Download BOOK ». Get BOOK. The Death of Che Guevara. In his critically acclaimed epic first novel, Jay Cantor, author of Krazy Kat and Great Neck, draws on history, myth, and his own prodigious imagination to take on the life and death of revolutionary icon Che Guevara.
Offers excerpts from the diaries and other writings of the Argentine-born guerrilla leader that inspired the biographical film "Che," including sections taken from "Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War" and "The Bolivian Diary. The Bolivian Diary. Excerpts taken from captured documents, including comparisons of handwriting, fingerprints and photographs, suggests that the guerrillas are comprised of Cubans, Peruvians, Argentineans and Bolivians.
The foreign minister's presentation draws a loud applause from the Bolivian audience, and he gives his assurance that "we're not going to let anybody steal our country away from us. Nobody, at any time. All but one of the peasants flee upon their arrival. The villagers have previously been warned that the guerrillas are in the area and they should send any information on them to Vallegrande.
The remaining villagers tell the guerrillas that most of the people are at a celebration in a neighboring town called Jahue. Three guerrillas are killed in the gun battle: Roberto Coco Peredo, a Bolivian guerrilla leader who was one of Che's most important men; "Antonio," believed to be Cuban; and "Julio," likely a Bolivian. Che orders his men to evacuate the village along a road leading to Rio Grande.
The army high command and the Barriento government consider this encounter a significant victory. Indeed, Che notes in his diary that La Higuera has caused great losses for him in respect to his rebel cell. Colonel Zenteno argues that the battalion has not yet finished their training, but he will move them as soon as this training is complete. During the mission, the troops captures a guerrilla known as "Gamba. This produces an immediate morale effect on the troops because they notice that the guerrillas are not as strong as they thought.
Special Forces Major "Pappy" Shelton. The guerrillas run into an old woman herding goats. They ask her if there are soldiers in the area but are unable to get any reliable information. Scared that she will report them, they pay her 50 pesos to keep quiet. In Che's diary it is noted that he has "little hope" that she will do so. They enter the area and encounters a group of 6 to 8 guerrillas, opens fire, and killed two Cubans, "Antonio" and "Orturo.
It is unknown whether it is the same peasant woman that the guerrillas ran into previously. Rojo By morning, several companies of Bolivian Rangers are deployed through the area that Guevara's Guerrillas are in. They take up positions in the same ravine as the guerrillas in Quebrada del Yuro. About 12 p. Army Special Forces training camp, confronts the guerrillas, killing two soldiers and wounding many others. Simon Cuba Willy Sarabia, a Bolivian miner, leads the rebel group.
Che is behind him and is shot in the leg several times. Sarabia picks up Che and tries to carry him away from the line of fire. The firing starts again and Che's beret is knocked off. Sarabia sits Che on the ground so he can return the fire. Encircled at less than ten yards distance, the Rangers concentrate their fire on him, riddling him with bullets.
Che attempts to keep firing, but cannot keep his gun up with only one arm. He is hit again on his right leg, his gun is knocked out of his hand and his right forearm is pierced. As soldiers approach Che he shouts, "Do not shoot! I am Che Guevara and worth more to you alive than dead. Che is taken prisoner. Rojo, ; James, Other sources claim that Sarabia is captured alive and at about 4 p.
Captain Prado orders his radio operator to signal the divisional headquarters in Vallegrande informing them that Che is captured. In disbelief, Colonel Zenteno asks Capt. Prado to confirm the message. With confirmation, "general euphoria" erupts among the divisional headquarters staff.
Colonel Zenteno radios Capt. Prado and tells him to immediately transfer Che and any other prisoners to La Higuera. Tired signifies captured or wounded.
Stretched out on a blanket, Che is carried by four soldiers to La Higuera, seven kilometers away. Sarabia is forced to walk behind with his hands tied against his back. Just after dark the group arrives in La Higuera and both Che and Sarabia are put into the one-room schoolhouse. Later that night, five more guerrillas are brought in. Official army dispatches falsely report that Che is killed in the clash in southeastern Bolivia, and other official reports confirm the killing of Che and state that the Bolivian army has his body.
However, the army high command does not confirm this report. The Bolivian unit engaged in the operation was the one that had been trained by the U.
He quietly observes the scene in the schoolhouse, and records what he sees, finding the situation "gruesome" with Che lying in dirt, his arms tied behind his back and his feet bound together, next to the bodies of his friends. He looks "like a piece of trash" with matted hair, torn clothes, and wearing only pieces of leather on his feet for shoes. Here was the man who had assassinated many of my countrymen. And nevertheless, when I saw him, the way he looked I felt really sorry for him. The possibility of prosecuting him is ruled out because a trial would focus world attention on him and could generate sympathetic propaganda for Che and for Cuba.
It is concluded that Che must be executed immediately, but it is agreed upon that the official story will be that he died from wounds received in battle. Five hundred is the Bolivian code for Che and six hundred is the order to kill him. The CIA and the U. Che understands and says, "It is better like this I never should have been captured alive.
According to one source, the top ranking officers in La Higuera instruct the noncommissioned officers to carry out the order and straws are drawn to determine who will execute Che. Several soldiers, also wanting to shoot Che, enter the room and shoot him. Bolivian time. Shoot, you are only going to kill a man. Guevara replies that he only wishes to "die with a full stomach. Huacka enters another small house, where "Willy" was being held, and shoots him.
Finally, Guevara tells him: "Know this now, you are killing a man. Pulling a Bolivian army cap over his face, he is not noticed by anyone. Che's body is flown to Vallegrande by helicopter and later fingerprinted and embalmed. Bowdler sends a note to Walt Rostow saying that they do not know if Che Guevara was "among the casualties of the October 8 engagement. By October 9, they thought two guerrilla were wounded and possibly one of them is Che. The document states that "on October 9 at p.
Ernesto Guevara Lynch, approximately 40 years of age, the cause of death being multiple bullet wounds in the thorax and extremities. Preservative was applied to the body. This means that Che lived for twenty-two hours after the battle in Quebrada del Yuro, which contradicts Colonel Zenteno's story. Colonel Zenteno changes his story to support General Ovando's. James, General Ovando states that Che admitted his identity and the failure of his guerrilla campaign before dying of his wounds.
Ernesto Guevara, the father of Che, denies the death of his son, stating that there is no evidence to prove the killing. In the Latin American context, it will have a strong impact in discouraging would -be guerrillas.
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