Che Guevara: Until Victory Forever

   Gualdo Hidalgo’s Che Guevara: Until Victory Forever documents the fascinating events of guerilla warfare in the life of Latin American revolutionary—Che Guevara. Famous among Latin Americans and even Hollywood, Che Guevara was one of Fidel Castro’s favorites; Castro referred to Guevara as “an artist of guerilla warfare.”

Che Guevara: Until Victory Forever glamorizes the life and death of Che Guevara through the words of his friends and enemies. The book reveals Guevara’s contributions to the guerilla movement that created upheaval in Cuba and General Fulgencio Batista’s regime. The book is particularly interesting because of Hidalgo’s articles analyzing the thoughts of Che Guevara, as well as the primary accounts of Guevara’s life—derived from CIA declassified sources.

One of the more revealing documents, written by Che Guevara himself, is his farewell letter to Fidel Castro and the people of Cuba. In the letter, he states, “I have fulfilled the part of my duty that tied me to the Cuban revolution…and I say goodbye to you, to the comrades, to your people, who are now mine.”

A lifelong revolutionary, Guevara also traveled to Africa and China and contributed to revolutions in order to bring justice to oppressed people. In fact, the need for revolution was referred to in Latin America as “Guervarism.” Even in death, Che Guevara is considered the embodiment of human sensitivity and intelligence. However, his death did not discourage, but rather inspired. For example, Hidalgo states, “Nevertheless, this is the weak side of the imperialist enemy. Thinking that, along with the physical man, it has liquidated his virtues; thinking that, along with the physical man, it has liquidated his example.” In essence, this is saying that many will desire to emulate Che Guevara, even to follow in his footsteps, because of his immense contributions to the people of Latin America.

The author, Gualdo Hidalgo, can attest to the inspiration that is Che Guevara because he not only met the man, but also stayed in his guerilla headquarters as a mere seven year-old. Published by Latin Heritage Foundation, Che Guevara: Until Victory Forever reveals the many fascinating details of Guevara’s life and is a must read for history buffs and all of Latin America.