Guevara, Che, << gay VAH rah, chay >> (1928-1967), was one of the most powerful members of the Cuban government under Fidel Castro. He served as minister of industry from 1961 to 1965 and directed much of the government’s economic planning. Guevara was killed in October 1967 while leading a guerrilla band trying to overthrow the government of Bolivia.
Guevara was born in Rosario, Argentina, on June 14, 1928. His real name was Ernesto Guevara, but most people called him by his nickname, Che. Guevara received an M.D. degree from the University of Buenos Aires. Guevara became a revolutionary because he believed that armed struggle was the only way to improve social conditions and eliminate poverty.
In 1954, Guevara held a minor post in the government of Guatemala. After the overthrow of the Guatemalan government that year, he fled to Mexico. While in Mexico, Guevara met Castro and joined his movement to overthrow the government of Cuba. Guevara served as a physician and military commander in Castro’s guerrilla forces in Cuba during the late 1950’s. After Castro took control of Cuba in 1959, he appointed Guevara as president of the National Bank of Cuba. In 1965, Guevara went to Africa, where he led a group of Cuban soldiers in support of a revolt in the Congo. He later became the leader of a band of guerrillas in Bolivia. He became a hero to many people who regarded him as an idealist.
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