Ernesto Guevara Iconic Status Essay - 2570 Words

Ernesto Guevara Iconic Status Aged twenty-four, Ernesto Guevara pens a regular letter home to Rosario, Argentina from his flat in Mexico. It concludes: Things are moving with tremendous speed and no one can know, or predict, where or for what reason one will be next year[1]. This, perhaps, is one indication of the mans legendary appeal - not as a hero of socialism or political ideologist, but as a free-spirited and non-fictitious adventurer. After all, how many of us could end our letters with the same thrilling poignancy, at any age? Further still, how many of us manage to more then dream of exploring the sprawling sceneries of our home-land as Guevara did in 1951 (from Buenos Aires to†¦show more content†¦Like the much used stencil of Guevaras determined visage, the general perception of his life is flat and two-dimensional. No where more so, it seems, then in the country richest in Guevaras history, Cuba. An article printed July 21st 1997 in Newsweek, entitled Return Of The Rebel, explored Cuban society in the wake of the long-awaited discovery of Guevaras skeleton in Bolivian town of Vallegrande. In it journalist Brook Lamer explains how the Cuban Government played a pivotal role in creating the Che mystique, and it is not about to let its franchise slip away[2]. Understandable, viewing the twenty-two ton statue of Guevara that still rules over Santa Clara. In Cuba, Guevara remains imbedded in national pride and retains the mythology of a moral saint. This is an impression maintained through decades of censorship and flat denial of facts - something Lamer attributes to the reality that Cuba is scrambling to stay afloat by abandoning many of the socialist principles Che held sacred. Across Cuba, Guevaras execution of Cuban defectors is unheard of, while shopping centers such as Havanas Palacio de Art esanias thrive by selling everything from Coke-a-Cola to Adidas clothing. Return Of The Rebel questions not only whetherShow MoreRelatedChes Influence2956 Words   |  12 PagesCitrin 1 Tyler Citrin Professor Landan Gross English 160 37 15 November 2012 Ernesto â€Å"Che† Guevara Ernesto Guevara. For many, the name means nothing. Although people can instantly recognize his face, many have no idea who the man was or why you see his face on T-shirts, posters and other merchandise all around the world. Most people know him as Che. He is the man in the iconic picture wearing a beret looking outward with his pained and hopeful eyes. The famous image of Che has come to representRead More Marxism Revolutionaries1981 Words   |  8 PagesBatista committed atrocious and tactless acts that many of Cuba’s citizens didn’t appreciate. In response to the violent acts committed by Batista; Fidel and many other outraged people, including; Che Guevara, started a revolution for cultural change in Cuba. Che Guevara was one of the most iconic people of the revolution because of his death. He was friends was Fidel, and, together, they led the revolution in Cuba to victory. In retrospect, the idea of Marxism, and the corrupt behavior of Fulgencio