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War and Conflict

Latin America & the Caribbean

Who is Che Guevara?

Ernesto “Che” Guevara (1928–1967) was an idealist who became involved in revolutionary movements in at least three countries. The Argentinian, who had earned his degree in medicine in Buenos Aires in 1953, believed that social change and the elimination of poverty could only come about through armed conflict. Guevara met Fidel Castro (1926-) in Mexico in 1954 and served his guerrilla forces as a physician and military commander during the Cuban Revolution (1956–59). Once in power, Castro appointed Guevara as president of the National Bank of Cuba. Between 1965 and 1967 Guevara became active in leftists movements in Congo and in Latin America. He was leading a force against Bolivian government when he was killed in 1967.