"Who Killed Che? How CIA Got Away With Murder": Book Ties Johnson Admin to Guevara's Death

democracynow.org - Michael Ratner and Michael Steven Smith are the co-authors of a new book about the U.S. role in the killing of Cuban revolutionary, Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Born in Argentina in 1928, Che rose to international prominence as one of the key leaders of the 1959 Cuban Revolution that overthrew U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista. After a period in the new Cuban government leadership, Che aimed to spark revolutionary activity internationally. On October 8, 1967, he was captured by Bolivian troops working with the CIA. He was executed one day later. In their book, "Who Killed Che?" Ratner and Smith draw on previously unpublished government documents to argue the CIA played a critical role in the killing. "The line of the [U.S.] government was that, 'The Bolivians did it, we couldn't do anything about it.' That's not true," Smith said. "This whole operation was organized out of the White House by Walt Whitman Rostow and the CIA." On Che's significance, Ratner said, "Che became a symbol for revolutionary change. ... He still remains that today. If you go to Tahrir Square or Occupy Wall Street, people are wearing Che T-shirts because they understand their obligation, their necessity is to take on the 1 percent. That is what Che was about. I think that is why he is such a hero for people in the streets today."

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  News & Politics

[progresIVOMind]

Viva La Revolucion!

[Moodesty Inthemood]

VIVA CHE

[Jon Burgoyne]

who ever killed che i will take out there heart and give it to sharks and the heart will get eaten!-

[bogorov1]

I've lived under communism and therefore I praise those, who have killed Che. Mass murderes like Che should be punished by death.

[Peaceeverbody]

"Those are just words,"

... that have very different definitions from one another.

"no more than slogans in the communist totalitarian state."

Freedom, democracy, socialism and communism were slogans/words common in totalitarian states that called themselves communist though they were not. Are you against freedom and democracy? "No". Communism and socialism? "Yes." "Why?" "The dictatorships called themselves that." "Well yeah, they did, but they also called themselves democratic and free."

[bogorov1]

state capitalism, marxist communism... Those are just words, no more than slogans in the communist totalitarian state. I had the misfortune to live in such a state and subsequently I can't stand all these dirty words. For me they are not a theory but bloody practice. Communists murdered far more people than the Nazi. I'm glad Che and the likes of him have been killed. He was a mass murderer too. He murdered more people than any serial killer.

[Moodesty Inthemood]

hmmm not ALL!!!

[RachelDerGolem]

What I admired most about Che was that he killed all the gay people he could find. It's true, look it up!!!!

[jona95822]

I honestly think Fidel Castro betrayed El Che and turned him in...the latter was going to come back to fight the former. Besides El Che made enemies on both sides with america and with Russia.