Che Guavara photographed by Alberto Korda35 | 100 The symbol of the 20th century
from the series 100 photos - 100 stories
Guerrillero Heroico - translated, this means "heroic guerrilla fighter". This very fighter bears the name Che Guavara, taken by the photographer Alberto Korda in 1960. Today, according to the Maryland Institute of Art, it is the most famous photograph in the world and stands as a symbol of the 20th century. But who is Che Guavara? And what did he achieve that made him and the picture so famous? Find out in this article.
Che Guavara sculpture in CubaThe revolutionary Che Guavara
Ernesto "Che" Guavara was the central leader of the rebel army of the Cuban revolution from 1956 to 1959 alongside Fidel Castro and thus one of the most important symbolic figures. The nickname "Che" means something like "buddy". According to the US magazine "Time", he was one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century in 1999 . [In 1953 Guavara met his future wife, who was a member of the "Alianza Popular Revolucionaria Americana" and put him in touch with members of the left-wing "Arbenz" government. He later met Fidel Castro in Guatemala, with whom he led the revolution. His wife and his comrades were arrested after Armas came to power, but Guevara was able to flee to the Argentine embassy and traveled to Mexico two months later. By the end of 1954 he had met other Cubans in exile, then Fidel Castro in 1955. The latter planned to overthrow the Batista regime in Cuba. Che joined him shortly afterwards. In 1956 86 rebels met in Tuxpan after a few incidents and headed for Cuba. Guevara developed into an important military authority due to his commitment and tactical overview and became "Comandante" of the rebel army in 1957. His greatest military achievement was the capture of Santa Clara on December 29, 1958 after two years of guerrilla warfare against the numerically far superior Batista army, which was still supported by the USA until March 1958 but was now demotivated and over-aged. On January 1, 1959, the dictator Batista finally fled Cuba and the group took control: Guevara was declared a "natural-born Cuban citizen". Shortly afterwards, he became an important member of the Cuban government. At the height of his political activity in Cuba, Guevara was head of the National Bank of Cuba and Minister of Industry. After disagreements with the Castro brothers, Che Guevara left Cuba to support revolutions in other countries as well. On October 9, 1967, he was finally shot in Bolivia against the law.
In Cuba, Che Guavara is still considered a folk hero today. His likeness, that of Alberto Korda's photo, can be seen everywhere. The motif is also used all over the world. It appears at concerts, demos, in soccer stadiums and on T-shirts. He is seen as a freedom fighter, especially in the alternative scene. However, it is also true that the revolutionary movement and the resulting regime tormented political opponents and the Cuban people still live with limited freedom rights today.
Graffiti about Che Guevara and the revolution can be found all over Cuba
The motif is also used primarily in the tourist sector, here on a vintage car for city tours in Havana.
