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Who was Che Guevara?

Ernesto "Che" Guevara (1928–1967) was an activist who became involved in revolutionary movements in at least three countries. Born in Argentina, Guevara had earned a degree in medicine in Buenos Aires in 1953. He believed that social change and the elimination of poverty could come only through armed combat.

Guevara met Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro (1926– ) in Mexico in 1954, and served his guerrillas (fighters who engage in unplanned attacks) as a physician and military commander during the Cuban Revolution (1956–59). Once in power, Castro appointed Guevara president of the National Bank of Cuba. Between 1965 and 1967 Guevara was active in revolutionary movements in the African Congo and in Latin America. He was leading rebels against the Bolivian government when he was killed in 1967.

Further Information: Anderson, Jon Lee. Che Guevara. New York: Grove/Atlantic, 1997;...

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