Che Guevara - Died 9th October 1967

Ernesto Guevara, born 14th June 1928 was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary and key figure in the Cuban Revolution. He was captured and executed in Bolivia on 9th October 1967. He was 39 years of age.

After leaving Cuba in 1965 to promote guerrilla warfare and revolutionary movements in other countries, Guevara attempted to incite a revolution in Bolivia. However, his efforts were met with resistance from the Bolivian military and a lack of support from local peasants.

On 8th October 1967, Guevara and a small group of fighters were ambushed and captured by the Bolivian army, aided by U.S. intelligence. The following day, he was executed (or it could be argued murdered) in a schoolhouse in La Higuera. His death marked a significant moment in the history of revolutionary movements in Latin America and has left a complex legacy.

Upon his death, he was buried in an unmarked grave, but in 1995 his remains were found in southern Bolivia and returned to Cuba where he was buried in a mausoleum underneath an imposing statue.

Guevara has elicited controversy and wildly divergent opinions on his personal character and actions. He has been both revered and reviled, being characterised as everything from a heroic defender of the poor, to a cold-hearted executioner.