Cuba pays tribute to Che Guevara

Byrnzie

Cuba pays tribute to Che Guevara
Monday, 8 October 2007, 21:11 GMT 22:11 UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7033880.stm
The memory of Latin American Marxist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara is being honoured in Cuba 40 years after his capture and summary execution.

About 10,000 people are attending a ceremony at his mausoleum in Santa Clara, the town where he once fought a battle during Cuba's revolution.

Raul Castro, brother of ailing Cuban leader Fidel, is at the event.

Other commemorations are being held in Bolivia and Venezuela, countries where the Argentine-born hero was active.

He had travelled to Bolivia to help lead an uprising but was tracked down and killed by soldiers in 1967.

Che's ideas and looks have been captivating young people across the world since the late 1960s, his bearded face and beret acquiring iconic status.

His critics describe Che as a brutal man who ordered the execution of dozens of his opponents and helped move Cuba further towards communism in the early years of the revolution.

The ceremony in Santa Clara opened with Raul Castro reading out a message from Fidel.

"I halt in my day-to-day combat to bow my head, with respect and gratitude, before the exceptional fighter who fell 40 years ago," the message said.

Suffering from intestinal illness, the 81-year-old Cuban leader handed over power to Raul 14 months ago.

Che's daughter Aleida Guevara said her father's work had been vindicated by the recent leftward shift in Latin America.

"Today Latin America begins to awaken and their dreams are coming true," she said in the mausoleum.

In Bolivia, the leftist President, Evo Morales, visited the site where Che was first buried after his execution, and addressed a crowd of mourners on a windswept hill just outside Vallegrande.

"Che lives," he said.

"His heroic struggle and that of other revolutionaries will continue until savage capitalism is changed.

"Latin America cannot continue being the backyard of American imperialism."

In Venezuela, President Hugo Chavez described Che as an "infinite revolutionary" in a speech on TV just before the anniversary.

Cubans honour Che as a hero
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7033432.stm

mookie blaylock 10

thanks for posting this, byrnzie.

Indifference

a good book on the subject:

http://www.amazon.com/Exposing-Real-Che-Guevara-Idolize/dp/1595230270

mammasan

I don't know why they would.

LikeAnOpeningBandForTheSun

Che had so much of an impact on the fashion industry that he should be celebrated.


All those cool rebellious wannabe commie teenagers and their Che shirts are all the rage.

810wmb

MrSmith wrote:

Che had so much of an impact on the fashion industry that he should be celebrated.


All those cool rebellious wannabe commie teenagers and their Che shirts are all the rage.

hehehhe, where was jimmy carter?

Byrnzie

mammasan wrote:

I don't know why they would.

Then you understand nothing about Cuba or Latin American history and politics.

jeffbr

Byrnzie wrote:

Then you understand nothing about Cuba or Latin American history and politics.

Wow. I'm pretty sure Mammasan traces his roots to Cuba, and not so very long ago.

Byrnzie

jeffbr wrote:

Wow. I'm pretty sure Mammasan traces his roots to Cuba, and not so very long ago.

So?

jeffbr

Byrnzie wrote:

So?

So I'm guessing he actually understands something about Cuba and Latin American history and politics, and likely has a closer perspective than a Marxist Brit living in South Korea who seems to hold Che in high esteem.

It's all opinion here, but to hold the opinion that he knows nothing about the history of the country of his forefathers is silly.

Byrnzie

jeffbr wrote:

So I'm guessing he actually understands something about Cuba and Latin American history and politics, and likely has a closer perspective than a Marxist Brit living in South Korea who seems to hold Che in high esteem.

It's all opinion here, but to hold the opinion that he knows nothing about the history of the country of his forefathers is silly.

I think the people living there would have a clearer perspective on things.

Pearler

He was a turd that floated for a little while, happened to killed a few people on his travels and his only friend was Castro.

Just my opinion.

catefrances

personally i am still trying to reconcile my feelings towards guevera.

Byrnzie

Pearler wrote:

He was a turd that floated for a little while, happened to killed a few people on his travels and his only friend was Castro.

Just my opinion.

So nevermind that he played a central role in helping Cuba gain independence from U.S imperialism.

catefrances

Byrnzie wrote:

So nevermind that he played a central role in helping Cuba gain independence from U.S imperialism.

amongst other things he did. and not just for cuba.

810wmb

Byrnzie wrote:

So nevermind that he played a central role in helping Cuba gain independence from U.S imperialism.

and the cubans are so happy about, they get in shitty little boats risking everything to come here

Byrnzie

810wmb wrote:

and the cubans are so happy about, they get in shitty little boats risking everything to come here

I wonder if the illegal U.S blockade of Cuba, and the resulting poverty, has anything to do with that?

catefrances

Byrnzie wrote:

I wonder if the illegal U.S blockade of Cuba, and the resulting poverty, has anything to do with that?

jeez steve, surely you don't expect the US to swallow their wounded pride and treat cuba like they do every other tyrannical country. pfft. :rolleyes: you're dreaming.

810wmb

Byrnzie wrote:

I wonder if the illegal U.S blockade of Cuba, and the resulting poverty, has anything to do with that?

once again proving all good things come from the u.s, we are the horn of plenty for the world...

or it's our freaking fault for everything that happens in the world.

catefrances

810wmb wrote:

once again proving all good things come from the u.s, we are the horn of plenty for the world...

or it's our freaking fault for everything that happens in the world.

when the most powerful country on earth blockades your country and economically threatens any other country that even thinks of trading with you, responsibility is laid where it is due. i realise the bullshit level is so high the US administration can't even see, but nearly 50 years of this hypocrisy is enough.

810wmb

catefrances wrote:

when the most powerful country on earth blockades your country and economically threatens any other country that even thinks of trading with you, responsibility is laid where it is due. i realise the bullshit level is so high the US administration can't even see, but nearly 50 years of this hypocrisy is enough.

our country does not support communism...tough crap for them...

just like you don't support some things, our country doesn't support some things