October 9 - Che Guevara is Executed

This Day in History: 9 October 2020

 

9 October 1967

 

53 years ago, today, Che Guevara, a socialist revolutionary and guerrilla leader, was executed by the Bolivian army. They had captured Guevara the day prior while battling his band of guerrillas in Bolivia. Guevara was shot nine times: five times in his legs, once in the right shoulder and arm, and once in the chest and throat. His hands were cut as a proof of his death and his body was buried in an unmarked grave. Ten years later, in 1997, his remains were found and sent back to Cuba, where they were reburied in a ceremony attended by President Fidel Castro and thousands of other Cubans.

 

In the mid 1950s, Guevara joined Fidel Castro and his group of exiled revolutionaries in Mexico. With them, he played a key role in Castro's seizure of power and later served as his right-hand man and minister of industry. He strongly opposed US domination in Latin America and advocated peasant-based revolutionaries to combat social injustice in third world countries. Guevara resigned from his government post in April 1965, possibly due to differences with Castro, then disappeared from Cuba. After his death, he gained a status as a hero among people and became a symbol of anti-imperialism and revolution.

 

Want to find out more about Che Guevara? Click here for more information, or here for more about his life-changing motorbike trip.

September 18 - Fidel Castro Arrives in New York

This Day in History: 18 September 2020

 

18 September 1960

 

60 years ago, today, Fidel Castro arrived in New York, acting as the head of the Cuban delegation to the United Nations. His visit stirred admiration and indignation from various groups within the American society. Castro's stay at the Theresa Hotel in Harlem was the first event that sparked public surprise, which eventually climaxed due to his speech to the United Nations on September 26. While staying at the hotel, he met with many African American leaders, including Malcolm X and Langston Hughes. Over a week later, he would deliver an attack on American 'aggression' and 'imperialism' in front of the United Nations, that lasted for over four hours.

 

Castro's visit marked the final breaking point in relations between the United States and Cuba. The next year, the Eisenhower administration severed all diplomatic relations with Cuba, and shortly afterwards, President John F. Kennedy ordered the Bay of Pigs invasion, which was ultimately a failure. Castro's power in Cuba was solidified by his victory in the invasion. For over four decades, he remained the undisputed leader of Cuba's communist government, despite continued strained relations between the United States. Castro officially stepped down in February 2008, and died in 2016, at the age of 90.

 

Want to find out more about Fidel Castro's visit to the UN? Click here for more information, or here for more about his life.