Argentina - Homage to Che Guevara

As a homage in his 80th birth anniversary in 2008, the city of Rosario organised a number of activities. 

Well-known as one of the most important and popular men of the 20th century for his revolutionary  participation, this year Guevara would be 80 years old. As a homage, the city of Rosario organised a number of activities, from academic lecturers, videos, photographic samples and concerts to a huge statue of Che at a public place with his name.

The sculpture will be unvailed next June 14th. It was done by the plastic artist Andrès Zerneri and it shows Guevara wearing his beret, soldier uniform and looking into the horizon. It is four metres tall and weighs three tons, it is made of bronze colleced through donation of 75.000 keys and other small pieces from 15.000 people from different countries. This event will finísh on Sunday 15 with a fest at the Flag Monument, with well-known popular musicians, as participants.

At the city of Alta Gracia, Còrdoba, where Guevara lived as a child and adolescent, they  will have cultural activities, as well: sports and for charity purposes, between 14 and 21 of June during "Che´s week". Main place will be "La Casa Museo del Che (Che´s House Museum)", situated at  Chalé Villa Nydia, where he lived between 1935-1937 and 1939-43.

Cuba´s government, created a site on Internet: www.che80.co.cu. This page is supervised by the "Centro de Estudios Che Guevara", and its Director is Che´s widow herself: Aleida March. In Havana, they will show posters, listen to musical concerts and introduce an album called "Palabra Viva"(Word Alive), with parts of Che´s speeches, poems and songs from Cubans Vicente Feliù, Silvio Rodríguez and Nicolàs Guillén and Uruguayan Mario Benedetti.

A photographic show will be opened in Paris, there will also be a lecture by Jean Ortiz author of the book called `Che, plus que jamais`, and they will watch "Diario de motocicleta", from Brazilian Director Walter Salles. At the recent International Cinema Fest in Cannes, the movie `Che` from the American Director Steven Soderbergh, was introduced. Its main actor, Benicio del Toro, won the prize as the best actor for his performance.

Ernesto Guevara´s life

1928-1947

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 14th, 1928. As a child he suffered from asma and his parents decided to move to Alta Gracia, which had a better climate for the child`s health. He went to High School at the city of Còrdoba , and despite his illness, he practised football and rugby.

1947-1953

He started to study Medicine at the University in Buenos Aires. Between 1951 and 1954 he took two long trips and understood the hard social and political situation that Latin America was going through.

1953-1956

He got his degree as a medical doctor, in July 1955 and in Mexico he met Fidel Castro, leader of the Cuban Revolutionary Movement called July 26th. He then joined the cuban soldiers who were planning to overthrow the dictator Fulgencio Batista. On November 25, 1956 they took the yatch Granma to Sierra Maestra.

1956-1965

On January 1959 the Revolution succeded, Guevara was the president of the National Bank of Cuba, then Ministry of Industries, after that Chief of the Western Area and became leader of Cuban groups at meetings and international congresses.

1965-1967

His aim was to make the socialist revolution international. In 1965 he acted in Congo and Tanzania. From November 1966 he headed a group of soldiers operating in Bolivia. On October 9, 1967 he was secretly murdered by the Bolivian army and the CIA at La Higuera.