Fidel Castro Offers Prisoners in Exchange for Che Guevara Remains

Che Guevara (1960). Photo (c) Alberto Korda

On January 12th, 1968, Fidel Castro made an offer to the President of Bolivia, Rene Barrientos, involving the exchange of prisoners for the remains of Che Guevara.   Che, who had been hunted down and killed by CIA operatives on October 9th, 1967, became an icon of global revolutionary movements during 1968, with the slogan "Che Lives!"

Thus, after his poorly planned expedition to Bolivia, where he perished, his image became the iconic emblem of radical chic in the subsequent decades, which served to undermine and delegitimize his accomplishments over time.   The soft-on-the-eyes travel movie, Motorcycle Diaries, did not help his cause, though a careful look at his writings, Guerilla Warfare, and The Che Guevara Reader might give you a different impression entirely.

Sources:

Castro Speech Database, 21 May 1971 (in which the exchange of 1968 is referred to).

"Just a Pretty Face," review of the film, Motorcycle Diaries, by Sean O'Hagan, Guardian News ()