Connor+Pitman's+Historical+Investigation

Connor Pitman Historical Investigation IB History Year 2

The question posed in this investigation is “To what extent do Costa Rican, American, and Cuban responses to Che Guevara’s death reflect those countries’ respective attitudes towards Communism?” This investigation deals solely with published accounts of Che Guevara’s death, including one source related to each of the countries mentioned above. To answer this question, each of these sources has been searched for any trace of bias, loaded language, and hostile or sympathetic phrasing. By carefully reviewing each of the articles for hidden implications, I will assess the general correlations and disagreements between the accounts of Guevara's death and the philosophies of the account's country of origin.
 * Section A:**

In the Costa Rican newspaper, //La Nación//, Che Guevara is described as a professional revolutionary and an old confidante of Fidel Castro¹. The newspaper also states that Che was largely anti-American, believing the country represented imperialism, and that he desired many more conflicts similar to the Vietnam War in order to combat said imperialism². Che’s origins are detailed, saying that his sickly youth was followed up by leftist street fights against Argentina’s Perón and his own flight from Argentina, in hopes of avoiding recruitment in the army³. In //La Nación//, General Ovando of the, largely American-backed, Bolivian army is quoted, saying that Che’s death represented the annihilation of the Bolivian guerilla movement ⁴.
 * Section B:**

Similar to //La Nación//, the //New York Times// describes Che Guevara as the “reputed mastermind of Latin-American Communist guerillas,” and an active member of the Cuban government ⁵. The article goes on to say that Guevara had been intensely hunted and trapped, prior to his death in the clash near Valle Grande, Bolivia ⁶. With Guevara’s body in military possession, the army is said to have invited newsmen to Valle Grande, leading to “speculation that the high command wanted to display [Guevara’s] body.” ⁷ According to an army communiqué quoted in the article, Guevara and his rebels put up “desperate resistance” ⁸ and lost five men, including Che Guevara ⁹. The article also provides causes for the army’s hesitancy to confirm Guevara’s death, primarily that his death had been falsely reported various times before October 1967¹ ⁰. The //New York Times// acknowledges the reports by captured guerillas concerning Che Guevara’s poor health, claiming that he “had been sick and had been traveling on a mule”¹¹ and that he suffered from arthritis and asthma¹². Finally, the article reports that Guevara and his rebels were in low spirits, a direct result of sustaining heavy casualties in a skirmish two weeks prior to his death¹³.

In the final source, Fidel Castro, acting as the voice of Cuba, comments on the death of Che Guevara, an event that occurred while interviewer Herbert L. Matthews was visiting Castro in Cuba¹ ⁴. Guevara’s death is described as a “profound personal tragedy for Castro,”¹ ⁵ as they “never quarreled and always kept closely in touch,”¹ ⁶ despite rumors of their deteriorating relationship¹ ⁷. Castro claims that the loss of Che was an “irreparable loss”¹ ⁸ as “there was only one Che.” ¹ ⁹ Castro also acknowledges that the “laws of chance were overwhelmingly against [Che],”² ⁰ as he was going to inevitably die “at a point where danger was the greatest.”²¹ The interview concerning Guevara concludes, detailing how he was wounded in the legs before receiving the coup de grâce from Bolivian troops, the death, Castro claims, Guevara would have wanted²².

The article that I evaluated for my first source is an interview with Fidel Castro in the American journal //War/Peace Report,// titled "Fidel Castro Revisited." The interview was published in the December 1967 issue of the journal, and was among the first interviews with Fidel Castro following the death of Che Guevara²³. The purpose of this interview was to inform the American public with interests in foreign affairs about the contemporary state of Cuba in a plethora of fields. The death of Che Guevara was intended to lend a view of the often unrevealed social situation in the country. The value of this article is that it serves as one of the most direct outlets of Cuban public opinion, as it is an interview with the authoritative leader of said country. The article also sheds light on the specific attitudes of Cuba towards the death of the beloved Che Guevara, in the process revealing any bias on the matter through specific words, phrasing, and tone. One limitation on this interview is that it was published in an American journal, which due to the heightened tensions of the Cold War, would have considerable reason to appear anti-communist, and may have edited the interview to appear as such. A second pertinent limitation is that, as the interview was conducted so soon after Guevara's death, Castro may have said things that he did not necessarily believe about Guevara, over-glorifying his life and works, or the interviewer may have understood the things discussed in a postmortem light.
 * Section C:**
 * Matthews, Herbert L. "Fidel Castro Revisited."** //**War/Peace Report 7**// **(Dec. 1967): 3-5. PDF file.**

The article that I analyzed for my second source is a Costa Rican newspaper article titled “Oficialmente: Che Guevara Murió en Combate.” The article was published on October 11, 1967, two days after Che Guevara’s death was confirmed in Bolivia. The purpose of this article was to inform the Costa Rican population of the death of Che Guevara, a symbol of contemporary Latin American Marxist movements. The value of this article is that it provides a sense of bias in line with the generally anti-Communist attitude of Costa Rica at the time. The bias is seen in supplementary information that discretely demonizes Guevara and in the connotations of the words used to describe Guevara’s actions. The limitations of this article lie mainly in the fact that it was written in Spanish, and therefore required translation. During the translation process, it is likely that the tones and connotations present to Spanish speakers may have been lost and substituted with the equivalent English ones. Another limitation is that the article was written very shortly after Guevara’s death was announced, so many of the facts may be dubious.
 * "Oficialmente: Che Guevara Murió En Combate."** //**La Nacion**// **[San José] 11 Oct. 1967: 13. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. <**** [] >**

The evidence in Herbert Matthews’ interview, “Fidel Castro Revisited,” points strongly towards the feeling of martyrdom surrounding Che Guevara’s death within the Cuban population. As the charismatic and authoritarian Cuban leader, Fidel Castro, commands the obedience and admiration of a large part of the Cuban people, it is therefore inferred that his opinion on Che Guevara’s death represents that of the nation in general. Throughout Matthews’ interview, Castro shows clear emotion towards Guevara; as Matthews notes, “Guevara’s death was a profound personal tragedy for Castro, who always had the greatest affection and admiration for Che² ⁴ .” Castro also employs the use of key phrasing techniques when he states “there was only one Che² ⁵ .” This phrasing clearly shows regret at his death and portrays the well-known guerilla as a martyr whose passing will have a profound effect on the world. Coming from Fidel Castro, this response is expected; as a Communist leader, he undoubtedly wanted to preserve the memory of so influential a figure. In this way, Fidel Castro’s phrasing has immortalized Che Guevara, preserving his legacy within the Cuban population. Notably, Fidel Castro also toys with speaking for Che, claiming that he never would have wanted to be captured, and if so, “he would want to die² ⁶ .” This heroic description of Guevara, once again, strategically glorifies his death, reinforcing his image as //El Guerillero Heróico//. Taken together, Fidel Castro’s manner of speech in reference to Che Guevara’s death clearly shows a connection and allegiance to Communism and Guevara’s death in pursuit of it. However, it is fair to say that one man’s voice cannot effectively represent a whole nation. Taken into account, this shows Castro’s potential motives, such as displaying the “Cuban voice” as a unified and Communist entity.
 * Section D:**

In direct contrast to Cuba’s sympathetic reaction to Che Guevara’s death, the evidence in the Associated Press’ article “Bolivian Army Says Guevara Was Killed In a Guerrilla Clash” leans towards a more negative view of Guevara. This article appeared in the New York Times, a reputable and well-known paper; however, it is not free from biases of its own. The most glaring example of an anti-Communist bias is seen within the description of Guevara as a “reputed mastermind of Latin-American Communist guerrillas² ⁷ .” This description is rife with loaded language, the most obvious word being “mastermind.” In both contemporary and modern English, “mastermind” draws up an image of an evil enemy of a “hero.” This description fits perfectly with the generally negative American view of Communism and the respect held for the USA. Supporting this idea is another word that appears later in the article; the author claims that “A hunt was intensified for [Guevara] in Bolivia recently,” and that he had been trapped² ⁸ .” The use of the word hunt conjures up a feeling of animalistic tendencies and compares him to a wild beast. This is the description, as can be assumed through US policy towards Communism, that the American government would have wanted Guevara to be associated with. These two examples of demonizing language support the sentiments of the general American population towards Communism, reflecting it through an analysis of Guevara’s death.

When compared with the American description of Guevara’s death, the Costa Rican account is overwhelmingly similar. It is vital to note that the Costa Rican government has long been a democracy, and as such, has had strong ties to the USA, especially in the field of tourism² ⁹. As such, the article describes Che Guevara in a negative light; among the first things discussed is a quote by Guevara saying, “I am Che Guevara, and I have failed³ ⁰ .” Additionally, the paper quotes General Ovando, a Bolivian military leader who led the search for Guevara, as saying Guevara’s death signified the “annihilation” of the guerrilla movement in Bolivia³¹. These two quotes apply a sense of futility to Guevara’s cause and make him appear weak and ineffective in his methods. The author goes on to describe Guevara as displaying anti-North American sentiments through his denunciation of the United States as an exploiter of Latin America and his subsequent accusation that the USA helped topple Jacobo Arbenz’s Communist-leaning government in Guatemala³². These accusations create a description of Guevara that is plagued with negative connotations, showing him as a finger-pointer and witness to supposedly unfounded accusations. This further weakens his standing when described by the Costa Rican press. This article in particular was limited because it required translation; however, with my Spanish skills, I was able to understand it. The negative side of this is that, as I am not a native Spanish speaker, I may have lost some of the cultural connotations affiliated with certain words.

Through careful analysis of the use of loaded language and biased phrasing by Cuban, American, and Costa Rican sources reporting on Che Guevara’s death, the parallels between the countries’ stances on Communism and the bias in the reports stands out. Although certain limitations remain in determining what source qualifies as the standard for a nation’s views, the sources used serve as insightful glances into the political minds of three American countries during the Cold War. In this way, Che Guevara’s legend lives on, not only as a Communist martyr story, but also as an insight into the polarized international politics of the day.
 * Section E:**


 * Section F:**

Anderson, Jon Lee. Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life. New York: Grove, 1997. Print.

“Bolivian Army Says Guevara Was Killed in a Guerilla Clash.” New York Times 10 Oct. 1967: 1+8. ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Web. 9 Aug. 2010.

Matthews, Herbert L. “Fidel Castro Revisited.” War/Peace Report 7 (Dec. 1967): 3-5. PDF file.

“Oficialmente: Che Guevara Murió En Combate.” La Nacion [San José] 11 Oct. 1967: 13. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. < [] >.

“Sobre Costa Rica." //Embajada de Costa Rica en Washington DC//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Sept. 2010. .
 * Word Count** : 1843 Words.

1. **"**Oficialmente: Che Guevara Murió En Combate." //La Nacion// [San José] 11 Oct. 1967: 13. Web. 28 Apr. 2010. < [] >

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid.

5. "Bolivian Army Says Guevara Was Killed in a Guerilla Clash." //New York Times// 10 Oct. 1967: 1+8. //ProQuest Historical Newspapers//. Web. 9 Aug. 2010.

6. Ibid.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid.

9. Ibid.

10. Ibid.

11. Ibid.

12. Ibid.

13. Ibid.

14. Matthews, Herbert L. "Fidel Castro Revisited." War/Peace Report 7 (Dec. 1967): 3-5. PDF file.

15. Ibid.

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid.

18. Ibid.

19. Ibid.

20. Ibid.

21. Ibid.

22.Ibid.

23. Matthews, Herbert L. "Fidel Castro Revisited." //War/Peace Report 7// (Dec. 1967): 3-5. PDF file. As an interesting side note, the news of the death of Che Guevara was received as Mr. Matthews was visiting Cuba for the interview. For this reason, the emotions caused by his death were at an effective peak.

24. Ibid.

25. Ibid.

26. Ibid.

27. "Bolivian Army Says Guevara Was Killed in a Guerilla Clash." //New York Times// 10 Oct. 1967: 1+8. //ProQuest Historical Newspapers//. Web. 9 Aug. 2010.

28. Ibid.

29. “Sobre Costa Rica." //Embajada de Costa Rica en Washington DC//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Sept. 2010. .

30. “Oficialmente: Che Guevara Murió En Combate.” La Nacion [San José] 11 Oct. 1967: 13. Web. 28 Apr. 2010 < [] >. Interestingly, this quote is disputed by historians. Che Guevara’s exact last words were recorded differently by the various people present at his time of death. As such, historians cannot determine the validity of this quote; however, its message is striking and backs up the expected motives of Costa Rica’s media.

31. Ibid.

32. Ibid.