by SHELLEY WALIA
The story begins in the early days of the triumph of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in Cuba and then goes on to a detailed and eye-opening account of the planning and failure of the revolutionary armed struggle in Argentina, followed by Che Guevara’s leading of the guerillas in Bolivia before his unfortunate and untimely end in Le Higuera in 1967. These three narratives, followed by long years spent in exile in Sweden, are written from the perspective of Ciro Bustos, the sole survivor from Che’s resistance movement in Bolivia. An Argentine artist-turned revolutionary, he played a substantial role in aiding Che in the last few years of his life. Inspired by Che’s revolutionary zeal and human compassion, Bustos joined him in Havana in 1962 where Che decided to send him to Argentina to spark off a revolution. But it all ended in smoke. Bustos was one of the few who were fortunate to escape alive. It was in 1964 that he received the message, “Che wants to see you.” Keyed up by the call, Bustos managed to cross the dangerous Bolivian border where Che was hiding with his forces. It was here that Bustos became Che’s close confidant.
Bustos was in close contact with Che in the jungles of Bolivia. The memoir is able to offer an analysis of Che’s plans for a continental revolution and of strategies of guerilla warfare, and the reasons for the failure of his plan. “They talked about a bit of everything: Argentina, the world, real, unreal and desired socialism, China and Stalinist, anti-Trotskyite, ideological paradox, the interpretative currents, the founders and forgers, Gramsci and Rosa Luxembourg, transparent socialism. Che spoke practically the whole time….” As rightly put, “the logic of any war, including a revolutionary war, is constructed on behalf of the victims, victims of exploitation, victims of hunger, victims of tyranny, victims of liberation struggles. Without victims, there is no reason for the struggle. Without the struggle, there are no victims, nor liberation.”
Argentina, the world, real, unreal and desired socialism, China and Stalinist, anti-Trotskyite, ideological paradox, the interpretative currents, the founders and forgers, Gramsci and Rosa Luxembourg, transparent socialism. Che spoke practically the whole time….” As rightly put, “the logic of any war, including a revolutionary war, is constructed on behalf of the victims, victims of exploitation, victims of hunger, victims of tyranny, victims of liberation struggles. Without victims, there is no reason for the struggle. Without the struggle, there are no victims, nor liberation.”
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