Some Reflections on the Guevara Myth

Abstract

Ernesto Che Guevara’s popularity climaxed several times in the last four decades. After his death Che became a symbol of revolution and his name and legacy were evoked by revolutionaries not only in Latin America. Guevara became a myth for rebels who fought with right‑wing, military regimes, but also for people who rejected capitalism and social inequality. Still, he appears to be a myth also for the Right. For right‑wing politicians and the public at large Guevara symbolizes the atrocities of communism. Some of the movements which bear Guevara on their banners could not do the same with his political and social views. The Guevara myth is falsification of a real revolutionary who was devoted to ideas of social equality and a new society, based on values opposite to those which are a cornerstone of liberal democracy. Moreover, Guevara also became a very popular symbol in modern culture. His image turned out to be a product – a fact criticized by those who knew and admired Guevara and those who condemned him as a murderer. As every myth, Guevara’s myth fulfills the needs and delivers inspiration to people who require a symbolic figure.