On The Media

I was in Cuba in 2001 and was astounded by the entire population's worshipping of Che. His face was everywhere including on the side of a 5 story building. It was obvious that the legend surrounding him had elevated him to some sort of god-like being. It was difficult to get anyone to talk specifics re: Che. When his name was spoken all faces were awe struck, hands were clasped as in prayer and no one spoke. It seems that his legacy has surpassed his actual life's accomplishments and there is no telling how far this adoration will go.

I'd encourage Che worshipers to watch Cuban-born actor/director Andy Garcia's rather underrated film, "The Lost City." His portrayal of Guevara is anything but flattering.

Jon Lee Anderson's book is an inspirational piece of journalism. He really does set the record straight. For god's sake, he found Che's body! It is amazing with all the t-shirts and posters, how few people actually know who Ernesto Guevara was. Sartre said Che was the most complete man he'd ever met, which was, in turn his weakness as a person. He was too disciplined, too good at actually carrying out his plans and theory. That is a historical lesson of Che that Anderson points out so well.

Marxism or Maoism aside, his campaign in the Sierra Maestra against Batista's army was remarkable. The fact that Che's appeal crosses ideology is no surprise. The neo-nazi thing was definitely a head-scratcher.

For me the che’s face means death, this guy could have been intelligent or disciplined but his face has been the excuse for the most terrible crimes committed in Colombia. I’m Canadian but I was raised in that latin-American country watching how illegal armies like farc-ep kills innocent people everyday while waving flags with the face of Che Guevara.