"La Habana October 1997" "30th anniversary of the fall of the heroic "guerrillero" and his comrades." "If you are going to fully dedicate yourself to the revolutionary struggle..." "The first thing you must accept is the possibility of dying." "I accept to die." "This is one of the few pictures I have of the face of Che..." "Which I found and printed for the first time the other day." "I used them for an exhibition." "Let me look for other ones..." "I like this one since I am a photographer." "And this shot was taken with my own camera." "In this one you can barely see Che's face..." "Yet you know it is he because of his specific forehead." "And the cap with the star." "Behind him is Pasionaria" "This picture was taken on January 2nd, 1964." "Che was shooting pictures with my camera." "And when I had the film developed..." "I discovered this picture of Fidel taken by Che." "I used these two pictures in an exhibition." "This picture is historic because Che took it." "I had the honour of knowing the simple, dedicated, brave man... that did not fight for material wealth..." "But his heart was so deep that he had with him." "The love of all the honest hearts of the world." "Say Ernesto "Che" Guevara and with pride you will be saying..." "Proletarian Internationalism." ""Che, A man of this world. "" "I met Ernesto Guevara de la Serna who would then become "Che" Guevara... in 1942" "Therefore there was a six-year difference which is a big difference at that age." "Alberto Granando 76 years old" "Alberto Granando 76 years old" "Friend and comrade of Che since their youth..." "Together they did the first trip of Latin America." "He was always a very ironic young man..." "Always fighting the social environment, which he was a part of." "He was part of a family of the high society... not from the economical aspect, but because of the name." "Despite this, the mother, a woman with very modern views... who was originally from a small town, smoked cigarettes, went horseback riding... drove cars, and would get together with people from the lower classes." "'Che' captured this, and he became an ironic critic... with a particular sense of humour." "That was how he was." "Juan Peron" "He was less anti-Peronist than I..." "Because in that triphe had done to North Brasil and the Antilles he had seen... a lot of exploited workers." "And he told me, "Look, if you had seen how some people live..." ""... how they're treated, you would be a lot less anti-Peronist. "" "I began wondering about a trip, and "Che" would tell me..." ""I want to go with you. "" "And after some planning, we decided that we would begin our trip." "In December of that year." "The man that returned from the trip through Latin America." "Was not the same that left Argentina." "In Guatemala he met several Cubans..." "And among those, he met Nico Lopez... who made a big impression on him because of his views... on the Marxist-Leninist Philosophies, and also because he took part... in armed fighting." "At first, Che did not believe this and would make fun of him... but when he realized it was true, and the conviction they had... his scepticism began to disappear." "When Che and Fidel met, I had not arrived yet to Mexico." "Fidel arrived in July 1955" "Melba Hernandez 76 years old." "Surviving Hero of the assault on the Moncada Barracks in 1953." "Member of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party." "We went to Mexico to continue with the Revolution... and return to Cuba in the vessel "Granma. "" "The officers of the ship did not allow me to go on board... because they claimed it was bad luck, and I did not want to cause bad luck..." "I did not insist." "I felt heartbroken..." "I felt really heartbroken... because such a small ship... with over 80 comrades, and myself being the only woman... it was impossible for me to be on the ship." "They were leaving for my country to fulfill the obligations... they were commended." "There was great joy." "This was the Ship of Freedom!" ""Holding the Shield. "" "In those days there were some differences between the people... that were fighting in the cities and the people that were... fighting in the mountains." "The people in the mountains were more in touch with the peasants... with the exploited people." "Maybe that was not felt as much in the cities." "Enrique Oltuski 68 years old" "Chief of the Urban Guerrilla "Movimiento 26 de Julio... "" "..in the Las Villas Province." "Former Minister of Communications and Deputy Minister of Industries." "At Present, Deputy Minister of the Fishing Industry" "Che was coming from Sierra Maestra, and arrived to the centre... of our country in the Las Villas Province, in the Escambrai Mountains." "In those days I was the in charge of the "Movimiento Revolucionario 26 de Julio... "" "in that province." "I had recieved instructions from Fidel to meet with Che in order to... coordinate the course of action to be used in Las Villas." "I had an idea of who Che was, I had heard of him being a doctor..." "I had an idea of who Che was, I had heard of him being a doctor... from Argentina, but the group, mainly peasants that had come... to meet him, saw a strange man with long hair, a black cap... and a long coat that would fall down to his ankles." "He had a sort of Chinese aspect, with that strange beard... and with the moustache falling from both sides of his face." "He looked Asian, and I thought to myself "That is how Genghis Khan... ..must have looked like when he invaded Europe!"" "I met Che in a place called La Plata... and the image I had of Argentinians was the image of the "Porteños... "" "the people of Buenos Aires, that were shown on movies." "The image I had was from movies of Carlos Gardel or Debora del Carril." "In other words, an image that was very different compared... to the personality of Che who was a much calmer person... who looked as if he had trouble breathing." "And the legend was that there was an Argentinian man in charge... of one of our columns, so when I met him I thought to myself..." ""This man can not be from Argentina!"" "By the time I met Che, he was already very well known in Sierra Maestra." "He was famous for having done some interesting things that had... caught the attention of everyone." "Things that were typical of him." "Such as that one time where he had placed on a visible spot... the "26 de Julio" flag so airplanes would shoot at it." "People were talking about these actions, that were typical of Che." "Oscar Fernandez Mel 64 years old." "Medical Doctor." "Was an Officer in the Column of Che." "Former Ambassador in London and Mayor of La Habana." "Now a Retired Brigade General of FAR." "I joined his column after having been a memeber of all the other columns." "Since I met him we always stayed together." "Joel Iglesias 56 years old" "Fighter in Che's column from age 14." "Today retired commander of the FAR." "I was very young." "I was still 15." "I turned 15 in sierra." "I was actually 14." "But I said I was 15." "Maybe looking for more age..." "And the Che intervened so that I could be a part of the troop..." "From that moment on I was always with the Che... with the Sierra Maestra campaign." "We were talking about coordinating the strategy since he was going to be... in charge of mountain operations while I would be in charge of urban operations." "We exchanged ideas for a long time, getting to know each other..." "We exchanged ideas for a long time, getting to know each other... and I told him "Che, I think you're going too fast." ""We have to disguise our actions..." ""... don't forget that the Yanks..." ""... are only 90 miles from here and they would react if they were... to find out what we are doing here. "" "He stared at me and said, "Do you really believe that..." ""... we can have a Revolution without the Yanks knowing about it..." ""... a real Revolution without them finding out?"" ""You are a piece of Shit!"" ""Don't you realizke that we have to do the opposite?" ""That we need everyone to know that this is a real Revolution..." ""... because when we gather the people on our side, there will be..." ""... no reason to fear the Yanks." ""The Yanks will not be able to take us down!"" "Che Guevara is not dead, he is not dead and he will never die... because in this humanity he has not covered the silence!" "Aristides Guerra 71 years old." "In Charge of supplies for the group of Che in Sierra Maestra." "Lives in Old Habana and still works in Rural Education projects." "Che was, back then, the doctor for the troops." "The first time I met him, we had a normal conversation... and I spoke to him of what my ideas were, my dreams for children, and maybe... that made Che see in me a peasant that was useful... in the revolutionary struggle." "We have now been 16 months in Sierra Maestra." "Journalists from different nationalities have come and have been interested... in the anecdotic aspect of this guerrilla war." "Since he became Chief of the 2nd Guerilla Column in Sierras Maestras." "In the territory where he operated he developed different industries." "In that camp there were schools, bakeries..." "Hospitals, armory..." "The first radio station of "Rebel Radio. "" "There was a newspaper." "He was a real pioneer in many things in the Guerilla War." "The Guerilla War" "Fear is lost when you get used to danger." "When one does not face danger, and all of a sudden there is danger..." "You get very scared." "I know Fidel, I've been with him in tough moments... where I was scared and he kept calm while we were being shot at!" "Fidel however considered Che to be exceptionally brave." "I asked Che, "have you ever been afraid?" And he replied "Of course!" "'" "So if Che was afraid, how could I not be!" "He created situations with the strategy, his strategy, used in Las Villas..." "He did that, and he created such conditions... where the enemy could not move from one place to another... because the railroads had been sabotaged, bridges had been destroyed." "The island had been split in two." "The people couldn't travel by land." "That is where he gained strength." "And his culminating moment was... in the Las Villas campaign, where in one month he conqered the province." "In that campaign the fighting never stopped, it went on 24-hours a day." "I am talking about our part, because Camilo had some problems... on his part and it was not easy to gain control." "While Che was taking control of Santa Clara... we have been 10 days surrounding the military barracks of... the 22nd battalion, the siege lasted 7 days and another 3 days... to remove the military personnel from the town." "The fierce fighting lasted a week, and during that week... the town was bombed 3 times." "We had more trouble with the first barracks, which had few soldiers... and which were close to the mountains... than with, for example, Placeta, a much bigger city." "When Che broke his arm he needed a driver and I volunteered to become his driver." "We were talking while I was driving the Jeep and he said..." ""Alberto you are such a good soldier that you are one of the most veteran... and still a Private. "" "And I replied, "Che, I am not here to gain ranks. "" "And he replied, "Everyone likes to have a higher rank!"" "I told him, "Well, if I don't achieve higher ranks, the day this is over..." ""... if I am still alive, I will feel proud to have served my country. "" "When we arrived to Santa Clara, he put me in charge of a squadron... and gave squadrons to Villegas, Hermes, Argudin and myself." "Squadron Chief meant First Lieutenant, and Platoon Chief meant Captain." "Alberto Castellanos 65 years old." "One of Che's Personal Escorts since the Sierra." "Under the name of "Raul Davila Sueiro," he took part in the Masetti Guerrilla... in Salta in 1964 and was in prison for 3 years in Oran." "Today he is a retired colonel from the FAR." "It is interesting how one can get used to danger." "I remember in one of my visits to Escambrai, Che and I were talking... one late afternoon, and from Santa Clara... military airplanes with machine guns... were constantly taking off that when they spotted a rebel group... they would shoot at it." "At one point I looked up and one of those airplanes appeared from behind some hills." "I saw that the airplane was flying towards us, and it was so close... that I clearly saw the pilot and beside him, in the seat of the co-pilot... there was a soldier that had a machine gun assembled on to the window... and that was pointing at us." "That is the last memory I have of the arrival of that airplane." "Because a fraction of a second later, I was over 500 metres away... from that place hiding behind a tree with the trunk this big." "I got there so fast that I probably beat a world record!" "From behind the tree I was able to see the airplane shooting at the road." "Where was Che?" "Che was standing there, pointing and shooting at the airplane with his rifle." "He was shooting at the plane and the plane was shooting at him." "And neither of them hit each other, and the airplane eventually left." "When it was over, he began to nod his head, and stared at the tree... where I was hiding and I thought to myself, "What am I going to do now?"" "But I had to get out!" "So I left the tree and slowly began to walk towards where he was standing." "We stared at each other until he told me "Don't worry." "No one will know about this!"" "You are the first ones to know about this!" "I get wounded in Fomento." "The bullet enters the arm, goes through the throat, and ends up in my jaw." "It was the the worst wound." "Some mates took me away from the guards." "And there there was a clinic, luckily." "The Che went to see me." "He went to see the others, but I was in the worst condition." "He spoke with the doctors." ""What's happening here?"" "There were rebel doctors there, but it wasn't known... who was and who wasn't." "And so he demands that the attention be good." "Since I was in the worst condition, he paid me more attention." "He had sent for us at the barracks." "We had thrown three grenades, it was violent." "And I was running." "When I got down from the hill I found Che." "And he asked me where was I going." "And I told him I was looking for him." "Because where we threw... the grenades only needed a bazooka hit to be demolished." "And he started shooting, until he did it." ""Attention Column 8" ""Let's see if you are a good radio speaker as you are a commander. "" ""Column 2." "Camilo, this is Che. "" ""Perfectly understood." "I am a great radio speaker. "" ""We have a school here, the Marconi School of Telegraphers. "" ""Here is Camilo." "Attention Che... "" ""Let's follow the instructions, the instructions you gave me. "" ""Commander, that I sent you for two days in a row. "" ""So tell me if you understand me, over, Che. "" ""Camilo, I understand you perfectly." "Your record is scratched..." ""... you need to change it. "" "The Peasants of Che" "Jose Mendoza Argudin 63 years old." "Personal Escort of Che." "Travelled with him on his first trip to the Communist Europe and the Arab world." "Now a retired Lieutenant Colonel of FAR and works a small piece of land." "Then I have to rectify..." "I had doubts that someone told me..." " Remember the platoon he formed?" " Yes" " Of which you were in charge of a squadron?" " Yes, I was, he told me..." "He would always find a way to have a solution when facing... a complicated situation." "And another important thing about him..." "Let me interrupt you for a second..." "If Che would be here today, he would be in front of a computer... looking for solutions for all problems." "He was the best aide of Fidel." "So, during the first months and years, he was responsible for making us... learn how to read and write, to be proper people." "In my case for example, I was originally a peasant, and on the days when..." "I had to work with him, he would send me a teacher to wherever I was." "That is how he was; he constantly demanded that we improve all the time." "It never crossed my mind that we were going to be a part of history." "Exactly." "We're a part of history..." "The goal was to get rid of Batista, and our day to day work... within the Guerrilla was to, well, try for example to ambush the enemy... and things like that, but never thinking we were making history..." "And men make history after a long period of time." "Today's another day in Revolution Square... but this is a historical moment for Cuban history." "During days, thousands of Cubans praised the heroic warrior." "In this cubicle, where a praise to this figure is permanent..." "The people didn't say goodbye to the warrior... but instead welcomed him to his homelandthat loves him... and will cherish him forever..." "Because of the affinity I had with him, I had the privilege, which is... something I consider huge in my life... to receive the remains together with 8 or 10 former combatants... of Che that came in from Bolivia." "I was very close to the remains, and very distressed while staring at that... very small box that had something so big inside." ""Your great Presence, Comandante Che Guevara"" ""The dreams still lead the people, like a magnet, that joins us each day..." ""It is not about windmills, it is not about a Quixote..." ""Something tunes in the soul of men, a virtue that is above titles and names!"" ""After so much time, we still follow you in your long journey. "" ""The Wedding"" "Aleida was a member of the "26 de Julio" movement of Santa Clara..." "And she was already a target in the city... so she stayed with us permanently." "Aleida was staying at the same place as myself..." "And you know how this starts, first a meal, and then slowly they were... spending more and more time together, and there is where... the "love at first sight" began." "After that they were together all the time." "They even fought together." "The wedding took place in the house of Alberto Castellano..." "Who was his driver and personal escort." "He had given me that house, and one day he asked me..." ""Is it ok if the wedding takes place in your house?"" ""Of course!" I replied, "You gave that house, how could I... not let you marry there!"" "The wedding was a very simple wedding and he did not organize any of it." "Camilo asked me "Alberto, what do you have for the wedding of Che?"" "I replied "Me?" "A box of Sidre, that if he finds out I stole it..." "I will be put in jail." "I have nothing else. "" "So Camilo organized for all the Commanders to bring beer... and other drinks, and that is how the party was organized." "Then I kept all the leftovers!" "There was no dancing..." "Che was a terrible dancer, and a terrible singer." "You could tell he was singing a Tango because of the lyrics... but the singing was awful." "His singing was, as we say here, "left... "" "I don't know if that expression is used in Argentina... but "left" means he can't do it properly!" "I was outside when he called for me." ""Alberto Castellano!"" ""Why is he calling me?" I wondered, and it was to put my signature." ""My signature?" I asked." "He had put Raul Castro and myself as his witnesses... of the wedding." "The two witnesses for Aleida were a comrade of whom..." "I do not remember the name, and Fidel." "That is more or less the way it happened, and then they came here..." "I was having a beer outside and he arrived, touched me in my back and asked..." ""Is it good?" I replied, "It is great!" And asked me to get one for him." "This was the first time I got him a beer." "He was a very easy-going, loving person, but he hated when things were done wrong." "He would always let you know when something was not done right... and he would always take measures, even if it was only pulling your ear." "He would never let one go, no matter how insignificant it was." ""Hardening oneself without losing tenderness"" "Like any kid, I missed my father when some friend talked... about going with his dad somewhere or other." "I missed that." "I missed my father." "But my mother was very important because she knew how to explain... why he wasn't there." "And I'm the child of that woman, who loved him extraordinarily... and that never questioned him having done what he thought was right." "In a certain moment, I missed his caress, his touch." "But since I have it inside me, and I know how much love he had..." "I feel satisfied being that man's daughter." "Aleida March Guevara" "Eldest daughter of Che and Aleida March." "She's a kid's doctor." "Hildita Guevara (1956-1996) Daughter of Che and Hilda Gadea" "He always tried to send his love." "And somehow let us know that he cared for us, even if he wasn't there." "Sometimes I went with him to the Ministry of Industry." "Then he took me to a child's group." "Or he took me to the sugar cane harvests." "I sat there while he worked and talked to me." "Or he took me around the corner explaining something to me." "Or he sat me on his lap while he watched boxing." "They're memories that stay with you." "When he came home from work, sometimes after three days... he played with us on the floor or watched TV with us." "At 20" "I loved a man that was almost never with me." "And there I found all these things and I made them bigger... in my memory, always looking for that special tenderness." ""Ministerial Interlude"" "I had done my university studies in the United States." "I had chosen some courses on Company Management because I was... studying architectural engineering." "My idea was to kgraduate, learn the American techniques... of construction and management, return to Cuba, open my own construction... company and become a millionaire." "That was my original idea, until Fidel decided to attack the Moncada." "At that point my aspirations to become a millionaire ended." "Che sends me to the Industrialization Department." "When I got there, I found complete chaos!" "Lmagine that members of the rebel army, including myself who had never... managed anything, were in charge!" "Che at the time was 31 years old..." "Che at the time was 31 years old... and I was 29." "We were just boys!" "We didn't know anything about this!" "There's a meeting with the Minister, Ernesto Che Guevara... and that's where I meet him." "He asked me what I thought of that industry." "I said that it had great potential, because it was construction... and that was necessary in the country." "He said, "Thats all?"" "I said yes and he told me there's more to it:" "Cuban resources... development of cuban technology... and the use of workers, that is also necessary." "The first thing this country needs to do is give work to its people... so they can live, and so they trust the revolution." "Evelio Zulueta Parera 70 years old" "Director of the Personnel of the Ministry of Industries" "Today retired." "Meets with all his ex-comrades every October 8... to do voluntary work, remembering Che." "Once I got to the Ministry, they took me to the Minister's office... and they left me alone." "I asked myself, what do I do now?" "They told me that due to the conditions of the country... they chose people that could manage an administrative job." "Prepared enough as to meet the standards of the Ministry." "At the end of 1960 with the reorganization of the economy based on Socialist foundations." "The Ministry of Industries was created as an extremely large organization." "It had the Vice-Ministry of Basic Industry, the Vice-ministry of Light Industry, etc." "Four Vice-Ministries." "Formed by someone very close to him, Orlando Borrego." "Che closely followed the organizing process, and the only thing... he did not approve was the furniture chosen for his office." "He believed the furniture was not humble enough, so we quickly... had to replace some furniture for a more modest kind, which is what he wanted." "A simple, modest office that would fit his personality and his austere character." "Orlando Borrego 62 years old." "Deputy Minister of Che for Industry." "Continues to this day to be an Economical Advisor." "When we began the organization of the Ministry, how to organize... socialist enterprises, I had assigned a Manager, an Economic Deputy... a Production Deputy, a Technical Deputy, and a Commercial, or Sales Deputy... in other words, a classic organization." "Che said, "No..." ""... the word "Sales" does not fit here, we need a word..." ""... that reflects the Social spirit. "" "I replied "Ok, I will see you tomorrow and meanwhile think of a word. "" "I could not think of anything." "What word could substitute 'Sales'?" "He was very wary of Socialism in the eastern countries... because he said that Communism wasn't developed with products... that it needed of a special consciousness." "If you didn't develop that consciousness, you could have... been a great producer, but never a revolutionary party." "And the next day I go back..." "I told him "Sales is Sales, and it cannot be replaced!"" "And he looked at me like... the day of the airplane and said, "I have the word, instead of..." ""... 'Sales Department, it will be 'Exchange Department. "'" "That is how he was." "He was a very, very demanding person." "He would not overlook even the smallest matter." "For only one month in History... has the Ministry of Industry been able... to fulfil its production plan 100%." "It has only fulfilled it one month and you applaud?" "What would you do... if it did this every month?" "I felt very nice with Che." "I would enjoy it when he criticised me." "I really liked to see him staring at me with those flashy eyes... when I would do something wrong." "That stare would be tossing balls of fire, and I liked it... because we were so close I would tell him "Let me think..." ""... because the way you are staring at me does not let me think!"" "He liked to direct the people that knew about what he was in charge of." "He did not want to be the inventor of everything, nor did he want... people to do whatever he wanted." "He was not a person that would impose his ideas, but he did impose... his political ideas." "I asked him what he believed "bureaucracy" meant, and he replied..." ""It is not what I believe, there already is a definition. "" "Bureaucracy is the delay in solution of problems because of... unnecessary formalities. "" "That was a really concrete definition." "He was very aware of this, and was very worried about stimulation of the morale... because moral stimuli develops the conscience." "This is how we got started because Batista's Deputies, who were as corrupt... and criminal as Batista, fled with him." "We had to fill a void, and it was our first experience." "I frequently say that it was no more than 6 years of work..." "Because when you work at that level of intensity, and for so many hours... every day compared to what we were used to, those six years for me were... equivalent to ten or twelve years, because up to 1963" "until 3:00 or 4:00 a. m." "And during economic studies many times we would work all night analysing... as he would say "by fits and starts," for ways to improve things." "And during one night, in 1963 some concessions?"" ""Such as?" I replied." "And he said, "We are wearing ourselves out and I propose to work until 1:00 am. "" "That was a big concession, because we worked with that intensity." "That was something to admire and imitate, because socialism was the philosophy... of example, not of deprivation or of less work." "If you are going into a new world where you need change, change will be... accomplished by setting the example." "I want to say that no one... has been able to dig at the same rhythm as the sun..." "And that no one has been able to cut a tenon only with love and grace." ""Voluntary Work"" "He made work become his biggest entertainment." ""Some people entertain themselves by going to the beach..." ""... but I enjoy working," he would say." "So on most Sundays he would go and do voluntary work." "He would often remind us on Saturdays that on Sundays there was... voluntary work to be done." "During all the years where Che was Minister, Sundays... were dedicated to voluntary work." "Because he considered that to be of vital importance." ""We have to work where it hurts, where there are things to be corrected. "" "From the editorial office they sent me to cover the report of... a voluntary work where Che was going to be present." "Livorio Noval 64 years old" "Photographer." "Has done many exhibitions on Che." "We arrived there just before 6:00 am." "And shortly after Che arrived with a Chinese commercial delegation... the first delegation ever." "Che invited them to take part of the voluntary work." "And when he saw the journalists there, he asked us what we were doing." "I replied to him that we were covering the story, and he said..." ""What I means is, are you here to work as your fellow comrades?"" "Meaning, pushing carts, and thing of the sort." "I believe that one of the things that brought us closer to Che... that made us identify more with him, that enabled us to have... a more fraternal and humane relationship, was the work on Sundays." "Because Che was not the Minister there, he was a simple fellow worker." "And in the breaks we joked around, we shared stories." "And that let us have an extremely humane relationship with him." "He went to voluntary work in the truck with everyone else." "He got there first at 6 AM." "He said we had to leave at 6:30... we left at 6:30" "He went in the truck with everyone else." "It was a spontaneous movement, voluntary, full of enthusiasm... and that, in it's organized form, a system was established... to acknowledge those that worked 240 hours extra every six months." "That meant a great effort." "The Che called me and told me he didn't want any more pictures... of the voluntary work." "And I asked him if I had done something wrong." "He said, "No, but on Mondays, there's a meeting of the Ministry... and the only Minister that appears is me. "" ""So don't take any more pictures, keep coming here to work..." ""... but no more pictures. "" "Che was a man of this world." "There are people that say he was a tough man, I disagree with that idea." "I always say that; he was not a weak-willed Guerrilla commander... he could not have been that even if he wanted to." "And as a Minister, he was very demanding, particularly so the tasks... at hand would be accomplished." "But whoever worked well, with love, with quality, had no problems with him." "He would get very upset when the voluntary work was not well organized." ""I say farewell to you because I am going to carry out my duty as a voluntary worker."" ""I want to honestly tell you that that the Ministry of Industry... is last in the emulation. "" ""And that we have to make an effort in order to accomplish our goal... which we always say is to be the best. "" ""In any case, in the next assembly, next year... "" ""... we will let you know the results. "" ""Until then... "" "Here worked..." "He was a very humane man, kind." "People said they had spoken with Che like it was... something impossible." "He didn't like much attention." "When people applauded, he left." "He was very modest." ""If you'll let me..." ""..." "I'll read you a short phrase..." ""Dont worry..." ""... it's not mine... "" "He did not like having photographers constantly with him." "He would say he was not an artist." "However he was a very photogenic person, he had a particular charisma... for photography." "Cuban women considered him to be a very handsome man." "Even today my wife and my sister-in-law see pictures of him and say... he was very handsome." "In my opinion, he was very photogenic." "I have some pictures that were taken during a reception in the..." "Czechoslovakian Embassy..." "Six pictures in total, and in the first four, Che was talking... to some Czech military personnel." "Unaware that I was taking the pictures, in the fifth picture he is just... looking at me, but in the sixth picture, you can see that he was telling me... to leave just by staring at me, like telling me that I had been there... for too long and that I had to leave." "And so I left, but I have the pictures." "I was just talking about the ironic look of Che." "Look at this picture." "Here he is staring at the photographer." "Just by looking he is saying, "Enough, don't shoot more pictures. "" "On March 5th, 1960 Fidel Castro was about to pronounce a funereal... speech for the 136 people that perished... in a criminal sabotage to a French ship that had arrived to Habana with weapons." "Attack on the ship La Coubre." "I was a photographer for the newspaper "Revolution", and standing at about... eight metres from the main stand from the angle where I was shooting from... you could not see Che in the main stand." "He was in the back." "I was taking shots of all the personalities, Ministers, Fidel, etc." "And at an indefinite, unsought moment, from the back of the stand... the image of Che emerged." "I was surprised, almost frightened, by the strong way in which he was staring." "He stared at the huge crowd that was gathered in Habana." "And while he stood there observing the crowd I had the chance of taking... two pictures of that moment." "The first one was a horizontal shot, and the other one vertical." "Immediately, about 45 or 50 seconds after, he again disappeared... to the back of the stand." "The picture had not been planned, it had not been planned." "Che was not posing or anything of the sort but this is how this shot was taken." "Alberto Diaz "Korda" 69 years old" "Photographer." "Author of the so-called 'picture of the century'... of Che Continues to work and produce exhibitions." "An Italian man came to my studio." "He told me he wanted a picture of Che." "I showed him the one I took... and he liked it." "He then told me he wanted two copies for the next day." "He even asked me what the price for the pictures was and I told him... they were free of charge." "The man was called Gian Giacomo Petrinelli, and editor of a very important... agency based in Milan." "Three or four months after I had given the pictures to him as a present..." "Che was murdered in Bolivia." "And the man, with a very acute commercial instinct, made a poster... of 70 cm x 100 cm of that picture." "And that is how the picture became so important." ""Those who fight and those who cry"" "There was an Argentinelan journalist in Cuba, Jorge Masetti, and they wanted me to meet him" "The idea was to found a news agency." "I cooperated with him following Che's orders." "Thek idea was created to do something in Argentina,... ..people were sent there to start organizing something." "The proyect of the guerilla in Salta, that was a failure" "I remember I arrived in Bolivia in spring Day." "And we go to the camp." "There I find myself with Masetti." "Masetti played an important role in the whole mechanism." "The organization of the guerilla in Salta." "Something went wrong there, up until today we don't know what'" "Cuban comrades died there." "Others were taken prisoners and taken to Argentina." "Something happened to me in jail..." "There was a magazine there that published the weddings picture and a prisoner recognizes me." "I was very scared." "But I thought better of that, and realized he wouldn't say anything." "And he didn't." "He kept quiet." "And then we got parole on December 14." "And from there instead of going to Bolivia I went to Buenos aires." "I think the Che never fogort about his country and was also very close to Argentina in his mind" "his final goal of going there to fight and change things." "Nightfall in Congo" "Now, in that distant but present Congo,... ..there's a story we must know and an experience we should use" "I cut my beard and shaved and went to see the Che." "And his daughter tells me "You cut your beard just like my dad!"" "And doesn't say anything else." "And I realize, if the Che cuts his beard it's strange and I knew his plan since Sierra." "But it was all theory." "And shaving off the beard meant it was the moment." "So, if he cut off his beard, it's sure he's leaving." "And in Africa, he didn't go with the idea of fighting, but of giving advice." "He found hismelf with a situation proper of the African's mindset... ..not of the Latin american." "The Latin American requires example from his leaders." "The african leaders have been in other countries, etc, and this impacted the Che." "Who chose the Congo?" "I don't know." "Who came and informed an said there were conditions?" "I couldn't say" "I know it was said there were conditions but it was totally false." "Not even who decided, if it was him." "I think he shouldn't have gone there, they were too far behind." "For the national problems, leaders were needed, capable of uniting all the tribes." "Like a presence of Cuban groups in the columns." "They try to say it wasn't a failure" "I personally think the failure is due to having chosen the wrong continent, the wrong country and supporting the wrong leaders." "And how he got in, without the government's permission." "He was an international man, he had even spoken in the UN" "The hope of a better world... the image for which one would sacrifice life in the battlefields of the whole world" "I think he got angry." "Not accomplishlishing what he wanted, training people, creating an army, and uniting the government and the people." "It must have gotten him angry" "Harry Villegas "Pombo" 55 years old" "Fighter of Che in La Sierra, in Congo, and in Bolivia" "Today, as Brigadier General, he is chief of the political section of the west army" "I think in a certain moment he is unfair with himself and takes it as a failure." "Bolivia" "I do not believe his trip to Bolivia had been prepared properly." "And despite many people telling him to wait for more preparation... for better conditions, he was determined to go at once." "He had in his mind the problems of Argentina and the failure in Congo." "So he now wanted to participate actively in everything else." "It is curious that when all the people that were working with him found out... that he was going to restart armed fighting, we all asked to join him." "We could not understand that he was going to fight in another country." "We were Ministers, Deputies, Directors, yet we loved him so much that... we wanted to stay by his side until the end." "The one thing I regret is that he did not take me with him." "Because I believe he must not have thought that I was good enough... to go along with him." "If he had asked me to, I would have gone with him." "There had already been too many failures, but for him, I would have gone anyway." "There's a moment where it's seen how well he had measured... the situation in Bolivia." "In about July... there's a students and miners strike." "He said that with 100 more men, he would have been able... to take the power." "If Mario Monje hadn't given up..." "Mario Monje" " Leader of the Communist Party in Bolivia with the idea there was the one spontaneosuly produced... power could have been taken in an extremely short period." "What he wanted, a short campaign and then a long one for the whole South." "La Paz, October 1967" "What are the guerillas, in your opinion?" "They're communist." "What are the guerilla fighters?" "I'm not so informed as to give out an opinion, but I think... they're against the president." "They don't let us work, even though they fight for an ideal... that doesn't justify their actions." "That's all I have to say." "He must have suffered a lot, spiritually apart from physically." "In Bolivia, when he saw it got out of hand." "Because he really wanted to succeed, not for him personally... but for the sake of the International Revolution." "And that's not thought by myself only." "Imperialism cannot be trusted, not even a little!" "At all!" "It was the body of Che." "It is official:" "Che is Dead." "My first reaction was that it was not true, that it was... a fake made by our enemies to confuse us." "That is what we commented among us, within our group." "That was until one or two days later, when the reports that were coming in... from our own sources indicated that the report could be true." "When the body was recognized, what can you tell us about those pictures?" "Roberto Guevara upon departure to recognizing the body of Che." " About those pictures, I can say there is no way that they are proof... of the identity of the person photographed." "Although there is a resemblance with the latest pictures taken of him... and let me make it clear that the resemblance is with... the latest pictures taken, not with him per se." "Doctor, are convinced that your brother, Ernesto Guevara, is alive?" "Yes, I am convinced he is alive." "When I received the news of his death, I was in charge of an Army Battalion." "A mechanized Battalion." "I am a strong man, when I see a corpse, it is just a corpse." "Not that I am a particularly tough man." "But the news of his death..." "I have seen my parents die and I was more or less fine..." "But because of the memories of him and our other comrades..." "The news of his death honestly made my legs tumble, as we say in Cuba." "He would often talk about death, more as a joke than anything else..." "Realizing that it was inevitable, but that there was no reason... to be afraid of it." "He had told me many times that he was not born to be a grandfather." "The struggle left a mixture of good things and bad things... of achievements and misfortunes." "It has been this way our entire life." "Even today..." "Even today it's not easy to see Che and other comrades in the condition they are." "After 38 years, the legendary warrior returns to the city from where he began... the crucial battle of Santa Clara with the glorious 8th Column of the rebel army." "Since then Santa Clara sees him like a son that is returning... with 100% of his purity and with the light of his noble soul." "Che is fighting and winning more battles than ever before!" "Thank you Che... ..for your history... ..your life... ..and your spirit..." "..in this hard battle that we are fighting today." "In order to save the ideas for which you fought so hard..." "My people being satisfied and feel more commited... having him in Cuban territory is very important for me." "Like a daughter it's very difficult seeing a small box with a man... you remember alive, very alive." "That touches me, and you'll see me crying there sometimes... but nothing else." "When I stand before him in the Revolution Square..." "I do not know what others might feel, but I honestly feel proud." "All I would tell him is that I am the same Alberto he knew... the same one to whom he dedicated a book as "Loyal Assistant. "" "And that if I would have to go through everything again I would do it." "I do not regret anything at all." "When I have more sacrifices to do is when I most remember Che... and that all sacrifices are small compared to the struggle he pursued... for our America with his studies in our own Sierra." "And with the sacrifices he made, Che managed to succeed... to become a doctor, a Commander, a Minister..." "But he had one more thing." "Che did not fight for personal honour or for material wealth." "He fought for the common well-being of all people." "In other words, with his title as a medical doctor and... his rank of Commander, he could have lived like many other did." "However, he resigned his Commander rank, his title as a Minister... and dedicated to fight for all the poor people of the world." "You were coming from the South... and you were coming from before... with love for the world from deep inside." "It was a star that placed you here... and made you a part of this town." "From gratitude many men were born... that as yourself, did not want you to leave and they are different since then." "After so much time and so many storms... we forever continue the same long path you travel..." "The end of the Century announces an old truth... good times and bad times are part of reality." "I was well aware that you were going to return... that you would be returning from anywhere... because pain has not killed utopia." "Because love is eternal and the people that love you do not forget you..." "I was well aware since that moment... that you were going to grow, that you were going to stay... because clear faith heals the wounds... because your spirit is humble and is a part of the poor and of their lives." "After so much time and so many storms... we forever continue the same long path you travel..." "The end of the Century announces an old truth... good times and bad times are part of reality." "The dreams still lead the people, like a magnet, that joins us each day..." "It is not about windmills, it is not about a Quixote..." "Something tunes in the soul of men, a virtue that is above titles and names!" "After so much time, we still follow you in your long journey." "The end of the Century announces an old truth... good times and bad times are part of reality."