 2006 victory celebrations.<ref>[http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i39/zleitzen/Sandanistarally-1. Photograph of Sandinista election victory parade]</ref> [[President of Bolivia|Bolivian president]] [[Evo Morales]] has paid many tributes to Guevara including visiting his initial burial site in Bolivia to declare "Che Lives",<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7033880.stm Cuba pays tribute to Che Guevara], by ''BBC News'', Oct 9, 2007</ref> and installing a portrait of the Argentine made from local [[coca]] leaves in his presidential suite.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4878466.stm Evo Morales 'Padlocked' in Palace] by ''[[BBC News]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/0,1518,434272,00.html Capitalism Has Only Hurt Latin America] by ''[[Der Spiegel]]''</ref><ref>[http://lacic.fiu.edu/new/lanews_view.cfm?article_id=725 President Evo Morales pays tribute to Che Guevara] by ''The Latin American and Caribbean Information Center of the Florida International University''</ref> In 2006, Venezuelan president [[Hugo Chávez]] who has referred to Guevara as an "infinite revolutionary"<ref name="news.bbc.co.uk"/> and who has been known to address audiences in a Che Guevara T-shirt,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1404414,00.html Hugo Chavez Superstar] by ''[[The Guardian]]''</ref> accompanied Fidel Castro on a tour of Guevara’s boyhood home in [[Córdoba Province (Argentina)|Córdoba Argentina]], describing the experience as "a real honor." Awaiting crowds of thousands responded with calls of "We feel it! Guevara is right with us!"<ref>[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13989158/ Castro, Chavez Tour Che Guevara’s Home] by ''[[MSNBC]]''</ref> Guevara’s daughter Aleida also transcribed an extensive interview with Chávez where he outlined his plans for "The New Latin America", releasing the interview in book form.<ref>[http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1920888004 ''Chavez: Venezuela and the New Latin America''] by [[Aleida Guevara]]</ref> Guevara also remains a key inspirational figure to the Colombian guerrilla movement, the [[FARC]],<ref>[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:A5LjfAFaa4wJ:www.leeds.ac.uk/spanport/news/colombia_study_day.doc+guevara+farc+che&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=8 The Impact and Legacy of Che Guevara’s Foco Theory, with Special Reference to Guerrilla Warfare in Colombia] by ''[[Leeds University]]''</ref> and the Mexican [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation|Zapatistas]] led by [[Subcomandante Marcos]].<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1214676.stm Profile: The Zapatistas' Mysterious Leader] by [[BBC News]]''</ref><ref>[http://www.narconews.com/Issue38/article1371.html ''The Sixth Declaration of the Lacandon Jungle''] by the [[Zapatista Army of National Liberation]]</ref> In addition, the various "expressions of the popular will" that Che favored over ballot-box democracy – neighborhood courts and the [[Committees for the Defense of the Revolution]] – have found new expression in Venezuela and Bolivia.<ref name = "Messiah" /> |
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Amongst the youth of Latin America, Guevara's memoir [[The Motorcycle Diaries (book)|''The Motorcycle Diaries'']] has become a cult favorite with college students and young intellectuals.<ref name = "lettersNYT">[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/26/world/letter-from-the-americas-che-today-more-easy-rider-than-revolutionary.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm Letter from the Americas; Che Today? More Easy Rider Than Revolutionary] by [[Larry Rohter]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 26, 2004</ref> This has allowed Guevara to emerge as "a romantic and tragic young adventurer, who has as much in common with [[Jack Kerouac]] or [[James Dean]] as with [[Fidel Castro]]."<ref name = "lettersNYT" /> Speaking on this phenomenon, biographer [[Jon Lee Anderson]], has theorized that Che is "a figure who can constantly be examined and re-examined, to the younger, post-cold-war generation of Latin Americans, Che stands up as the perennial [[Icarus]], a self-immolating figure who represents the romantic tragedy of youth. Their Che is not just a potent figure of protest, but the [[idealism|idealistic]], questioning kid who exists in every society and every time."<ref name = "lettersNYT" /> |
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===Critics=== |
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Although to some Che is known as a hero — [[Nelson Mandela]] referred to him as: "An inspiration for every human being who loves freedom"<ref>Editorial Review of The Bolivian Diary on [http://www.amazon.com/Bolivian-Diary-Authorized-Guevara-Publishing/dp/1920888241 Amazon.com] --- This quote also appears in the opening trailer for ''[[The Motorcycle Diaries (film)]]''</ref> — others view him as the spokesman of a failing ideology and a ruthless executioner who did not afford others a proper legal process. Critics point out that Che justified murdering people without knowing if they are fully guilty. They point out that in a May 18, 1962 speech Che said: "We executed many people by firing squad without knowing if they were fully guilty. At times, the Revolution cannot stop to conduct much investigation; it has the obligation to triumph." <ref>[http://cubaarchive.org/home/images/stories/che-guevara_interior-pages_en_final.pdf Che Guevara Forgotten Victims] by ''María C. Werlau, The Free Society Project'', p.9, 2011</ref> |
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Critics also point out that Che supported banning independent newspapers. In 1959, Che told Cuban leftist journalist José Pardo Llada: “We must eliminate all newspapers; we cannot make a revolution with free press. Newspapers are instruments of the oligarchy.” <ref>[http://cubaarchive.org/home/images/stories/che-guevara_interior-pages_en_final.pdf Che Guevara Forgotten Victims] by ''María C. Werlau, The Free Society Project'', p.10, 2011</ref> |
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The U.S. State Department was advised that his death would come as a relief to non-leftist Latin Americans, who had feared possible insurgencies in their own countries.<ref name = "Rusk" /> Subsequent critical analysts have also shed light on aspects of cruelty in Guevara’s methods, and analysed what Fidel Castro described as Guevara’s "excessively aggressive quality."<ref>Fidel Castro on Che Guevara: Speech by Fidel Castro, given on October 18, 1967</ref> Studies addressing problematic characteristics of Guevara's life have cited his unsympathetic treatment of his fellow fighters during various guerrilla campaigns, and his frequent humiliations of those deemed his intellectual inferiors.<ref>''The Resurrection of Che Guevara'', by [[Samuel Farber]], Summer 1998</ref><ref name=anderson5>Anderson, Jon Lee. ''Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life'', New York: 1997, Grove Press, p. 567.</ref> Though much opposition to Guevara's methods has come from the [[right wing|political right]], critical evaluation has also come from groups such as [[Anarchism|anarchists]], [[Trotskyism|Trotskyists]], and [[civil libertarianism|civil libertarians]], who consider Guevara an anti-working-class [[Stalinism|Stalinist]], whose legacy was the creation of a more [[Bureaucracy|bureaucratic]], [[Authoritarianism|authoritarian]] regime.<ref>[http://libcom.org/history/guevara-ernesto-che-1928-1967 Ernesto "Che" Guevara, 1928–1967] at LibCom</ref> [[Johann Hari]], for example, has stated that "Che Guevara is not a free-floating icon of rebellion. He was an actual person who supported an actual system of tyranny, one that [[Mass killings under Communist regimes|murdered millions]] more actual people."<ref>[http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-should-che-be-an-icon-no-394336.html Johann Hari: Should Che be an icon? No] by ''[[The Independent]]'', October 6, 2007</ref> Detractors have also theorized that in much of Latin America, Che-inspired revolutions had the practical result of reinforcing brutal militarism for many years.<ref>Guevara has been heavily idolized by people in the music industry. Particularly rock and hip-hop. Despite this, some see Che as more champion of political and ideological conformity. Cuban jazz legend Paquito D'Rivera stated in interview "Che hated artists, so how is it possible that artists still today support the image of Che Guevara?" |
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[http://www.independent.org/newsroom/article.asp?id=1535 The Killing Machine: Che Guevara, from Communist Firebrand to Capitalist Brand] by ''The Independent Institute''</ref> |
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==Pop culture icon== |
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[[File:ChewithCigar.jpg|thumb|190px|Guevara's long hair, starred [[beret]] and [[cigar]], were all part of his personal style and popular [[Aesthetics|aesthetic]] appeal.]] |
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{{further2|[[Che Guevara in popular culture]]}} |
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On the 40th anniversary of Guevara's execution in Bolivia the compilation ''Che in Verse'' brought together a diverse collection of 135 poems and songs in tribute to Che Guevara.<ref>[http://www.latamrob.com/Review.asp?book_id=184 A Radiant Face Driven Mad with a Rifle: Che in Verse]{{dead link|date=October 2011}} by ''The Latin American Review of Books''</ref> Celebrated poets such as [[Pablo Neruda]], [[Allen Ginsberg]], [[Julio Cortázar]], [[Nicolas Guillén]], [[Derek Walcott]], [[Al Purdy]], [[Rafael Alberti]], [[Ko Un]], and [[Yevgeny Yevtushenko]] devoted the aforementioned works to, as the book states in its introduction, "celebrate the world’s [[icon]] of [[rebellion]]".<ref>Intro to: Che in Verse, by Gavin O'Toole, Aflame Books, 2007, ISBN 0-9552339-5-X</ref> In September 2007, Guevara was voted "[[Argentina]]'s greatest historical and political figure."<ref>[http://books.guardian.co.uk/news/articles/0,,2166117,00.html Poems Guevara Lived and Died by] by Javier Espinoza, ''[[The Observer]]'', September 9, 2007</ref> |
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| quote = "Che Guevara - hero of the [[Cuban Revolution]], left-wing icon and the face that has sold more posters than anyone else in history. Remembered as a romantic [[freedom fighter]], an expert in [[guerrilla warfare]], and a thoughtful philosopher who died young for his cause, Guevara has always been the revolutionaries' revolutionary. Stylish, vehemently anti-American and considerably better looking than [[Vladimir Lenin|Lenin]], [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]] and [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]], he practically invented the image of the bearded, beret-wearing left-wing radical, as adopted by thousands during the 1960s and 70s."| source = — [[BBC News]],<ref name = "BBC02">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/2356903.stm Comrade Che Keeps an Eye on British Workers] by Owen Booth, ''[[BBC News]]'', October 24, 2002</ref> |
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Despite the occasional controversy, Guevara's status as a [[Popular culture|popular icon]] has continued throughout the world, leading commentators to speak of a global "cult of Che". Well known [[Bohemianism|Bohemian]] writers extolled him, while West German playwright [[Peter Weiss]] has even compared him to "a Christ taken down from the Cross."<ref name = "Embalm" /> A [[Guerrillero Heroico|photograph of Guevara]] taken by photographer [[Alberto Korda]]<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/1352650.stm Che Guevara Photographer Dies] by ''BBC News'', May 26, 2001</ref> has become one of the century's most ubiquitous images, and the portrait, transformed into a monochrome graphic by Irish artist [[Jim Fitzpatrick (artist)|Jim Fitzpatrick]], is reproduced endlessly on a vast array of merchandise, such as T-shirts, posters, cigarettes, coffee mugs, and baseball caps. This fact led Argentine business analyst Martin Krauze to postulate that "the admiration for El Che no longer extends to his politics and ideology, it’s a romantic idea of one man going to battle against the windmills, he’s a [[Don Quixote|Quixote]]."<ref>[http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9024 Che Guevara: An Image that Keeps the Spirit of Revolution Alive] by the ''[[Socialist Worker]]'', Issue 2005, June 17, 2006</ref> |
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British journalist [[Sean O'Hagan (journalist)|Sean O’Hagan]] has described Che as "more [[John Lennon|(John) Lennon]] than [[Vladimir Lenin|(Vladimir) Lenin]]." Taking the opposite [[hypothesis]], [[Mexican people|Mexican]] commentator and Che Biographer [[Jorge Castañeda Gutman]] has proclaimed that: "Che can be found just where he belongs in the niches reserved for [[cultural icon]]s, for [[symbols]] of social uprisings that filter down deep into the soil of society."<ref>[http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/article.php?article_id=9024 Che Guevara: An Image that Keeps the Spirit of Revolution Alive] 2005 Issue of The ''[[Socialist Worker]]''</ref> Castañeda has further stated that "Che still possesses an extraordinary relevance as a symbol of a time when people died heroically for what they believed in", adding that in his view "people don't do that anymore."<ref>''Che Guevara: Revolutionary & Icon'', by Trisha Ziff, Abrams Image, 2006, pg 76</ref> The saying "Viva la revolucion!" has also become very popular and synonymous with Guevara.<ref>''Discussion about Che Guevara'', by CBC Radio One</ref> In North America, Western Europe and many regions outside Latin America, the image has been likened to a global brand, long since shedding its ideological or political connotations. Conversely, the obsession with Guevara has also been dismissed by critics as merely "adolescent revolutionary romanticism."<ref name = "Pretty" /> |
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American, Latin American and European writers, [[Jon Lee Anderson]], [[Régis Debray]], [[Jorge G. Castañeda]] and others contributed to demystify the image of Guevara via articles and extensive biographies, which detailed his life and legacy in less idealistic terms; and, in the case of [[Octavio Paz]], was accompanied by a critical indictment of the Marxism espoused by many in the Latin American left. Political writer [[Paul Berman]] went further, asserting that the "modern-day cult of Che" obscures the work of dissidents and what he believes is a "tremendous social struggle" currently taking place in Cuba.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/id/2107100/ The Cult of Che] by [[Paul Berman]], ''[[Slate magazine]]'', September 2004</ref> Author [[Christopher Hitchens]], who was a socialist and a supporter of the Cuban revolution in the 1960s but later changed his views, summarised Guevara's legacy by surmising that "Che's iconic status was assured because he failed. His story was one of defeat and isolation, and that's why it is so seductive. Had he lived, the myth of Che would have long since died."<ref name = "Pretty" /> Taking the opposing view, [[Richard Gott]] a [[The Guardian|Guardian]] journalist in [[Vallegrande]], sent a dispatch on the day of Guevara's death stating the following: {{quote|It was difficult to recall that this man had once been one of the great figures of Latin America. It was not just that he was a great guerrilla leader; he had been a friend of Presidents as well as revolutionaries. His voice had been heard and appreciated in inter-American councils as well as in the jungle. He was a doctor, an amateur economist, once Minister of Industries in revolutionary Cuba, and [[Fidel Castro|Castro]]'s right-hand man. He may well go down in history as the greatest continental figure since [[Simón Bolívar|Bolivar]]. Legends will be created around his name.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/23/theobserver.worldnews The Final Triumph of Saint Che] ''The Guardian'', September 23, 2007. Retrieved: 12 October 2011.</ref>}} |
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==References== |
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{{reflist|2}} |
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==External links== |
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*BBC: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7785690.stm Che's Spirit Burns on in Latin America] by Daniel Schweimler, January 3, 2009 |
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*Daily Observer: [http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/2008/6/12/mini-read-che-remembered-80th-birthday-on-june-14 Che Remembered: on 80th Birthday] June 12, 2008 |
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*Der Spiegel: [http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-25444.html Photo Gallery – Latin America Commemorates Che Guevara] |
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*Harpers Magazine: [http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/09/hbc-90001318 Six Questions for Greg Grandin on Che’s Legacy] September 30, 2007 |
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* PBS Forum: [http://www.pbs.org/newshour/forum/november97/che1.html The Legacy of Che Guevara] with biographer Jon Lee Anderson November 20, 1997 |
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* Socialist Worker: [http://socialistworker.org/2007-2/648/648_09_Che.shtml The Legacy of A Revolutionary – Who was Che?] October 12, 2007 |
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*The Observer: [http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/sep/23/theobserver.worldnews The Final Triumph of Saint Che] September 23, 2007 |
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*TIME 100: [http://www.time.com/time/time100/heroes/profile/guevara01.html Che Guevara] June 14, 1999 |
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* Wall Street Journal: [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121338761848772915.html?mod=Letters In Argentina, Che Guevara Finally Gets More Than a Lousy T-Shirt] by Michael Casey, June 14, 2008 |
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===Multimedia=== |
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*BBC Radio: [http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00b3lfm/Witness_Che_Guevara/ Witness: Che Guevara] October 8, 2010 |
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*BBC Video: [http://news.bbc.co.uk/player/nol/newsid_7030000/newsid_7033300/7033329.stm?bw=nb&mp=rm&news=1&nol_storyid=7033329&bbcws=1 Che Remembered 40 Years On] October 8, 2007 |
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*NPR Audio Report: [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4058889 Thirty Years After His Death, Che Guevara Still an Icon] |
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*Video: [http://bigthink.com/ideas/18678 Does Che Guevara Still Matter?] interview with biographer [[Jorge Castañeda Gutman|Jorge Castañeda]] |
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{{Che Guevara}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Legacy Of Che Guevara}} |
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[[Category:Che Guevara]] |
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[[Category:Marxism]] |
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[[Category:Marxist theorists]] |
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[[Category:Communism]] |
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[[Category:Socialism]] |
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[[Category:Legacies by person|Guevara, Che]] |
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Revision as of 04:30, 5 August 2015
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