Che’s Legacy

CUBASÍ EDITORIAL STAFF

8 OCTOBER 2021

What would Che’s stance be if he were living under these tough and challenging circumstances for the Revolution? Some have noticed possible discrepancies between the thinking of the Argentine internationalist and the practical implementation of the process Che devoted most of his efforts and dreams.

The most basic principles of dialectics are ignored.

Ernesto Guevara’s thinking and behavior must be understood directly related to his context and timing. Conditions are different. Another time. But something is crystal-clear: Che would have behaved with the same integrity and coherence of ideas, attached to his work ethics.

He would be also aware of the importance of the public service. And he would surely trust in productive, public discussions, necessary to build an emancipatory socialism.

Some champion Che’s image as the blazon of eternal utopia. Or the unattainable dream. Or rebel without rational cause. Truly, Che fits in the role, sometimes outdated, of a very romantic hero. But he was always a man with his feet firmly on the ground. And he was convinced he was not just grasping at straws. Ernesto Guevara had a project.

You could argue (and some people actually do) about the real chances of implementing that project. The Cuban Revolution was, in fact, the realization of some of those ideas. It was like the testing laboratory. And Che himself was convinced of the challenging nature of much of those goals. Believing that Che’s departure had to do with the failure of his vision implies to reduce the scope of his political dimension.

Che was an internationalist. And he was convinced of the need to internationalize the Revolution. He cemented himself in the concept of the New Man, which necessarily implied the whole renewal of society. He understood that the only feasible way to achieve it was the armed struggle. Others (sharing most of his ideas) defended (and still defend) other alternatives. But labeling Che as an adventurous man is, at the very least, sign of naivety.

The main legacy of Ernesto Guevara, beyond the validity of his intellectual heritage, is his commitment to an idea, attached to the demands and dreams of the humblest and neediest. The usefulness of the virtue that José Martí talked about. Che has still a lot to say yet, notwithstanding some want him to be just a trademark.

Translated by Sergio A. Paneque Díaz / CubaSí Translation Staff