40 years ago Che Guevara was surrounded by Bolivian Special Forces in a remote corner of the Andean nation.  

“Do not shoot! I am Che Guevara and worth more to you alive than dead.”

The CIA coordinator of his captors relayed the information to CIA headquarters at Langley, Virginia and was given the green light to execute the revolutionary in the village of La Higuera. His executioner was Mario Terán, a Sergeant in the Bolivian army. Che Guevara’s supposed last words were to his executioner, “I know you are here to kill me. Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man.”

No one wears Mario Terán’s tee-shirt other than death squad fanatics, but in 2006 Che’s killer had his sight restored by Cuban physicians. Che treated Bolivian soldiers. Even the ones that wanted to kill him.

Che’s death was mourned in Cuba, although many suspected Castro had sabotaged his compatriot’s global efforts to rid the revolution of a messianic rival. The faithful never thought he was dead and Che slowly metamorphorsized from a failed insurrectionist to the icon of resistance.

He never walked on water. Then again he was never trying to be a god. His tee-shirt is worn by thousands of Thai kids who actually know who he was.

Jeff Jacoby wrote me that his college roommate had a Che poster over his bed. The Boston Globe columnist is a little right of center and said he couldn’t believe that Che was worshipped for killing innocent people. I told him it was because no one had anything in which they could believe.

Che or Ronald McDonald?

The answer is pick the loser.

REVOLUTION 69

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