Saint+Guevara’s+Day

Saint Guevara’s Day by Jay Chambers:



Aim: Saint Guevara’s Day is a day in which they celebrate the legacy of Che Guevara. Guevara’s legacy is constantly evolving in many Latin American countries, such as Cuba. Guevara was recognized as one of the most influential revolutionary figures of the twentieth century; however, he elicited controversy and wildly divergent opinions as to who he was and what he represented, making him more popular in the community (Wikipedia). Guevara’s life and contributions caught the attention of many people and many people in the community viewed him as a visionary, therefore making him a dominant figure of Latin America. On the streets of Latin America, many people, the young and the old, wave flags with the image of Guevara, representing a symbol of resistance, determination, and hope for a better world (Telesur). Saint Guevara’s Day celebrates the contributions and the legacy of Che Guevara, who was represented as an emblem of ambition to the people of Latin America. In countries like Cuba, Guevara is seen as a hero, most likely represented as a saint to the people. Furthermore, Saint Guevara’s Day celebrates the life and legacy of an icon.

Audience: Many countries in Latin America celebrate the legacy of Che Guevara. One of those primary countries include Cuba. Cuba views Che as a symbol of ambition and revolutionary values, viewing him as a saint, in which the name Saint Guevara came up. Cuba has continued to cultivate Guevara’s appreciation by constructing many statues and artworks in honor of him throughout the land; also, Cubans also adorned workplaces, schools, and even money with his image (Wikipedia). Due to the many contributions that Che has made to the Latin community, he has been honored and represented as a symbol of sacrifice and ambition, therefore representing his legacy throughout everything, such as creating statues, having his image in money, etc. Che Guevara’s legacy in Cuba has been his enduring contribution to socialist political economy and economic management as well. Between 1959 and 1965, Guevara set up a finance system to prove that it was possible and necessary to develop “consciousness and productivity simultaneously,” transitioning to the idea of socialism (Yaffe). The system has been a major contribution in his revolutionary movement in that era, innovating the idea of socialism and economic development in the community. Furthermore, because Cuba has been majorly affected by Che Guevara’s legacy, they view him as a visionary in the community, therefore celebrating his life and legacy.

Historical: In the 1960s and 70s, Che Guevara was viewed as a visionary to the Latin community and other parts of the world. Guevara was described as “the rock-hero biker revolutionary,” “the martyr to idealism,” and “James Dean in fatigues” (Wikipedia). Che’s image of a working-class champion and straight virtue has spreaded throughout the world, even the US. For instance, the Black Panthers got their type of fashion trend from Che himself, adopting his trademark black beret, calling it “Che type;” Arab guerrillas began to name combat operations in honor of Che (Wikipedia). In honor of Che, groups such as the Black Panthers and many guerrilla groups have presented the image of Che through tactics and fashion sense. Even artists have represent the most complete human being of our age, according to some. For instance, Guerrillero Heroico is an iconic photo of Che taken by Alberto Korda. The photo was taken on March 5, 1960, in Havana, Cuba, at a memorial service for the victims of the La Coubre explosion. The image of Che symbolized him as an icon towards the end of the 1960s. According to Korda, the facial expression of Che in the image is supposed to show ““absolute implacability,” as well as anger and pain” (Che-Lives). The image was called one of the most famous photos of the 20th century, symbolizing an icon of that era.

Cultural: Che Guevara is common figure in popular culture throughout the world. Although he was a highly controversial character throughout his life, he was transformed into a emblem after his death, in which his image was used all over the world. From art to literature to religion, Che's image is viewed as an inspirational icon. In Bolivia, there is a memorial site located where Che was executed in 1967, in which it is called "Saint Ernesto." Manuel Cortez, a campesino who resides next to the schoolhouse where Che was executed, stated, "It's like he is alive and with us, like a friend. He is kind of like a Virgin Mary for us. We say, 'Che, help us with our work or with this planting,' and it always goes well" (Wikipedia). According to Cortez, Che's spirit lives within the people, like him; his spirit tends to cooperate with the people well and their way of life, therefore viewing him as a saint. Also, there has been belief that there is a "curse of Che," according to many campesinos in the Bolivian town of Vallegrande. There has been belief that the ones involved in the execution of Che died a "violent death;" it was said that one was killed in a helicopter crash, the officer who arrested Che became paralyzed after getting shot in the spine by accident (Wikipedia). These incidents were supposedly caused by the spirit of Che, therefore being seen as a curse in Bolivia. Che's spirit lives throughout the people of South America culturally like he is still alive.

__Sources:__ "Che Guevara in Popular Culture." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. "Guerrillero Heroico." //CheLives.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. "Legacy of Che Guevara." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. "The Legacy of Che Guevara, 47 Years Since His Death." //TeleSUR / Lg-CS//. N.p., 8 Oct. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. Yaffe, Helen. “Che Guevara’s Enduring Legacy.” //Latin American Perspectives.// Sage Journals, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.