"Ventriloquist, man, ventriloquist." " That's not a bad word." " But it sounds bad." "I don't like it." "A ventriloquist is someone who talks without moving his mouth." " Why are you calling me that?" " Yes, Camilo, why?" "Because he's a good messenger and he's always popping up with information, and he reminds me of a ventriloquist puppet that moves like this." "Albertico, it's not a bad word." "It's not an insult, man." "I say it with affection." " He's a very good messenger." " Really?" "No, it's true." "He's doing things really well, he's always there." "Yes, he is." "You wanna play ball, Che?" "Today is a perfect day to abandon the guerrilla movement." "Another chance like this may not come along forweeks." "Let's see." "Anyone who'd like to leave this column, step forward." "Stand up there." "Come on, the quitters and the horses' asses!" "Stay there." "I'm not leaving because I'm scared." "I have a pain and..." "You are a moron." "Shut up." " My mother is sick." " You are a moron!" "You'll have to give back everything that belongs to the column." "You're a bunch of cowards." "You have thirty minutes to get out of here." "If we find you, you're deserters." "Israel, Roberto, take them out." "Dickhead, aren't you leaving with them?" "Anotherfaggot." "Anyone else?" "So, did you grow balls?" "We can still stand a little bit more." "You already behaved with dignity but you have no chance of adapting to this warfare." "Okay, I'll make an exception." "I'll let you take yourthings with you, I'll give you a guide and 10 pesos to each of you." "Comandante." "I think you should forgive me in advance as I know you will not like what I'm going to say." "If we joined the troops, it wasn't to go back humiliated." "We prefer, and I speak for both to die on this mountain ratherthan return home as failures." "We'll make the maximum effort even if it costs our lives." "This is the last straw." "While the strong grow weaker and leave these snot-nosed kids get more courageous." "Is there any logic here?" "The important ones aren't the ones who leave, but the ones who stay and the ones who will join us in the future." "Listen to me." "Comandantes RaúI and Almeida will come with me." "They will open the second and third front with their columns." "Camilo will replace Sardiñas as your new captain." "Damn." "Look how generous the revolution is." "Individualism, the isolated action of a person in a social environment must disappear from Cuba." "It's very easy to claim that in capitalism the individual has the option to satisfy or to express true human nature." "A child has one toy and wants two that child gets two toys and wants four." "This is human nature." "Isn't it?" "But when a whole society behaves in that same way or when it becomes a monopoly oppressing the less fortunate is that human nature?" "This is exactly when you have to do something." "Ye, of course, we are individuals who have accepted the challenge and the responsibility to lead in the name of society as a whole." "Long live free Cuba!" "Will they have much time to respond?" "Each one will have ten minutes." " From the podium?" " No, from the floor." " And my rebuttal?" " Ten minutes." " Also from the floor?" " No, from the podium." "My government has nothing to do with the fact that every day in Cuban circles, to bolster the illusions of the Cuban people they announce the formation of invading brigades armed with revolvers and small-caliberweapons to confront an army that according to the declarations of their leaders has at their disposal, the most modern nuclear arms." "Absolutely false are the accusations that acts of genocide are being committed in Venezuela." "Moreover, it is simply absurd and intolerable that a Cuban representative dares to make judgements about Venezuelan sovereignty the unique and exclusive patrimony of the Venezuelan people a truly free people which has a democratic government with elections whose legitimacy are known to the entire world." "The tragedy of the Cuban Revolution lies in not having known how to institutionalize this great movement into an administration with legal rights in the Americas." "The greatest flaw of their leaders is that they sufferfrom excessive vanity which blinds them and prevents them from observing past examples which are typical of America like the Mexican revolution in 1910." "I, who lived many years of my youth in Cuba and who perhaps feels more than Che Guevara that there has been enough suffering and pain forthe Cuban people." "In my brief reply to your capricious intervention into Panamanian issues I'd like to finish by saying to you "don't defend me, compadre."" "JANUARY 1, 1958" "Vilo!" "Take the sick to the shelter!" "To the shelter!" "Take them to the shelter." "Don't run." "Don't run." "Hurry up!" "Come on!" "Let's go in!" "One, two, three." "Polo." "Take the prisoners to your house and keep them there." "Polo." "Make sure no one mistreats them, verbally or physically." " Understood, Roberto?" " Sure." "Come on, walk!" "Che!" "They killed Ciro, they shot him in the head." "We couldn't recover his body." "May I talk to you for a second, sir?" "They were very well organized." " More than we expected?" " Much more." "They have a school, hospital, printing press, a power plant." "They must have been here months." "What do you want me to do with this?" "Torch it." "I need you to go to Minas del Frío and create a training camp." "What for?" "I want you to be personally in charge of the new recruits." "What about my column?" "Ramiro can take your place for now." "You know we're days away from an attack." " I don't understand." " This is more important." "It makes sense, teach." "Who can do that betterthan you?" "Tell me." "No one, man." "Look, when this is over Cuba and the revolution will need you even more." "Even if I had a different opinion even if I felt I had been demoted I knew Fidel had his reasons, you can be sure of that..." "Yes, that's why Fidel backed the General Strike..." "But he always made it really clear that we were the only ones capable of defeating the enemy." "After the failure of the General Strike of April 9th there was no more doubt." "The 26th ofJuly Movement was the only group that could defeat Batista." "That's what a leader does." "He convinces people to share his vision." "Tell her she's proved one thing to me for sure that I'd rather face a soldier than a journalist." "They see us rebels as agitators people who want to gain prestige by complicating Batista's life." "But we don't see ourselves like that." "We see ourselves as a small army that will become a bigger army..." "Fidel has to be the Commander in Chief of the entire rebellion." "But we have to propose it with tact." "Our relationship with the Communist Party still makes people nervous." "We raised funds by naming Fidel as leader of our revolution." "Outside of Cuba, he's the only recognizable figure we've got." "No one is saying that in the plains they screwed up." "But what is clear in Sierra Maestra is that defeating Batista doesn't assure the end of the dictatorship." "We also have to overthrow Batista's army in orderto prevent another coup." "Being under the command of the Soviet Union isn't any betterthan being under the command of the United States." "Latour, you're still thinking like a colonized person does." "Cuba won't be under anyone's command." "Cuba is forthe Cuban people." "I'll do everything I can with the Stalinists from the PSP but I don't think it will be worth it." "And we understand it, Faustino." "Precisely, we always want to include..." ""Stalinists"?" "From now on, the coordination of the plains militias will serve the needs of the guerrillas in Sierra Maestra." "Fidel Castro will become Commander in Chief of all the armed forces." "Long live the Revolution!" "MAY 3, 1958" "I want to congratulate you, Fidel because today you entered the path of the greatest men of the Americas." "A path that will prove to the world it's possible to get to power with an armed struggle supported by the people." "It's not only me, Ernesto." "It's all of us." "This wouldn't be possible if I were on my own." "I want you to organize a new front." "Once we start this offensive I want to take the war down from Sierra Maestra into the plains." "You'll have to unite all the rebel factions." "We have to take control of Las Villas Province, dividing the island in two." "Camilo's going to head in the same direction, leading his own column." "There will be no victory in Havana without victory in Las Villas." "Getting all the groups to work togetherwill be difficult, Ernesto." "So, I hope you have sharpened your political skills." "And one otherthing." "I know you are very reckless but you can't always put yourself on the front line." "You are too important to us." "It's an order." "I want to respond to the Nicaraguan delegate even though I did not understand his argument about accent." "I believe he referred to Cuba Argentina and somewhat to Russia of the Soviet Union." "In any event," "I hope the Nicaraguan delegate found no North American accent in my speech, because that would be truly dangerous." "But one thing is for sure, we don't commit assassinations like the ones being committed right at this moment by the political police of Venezuela who are called DIGEPOL if I am not misinformed." "This police force has committed a series of barbarous acts executions, which is to say:" "assassinat." "The Panamanian delegate who has been kind enough to call me "Che" as I am called by the Cuban people began speaking about the Mexican Revolution." "While Cuba spoke about the North American massacre in Panama the Panamanian delegation continued speaking in this vein, without referring at all to that American massacre forwhich the Panamanian government broke off relations to the United States." "On to Mr. Stevenson." "Regrettably, he is not present here." "Mr. Stevenson again claims there is no violation of the law that neither airplanes nor boats leave from here and, of course that pirate attacks just happen." "They just come out of nowhere." "Due to the demands of imperialism, our Prime Minister declared five points to secure peace in the Caribbean." "And these are..." "First:" "A halt to the economic blockade and all forms of commercial pressure imposed by the United States all overthe world against our country." "Second:" "Halt all subversive activities, such as the launch and distribution of arms and explosives by air and water organization of mercenary invasions infiltration of spies and saboteurs and all actions carried out from the territory of the United States or accomplice countries." "Third:" "Halt all pirate attacks carried out from bases located in the United States and Puerto Rico." "Fourth:" "Halt all airspace and territorial water violations by U.S. aircraft and warships." "Fifth:" "Withadrawal from the Guantánamo naval base ...and return of Cuban territory occupied by the U.S." "This great mass of humanity has said "Enough!" and has stepped forward." "This march of giants will not stop until true independence is won forwhich so many died in vain." "All of this, my fellow delegates is the new stance of the American continent a stance captured by the cry that is shouted every day by our people as an expression of our irrefutable decision to fight paralyzing the strikes of armed intruders an outcry that counts the support of all working classes of the world and especially the socialist camp headed by the Soviet Union." "This cry is "Homeland or death!"" "Che!" "That's Las Villas, behind the clouds." "OCTOBER 15, 1958" "Camilo arrived a few weeks ago and we put ourselves under his command." " Very good." " Oh, I see you received our supplies." "Yes, thanks." "Of all the groups operating in the area the Communist Party was the only one to send help." "I'm not surprised, Comandante." "Most of these groups are too busy fighting each other." "Months ago, Menoyo broke from the Directory, creating a Second Front." "Since then, each one has carved out its own territory." "There's been open hostility between the two factions." "Where does the 26th of July Movement stand in all of this?" "Recently, Menoyo met with Víctor Bordón." "I think both groups are on the brink of an armed confrontation." "We're ready to cooperate with the 26th of July Movement in all military maneuvers." "We even agree with agrarian reform as long as it's done reasonably and brings in money." "Landowners should be pressured to sell their idle land to the peasants." "But it should be sold at cost." "Will you be the one fixing the price?" "How can a peasant with no money buy land?" "But, what do you want?" "Just give it to them?" "So they can destroy it like they did in Mexico?" "The owner of the land is the one who works it." "Comandante, you have permission to institute agrarian reform in the region but the Second Front will continue to charge the land taxes." "Menoyo, the region belongs to us all." "What we have to do here is fight." "The only thing the Directory won't do is any kind of deal with Menoyo's Second Front." "We'll never do business with that bunch of bandits." "We need to attack all the army garrisons in the area." "But you can't attack Güinía de Miranda because that zone is ours." "We have more experience and more weapons than you do." "Do you think the Americans are just going to sit and watch this happen?" "No, man, listen." "We shouldn't be doing things so openly." "So, you're one of those who think we can make a revolution behind the backs of the Americans?" "No, man." "A real revolution cannot be hidden." "I can do more with the four hundred rifles I have than you can with your little bazooka and all the balls yourtroops may have." "Look, Peña, the day I have to take arms against my comrades will be the day I stop fighting." "If you don't take Güinía de Miranda in five days, we'll do it ourselves." "I am Comandante Ernesto Guevara." "He is Comandante Ramiro Valdés." "And he is Captain Victor Bordón." "I just want to say three things." "First:" "From now on, I am the only one in charge of the region of Las Villas." "Second:" "We will enforce strict discipline." "And third:" "The fighting is going to intensify." "Whoever is not ready to sacrifice himself for his homeland can leave his gun on the ground and abandon the column immediately." "Fire." "Give it to me, damn it!" "Homeland or death!" "You're ready?" "Thank you." "Tell Oltuski the money will be put to good use." "Will do." "Excuse me." "The police are looking for me in Santa Clara and want to arrest me." "I need to stay here." "I'm not going anywhere." "Well, you can stay and work in the infirmary because we don't allow people to just hang around." "I want you to know that forthe last two years I've been working in the clandestine movement." "I've been taking weapons, bombs, and fugitives all across the province." "I think that gives me the right to become a guerrilla" "Okay." "We've started taxing some of the largest landowners." "I need someone to collect the money." "You can start with that and then we'll see." "Thanks." "Ramiro." "The girl here will collect the taxes." "Okay." "We were finally working with the other groups." "It was like a wave." "When we arrived in the towns, people received us with open arms." "And many of them even joined us." "True, but in reality, that battle had been building steam for nearly 100 years." "When people hate their government, it's not too hard to take a town." "One machine gun, 180 rifles and 9,000 rounds of ammunition." "Víctor, we need you to blow the Cabaiguán bridge." "The Cabaiguán bridge?" "Now?" "Yes." "Now." "How did it go?" "I couldn't collect the money." "In Placetas, the police are looking for me, too." "Rogelio!" "Take the compañeras back to camp." "Wait a minute." "With all due respect I know these towns like the back of my hand." "Let me be your guide." "I already have a guide." "Don't worry." "I know you're going to stay with us." "Don't be like that." "Calm down, girl." "Don't worry." "Do you know Cabaiguán?" "And tell Millián to have his people ready." "We'll attack the garrison." "Perfect." "Che." "We have to give you a tetanus shot." "No, it might trigger an asthma attack." "Give me some aspirin." "Comandante, this is the Virgin of Caridad del Cobre the patron saint of Cuba to help your arrival in Havana." "I hope it helps us arrive in Placetas." "Goodbye!" " How are you?" "Does it hurt?" " A little, but that's unavoidable." "Here, foryour arm." "Thanks." "Long live the revolution!" "Shit, Argentine." "You broke your paw?" "What happened to you?" " I just spoke to Fidel." " And?" "Santiago has almost surrendered." "Santa Clara is the only thing standing between us and Havana." "Batista's throwing everything he's got to Santa Clara." "That's why when you take Remedios and I take Yaguajay we can then take Santa Clara together." "Give me a light." "I know what I'm going to do when we win this thing." "I'll put you in a cage tourthe country and charge admission." "We'll be rich, man!" "What made you join the Movement?" "Well, I was in college when Fidel attacked the Moncada barracks." "When I read his speech defense plea, "History Will Absolve Me" I knew he was the only one who could take down Batista." "And that he would do it fighting, and I liked that." " Does yourfamily support you?" " Of course." "My cousin was killed." "The brutality of the army intensified afterthe general strike." "I think they got scared when they saw so many people against them." "You don't look like a Communist." "And what do Communists look like?" "Well, not like you." "We come in all colors." "Do you expect to stay in Cuba afterthe success of the Revolution?" "My wife and my daughter are in Mexico." "I have to keep them in mind." "Of course." "I'm Lieutenant Pérez Valencia." "The rebel army is not what you have imagined." "Hand overyourweapons and no one will be injured." "Stay on the air, over." "Santa Clara hasn't sent reinforcements." "It's a lost cause forthese people." "Attention, Che, attention." "Che, attention, Che." "Listen, could you resolve the problem and follow the instructions, the instructions you gave me with the man I sent so tell me if you understand, understand, understand me." "Over, Che." "Camilo, I hearyou perfectly your record is broken, you have to change it." "Over." "How long will you be in Yaguajay?" "Over." "Three days, maybe a week." "Over." "The more time you stay there the harder it will be here, Camilo." "Over." "Don't dare to enter the city without me, do you hear?" "Camilo, it's fairto share the glory sometimes." "Over." "Sharing the glory is fine, but with an Argentine don't do that to me." "Over and out, Che." "It's good to have you in Santa Clara, Colonel Casillas." "The city's forces are at your disposal." "Can those forces get me some coffee?" "The best beans in the world, Colonel." "Sit down." "Santa Clara was all they had left." "...the only thing linking Havana to the country as a whole." "...though we hadn't slept for days and the army outnumbered us nine to one at that point, safely waiting for Camilo seemed to us, more dangerous." "People of Santa Clara this is Comandante Guevara speaking." "The enemy wants us to live in fear but it is they who should be afraid." "The situation of the military regime is getting worse every day because their soldiers don't want to fight." "Santa Clara if there has ever been a time to fight ...for our freedom, that time is now." "That moment has come." "I want air strikes all around the neighborhoods." "Torch those bastards!" "He's dead." "Cover him with that sheet." "I need more help." " Aleida." " The situation is critical." "Talk to Camajuani and ask for more doctors." "Yes?" "Comandante, it's Rogelio calling from the station." "Speak to me, Rogelio." "Comandante, we took the train station." "Is it safe?" "Good." "Go with 15 men to the train tracks between Toscano and San Pedro and wait there." "Alright." "The tank is screwing us..." "The machine gun doesn't let us get closer." "For Guile and Ramiro." " What's the highest position?" " The church at the end of the street." "Then you have to take the church, you must take the church." "Of course, Comandante." "Go." "Hit it hard." "How many houses do we have to cross?" "Five." "Little Cowboy, it's too many." "Hit it hard." "Fuck." "We have to break it down now!" "Get down, Little Cowboy, you're going to get hit." "Stay here." "Aleida!" " What the fuck are you doing?" " The SIM is on the hotel rooftop." "They hit Little Cowboy." "Tamayo." "What happened?" "They got Little Cowboy, Comandante." "What happened to him?" "We claimed a rooftop to get a good position and then, he got shot in the head." "They killed him." "Take him to the medical station." "Tamayo." "You are now in charge of the suicide platoon." "Keep breaking the walls until you reach the church." "They need to pay forthis." "The rebels have surrounded the city and ourtanks can't cross the barricades." "Shit." "Get Havana on the phone." "Tell them to airlift men from Cienfuegos." "We're going to secure this city neighborhood by neighborhood and street by street." "Send a battalion." "Where are you going?" "I don't want to fight anymore." "I'm tired of this." "Let me go." "Anyone else want to leave?" "Cease fire!" "Cease fire!" "Tell your men to put down their arms." "I'm not going to negotiate with a subordinate." "You forgot to leave your gun." " Give me that gun." " No, no." "Take your belt off." "I said I wouldn't negotiate with a subordinate." "That's okay." "This isn't a negotiation." "Comandante." "I give you my word of honorthat if you let us return to Havana we won't fire another shot." "I believe yourword of honor." "But I can't let those bullets kill more Cubans." "Here or anywhere else." "You have 15 minutes to convince your men to surrender." "If not, you will be responsible for any bloodshed." "Shit!" "Send this box to Camilo in Yaguajay." "Aleida, come here." "Call them on the telephone." "We agree to a ceasefire to get our dead and wounded." " I advise you to surrender." " Over my dead body." "What's wrong with you?" "Where are you going?" "Your Colonel wants you to fight to the death." "We don't want more Cubans to die." "Give up yourweapons and you will live." "Turn in yourweapons!" "Now!" "Well." "The Coronel and I are going on a special mission to check our positions." "Keep up the resistance until I return, is that clear?" "Whateveryou say, Colonel." "Shoot anyone who tries to leave." "Who is this?" "That's Sánchez, the police captain." "We found torture instruments in the station." "You know, I have an idea to take the hotel." "Tell me." "Leave it to me." "Don't shoot, don't shoot, we surrender!" "Turn in yourweapons!" "Come on, hurry up!" "Camilo took Yaguajay and he and his troops are heading this way." "We just heard the news on the shortwave." "It looks like Batista abandoned the country." "Yes, sir." "Right now." "It's General Cantillo calling from Havana." "Okay, leave." "Yes, General?" "I'm negotiating directly with the U.S. ambassador." "I'm in command of the army now, acting on behalf of Fidel Castro." "I authorize you to negotiate a truce, but not to surrender." "You can't surrender under any circumstances." "As you say, General." "Captain!" "I need to talk to Guevara." "I've spoken to Fidel Castro." "There's been no deal with General Cantillo." "This is a revolution, not a coup." "It's either unconditional surrender orwe'll take the garrison by force." "And you'll be responsible forthe bloodshed." "Be aware of the possibility that the U.S. government will intervene militarily in Cuba." "If that happens, it would be an even bigger crime as you will be supporting a foreign invasion." "In that case, your only remaining option would be foryou to shoot yourself for committing treason." "Mr. Guevara, I need to talk with my superiors about that." "It's nineteen minutes past ten." "At eleven, I'll give the order to attack using all ourforces." "Sir, may I return home to my family?" "No." "But we won the revolution already!" "We just won the war, the revolution begins now." "Get all yourthings, we're leaving for Havana tomorrow." "Aleida, you, too." "I'll need a guide." " But I don't know Havana very well." " Neither do I." "This man wants to say hello to you." "Thanks for all you've done for Cuba." "Not me - all of them." "All of them." "Get ready." "We're leaving for Havana tomorrow." "He told me he was heading to Havana to participate in a military junta which was going to resolve the problems of the Cuban people." "I told him murderers like him weren't going to resolve anything anymore." "When I told him I was bringing him to you, he pissed in his pants." "He begged me to take him to another chief." "What do you want me to do with this guy?" "Keep him as a prisoner of war." "He will be judged by a tribunal." "Comandante, place him under special watch." "Sure." " Son of a bitch!" " Bandit!" "I can't see anything, then I turn around and I see Roberto in the jeep, holding the grenade with the pin still in it." "You're kidding." "So he's looking at me, smiling, like I'm stupid." "But, when he came out of the jeep I swearto you he stood up, acting like a tough guy still holding the grenade in his hand just like this, boy." "He could barely walk because his knees were shaking so hard and suddenly his eyes went up and then he fainted with the grenade in his hand with the pin still in it." "Good one!" "Who has a light?" "Not me." "Hey, this was mine!" " Gentlemen." " So, then?" "I'm going to the Capital." "Thanks for everything." " See you in Havana." " Of course." "Ernesto." "Okay." " Take care." " Yes, Che." "Don't worry, my man." "So then?" "Are you coming with us?" "Yes." "Under one condition." "Which?" "When we're done in Cuba you let me bring the revolution to all Latin America." "You, too, are a little crazy." "It's a thing that I haven't seen anybody doing, look." "The rice is the most important thing, if you take..." "Comandante, do you need my services tonight?" "Son, you're killing me!" "Did I make you angry with what I said the other night?" "I'm sorry, I don't know what I was thinking." "No, son, you are loved, as they say in Cuba." " Goodnight, Comandante." " Do what you need to do." "A symbol of what?" "I can tell you one thing." "We were very aware that we represented the hopes of the unredeemed Americas." "And all eyes, the oppressors..." "as much as the oppressed ...were on us." "I was thirty." "See you in Havana!" "It's Rogelio." "Tell him to stop." "Rogelio." " What?" " Rogelio." "Yes, tell him to stop." "What are you doing with that car?" "I'm driving it to Havana." "Who gave you authorization?" "I took it." "It belonged to one of the snipers, man." "Don't "man" me, Rogelio." "Even if it was Batista's, this car isn't yours." "Go back to Santa Clara immediately and give it back." "And then you will go to Havana by bus, by jeep or on foot!" "I'd ratherwalk than drive to Havana in a stolen car." "Let's go!" "JANUARY 2, 1959 186 MILES FROM HAVANA" "Unbelievable."