Viva Revolucion by wysiwig
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Description
Growing up in the United States any mention of Cuba was usually unflattering. The people lived lives of quiet desperation. The streets were drab and filled with banners and posters praising the leaders. Sort of a North Korea with salsa.
Well, how can I put this, we were lied to. During my stay in Cuba I looked for the revolutionary posters of Uncle Sam with fangs dripping blood hovering over a resolute Cuba. On my last full day in Havana I finally found something. Outside of the state owned businesses there are few images of Fidel or Raul. But Che Guevara could be found everywhere. I talked to the concierge at my hotel about this.
Ernesto Guevara was born in Argentina and was headed for a career in medicine when he took a trip through South America. The trip is documented in the film "The Motorcycle Diaries" and chronicles his evolution from a privileged medical student to revolutionary. He fought with Fidel in the Sierra Maestra mountains of southeast Cuba and followed him to Havana after the revolution was won. He was given a position in the new government, married and had five children. He could have lived out his days in comfort and safety but the plight of the poor keep calling to him. He left for Bolivia in 1967 in an attempt to organize the peasants and duplicate the Cuban revolution. It turned out the peasants weren't interested in revolution and Guevara and his small band were eventually tracked down and killed. Agree or disagree with him, Guevara was pure. And that's why the people of Cuba think so highly of him.
By the way, he got the name 'Che' because that was the word he always used when greeting his compatriots. Che roughly translates to 'hey buddy'.
Comments (10)
Faemike55
You know Mark? We were NEVER taught any of this when we went through school...
thanks for the cool photo and great history lesson
Arrogathor
Che had a great deal psychologically in common with Robespierre. They were both quite pure and incorruptible. Robespierre could not be bribed with women or money. When the Revolution occurred in France Robespierre oversaw the Terror and the use of the Guillotine in suppressing resistance. When the Revolution occurred in Cuba Che oversaw the firing squads which were used to cleanse Cuba of any resistance. Che found that the Bolivians did not appreciate his purity. He was quite pure, Dylan Roof who shot up a church in South Carolina is pure in the same way. There is something to be said for being pure, but it can make people sort of unreasonable.
wysiwig
I agree. Purity often precedes fanaticism. My purpose was to explain why he is so beloved by ordinary people.
MrsRatbag
There is something almost surreal about this scene; maybe it's those graceful, delicate lightposts above the wall and mural. Engrossing photo and history (!!!North Korea with salsa??? I think I snorted my coffee...LOL!!!!)
photosynthesis
Sounds like you had a very interesting (& eye opening) trip. A friend of mine is traveling to Cuba next week & I will be eager to hear about his experiences there when he returns. Purity may be admirable in some ways, but unfortunately it often leads to extremism, conflict & violence. And, I think, if you look closely, there really is no such thing as absolute purity in human beings - we all have doubts & weaknesses...
durleybeachbum
When I think Cuba I think ballet,, art, culture, and most of all Carlos Acosta ! Castro was a great dance patron.
kgb224
Superb capture my friend. God bless.
auntietk
I'm with Denise ... North Korea with salsa ... LOL! You do have a way with words! :)
Cyve
Fantastic tag and capture Mark... Beautiful picture once again !!!
anahata.c
from what I've studied of Guevara, you gave all the salient details, as you've done repeatedly in your gallery. My only addition would be that he became, after a while, the kind of person he fought against; an autocratic as much as a liberator, who used firing squads to settle too many problems, and who seemed to lose his bearings. It can't have been easy, with the CIA chasing him, and being up against so many native forces in S America. In any case, you continue to illuminate this culture for us vividly; and Motorcycle Diaries was a beautiful and touching film, and I hope others will see it, if they haven't. Imagine having the vision to unify all of South America. That took vision.
Your shot is amazing for the long sweep of that wall, its almost desolate feel, the clarity and boldness of the heroes on it, and those two people sitting in front of the iconic pose of Che. They're just great there. The modern day next to the iconic. And such a blank sky with that browned out grass on the left, and those lone street lamps. Yes, a bit surrealistic, there's a tinge of tragedy in it; but then Cuba suffered greatly from so many forces beyond its control, so that's fitting. I think it's a beautiful image, Mark, with real tones of the complexity of this hero, and of the country he fought for.
blondeblurr
I've seen that movie too and it left quite an impression on me, but that what movies usually do to me and I like escapism or movies based on facts. I will always take sides with the underdogs and those who fight for the people. Other than that, I don't really follow or like any type of warmongering for that matter, but I do like the graffiti wall.
Thanks for sharing the whole trip to Cuba with us here - I have seen and followed all of the posts, they are interesting, but I am sorry, just haven't got the time to comment on all of them individually.
Cheers BB