Roberto Pérez Betancourt* Only exceptional men are gifted the rare privilege of being born once more and as the mythological Phoenix bird, to rise from its ashes to immortally return and stay forever in the kingdom of life.

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna is one of these privileged people. He was born in June 14, 1928 in the Argentinean municipality of El Rosario, Santa Fe province.

This summer was the 75th anniversary of this deed. Che studied medicine hoping to relief pain of the humble ones. But his daily activity could give him a relevant truth that went beyond his imagination. His sole behaviour was not enough. In order to heal society’s evils it was necessary to seed consciousness, save complains, double actions, expressed in the will of holding ideas and rifles to fight together with and in favour of the poor.

He came to Cuba, dressed in his guerrilla uniform within Granma Yacht’s heroic troop, leaded by Fidel Castro and among Cubans he went to the mountains. Together with Camilo Cienfuegos, another brave and courageous fighter, invaded

the Western region and right at the beginning of the year 1959 he was able to witness Jose Marti’s thoughts when he said that in order to reach peace it was necessary to go to war or what he called the "necessary war ".

Six year more immersed in his daily routine in the island between government tasks and guerrilla projects, he left traces of his brilliant intelligence and strong temperament.

The whole island was shocked when in October three, 1965 Commander in Chief, Fidel Castro read his farewell letter within the Act to create Cuba’s First Central Committee.

• Other world’s lands claim my modest efforts. I can do what is denied to you because of your responsibility in front of Cuba and it is already the time to separate us.

Let it be known that I do that with a mixture of joy and pain, I hereby leave the purest of my hopes as a struggler to create a new society and the most beloved of my dear ones and I leave a people that admitted me as a son, that hurts part of my soul. Within the new battle fields I‘ll take the faith you gave me, my people’s revolutionary spirit, the sensation of fulfilling sacred duties, to struggle against imperialism anywhere no matter where it is and this relieves and heals me from any wound. *

Che was leaving Cuba. He was 37 years of age. He carried with him Bolivar’s vocation and a group of brothers guided by Marti’s Star. A new stage came up in Che’s life thus turning him in the most famous figure of history.

After two years of uncertainty where Che’s belligerent presence and his guerrilla turned to be a nightmare for oligarchies, the news on his death was released.

In Che’s diary last page one can read: "We went out on the seventeenth with a tiny moon" It was October 7, 1967, daybreak. Next day at Quebrada del Yuro, wounded and with a useless rifle, he was captured and forced to climb a two kilometres steeped hill until La Higuera.

October 9 he was killed. He was only 39 years old. Since then he was called the Heroic Guerrilla Man.

When his remains were found 30 years later, at Valle Grande locality, his immortal image was multiplied that one that toured the world since many decades ago, it leaded workers’ and farmers’ meetings, it leaded triumphant rallies, it inspired redeeming actions everywhere.

And also behind bars, it fed the hopes and struggle of those who are unfairly jailed; Che’s life is a source of inspiration and resistance.

He is a clear example of the power of those having the privilege of being born again as he is present within the Five Cuban heroes confined in North American jails: Gerardo Hernandez, Rene Gonzalez, Ramon Labañino, Antonio Guerrero and Fernando Gonzalez.

From their cells that are enlightened with the light of the truth, they join their voices to their people’s and together with honest men that struggle for peace and social justice in any corner of the world, they tribute homage expressing,  Ever onward to victory, Commander!

(Trabajadores)  October 08, 2003