From the time he was a young man, Che kept a diary. Two of those diaries have been printed and became bestsellers -- the diary he kept while in Bolivia and The Motorcycle Diaries (about a road trip through Latin America when he was 23 -- just before going to Cuba with Castro). The Motorcycle Diaries was made into an excellent movie.
Now there is good news for historians (and those of us interested in history -- especially left-wing history). There is a third Che diary being printed, and it may be the most important one of all. It covers the time when he came to Cuba with Castro (December 2, 1956) through the time Batiata was overthrown (January 1, 1959). It will give the world an inside look at the Cuban Revolution through the eyes of one of the most important rebel leaders (and could well turn out to be the definitive book on that revolution).
The diary has been in the possession of Che's wife, Aleida March. She said she wanted the world to know what the real Che Guevara was like and is releasing the diary unedited. Publishers say the diary sheds light on "Che Guevara's impressions of Cuba, its culture, identity and political context."
Oddly enough, it took the publishers a while to decipher Che's poor handwriting. I guess the old joke about doctors having bad handwriting is true.
Personally I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book (as soon as an English translation is printed).
Ask these people what they thought of Che.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's right - you can't. They're all dead.
You, a right-winger, don't like Che? What a surprise!
ReplyDeleteI've give you this much: he looks great on tie-dyed t-shirts!
ReplyDeleteBut as far as his record as commander of the La Cabaña Fortress prison from January 2 to June 12, 1959, here's a link to the Wikipedia article.
From the article:
Although there are differences between different accounts, it is estimated that several hundred people were executed nationwide during this time, with estimates for Guevara's jurisdictional death total at La Cabaña ranging from 55 to 164. Conflicting views exist of Guevara's attitude towards the executions at La Cabaña. Some exiled opposition biographers report that he relished the rituals of the firing squad, and organized them with gusto, while others relate that Guevara pardoned as many prisoners as he could. What is acknowledged by all sides is that Guevara had become a "hardened" man, who had no qualms about the death penalty or summary and collective trials. If the only way to "defend the revolution was to execute its enemies, he would not be swayed by humanitarian or political arguments." This is further confirmed by a February 5, 1959, letter to Luis Paredes López in Buenos Aires where Guevara states unequivocally "The executions by firing squads are not only a necessity for the people of Cuba, but also an imposition of the people." [Emphasis added]
If the upper estimate is to be believed, Che accomplished more in just five months at La Cabaña than George W. Bush did in six years as governor of Texas (he only presided over 152 executions).
I thought you were against the death penalty, Ted.
wonder if he talks about all the people he had tortured and killed.?
ReplyDeleteScrew righties! Keep us posted when the translation comes out. My Spanish is woefully inadequate.
ReplyDelete