by stalinita 😁

In rural Bolivia, rich with Catholic faith, there are many saints venerated and loved. However, none are quite as unique as the soul of Ernesto “Che Guevara,” the Argentine revolutionary known for his role in the Cuban Revolution. 

Che was murdered by a Bolivian sergeant, though his murder was orchestrated by the American Central Intelligence Agency, in La Higuera at the age of thirty-nine on October 9, 1967 for attempting a Bolivian revolution and quickly brought to Vallegrande so his body could be displayed. In both of these towns, Che is remembered as a great saint, despite his vehement atheism. He is San Ernesto de La Higuera. To quote Freddy Vallejos, a resident of Vallegrande interviewed by The Guardian, “Che's presence here (in Vallegrande) is a positive force. I feel it in my skin, I have faith that always, at all times, he has an eye on us.” Susana Osinaga, a nurse who clean Che’s body, recalled him looking just like Christ with his “strong eyes, his beard, (and) his long hair.” Pilgrimages are now made to the laundry where Che’s body was cleaned by Osinaga and displayed. Catholics of this region recognized Che’s Christlike suffering; Che’s dead body laid out struck them as “hideous,” yet a sign of righteousness. He suffered for his life given to the poor. 

In La Higuera, it is common for people to have portraits of Che in their homes. Flowers and candles are placed before his image. Masses are held for him. Couples and the elderly especially ask favors of him. Residents of La Higuera are “proud” that Che died there, “fighting for” them. He is felt to be close to their hearts and souls.

Che’s devotees have absolute faith in his intercession. He has become a patron of the sick- he was a doctor in his life and is now a doctor in his death. There are many stories of Che’s divine intercession. He is a miracle worker known for healing. When people or their loved ones are sick, they pray to Che that he heals them. And, taking the word of those devoted to Che’s sainthood as truth, he does.

Outside of true religious devotion to Che, he is still a messianic figure of sorts. According to Jean-Paul Sartre, he was “the most complete human being of our age.” Che was an atheist. He himself believed he was “all the contrary of a Christ.” Régis Debray countered this. He believed that, yes, Che was Godless, but he was still close to Christ, he was a Godless Christ, and so Debray proclaimed that “Che was a mystic without a transcendent belief, a saint without a God. Che was a modern Christ, but I think he suffered a much harder passion. The Christ of 2,000 years ago died face-to-face with his God. But Che knew there was no God and that after his death, nothing remains.” At its core, Che’s Christlike image had little to do with the Church itself, but with his boundless love for humanity. To the contributors to this image, he loved the working class as God Himself loved them on Earth. 

Against Che’s own beliefs and wishes, He lives. Against Che’s belief in only what is natural, He has become the object of dulia. 

And Che is not just a saint in Vallegrande and La Higuera. In Cuba, the country that he helped free from the ails of capitalism, he is remembered fondly. For years, you could see him pictured next to images of Pope John Paul II. John Paul II was always a strong opponent of communism, especially within his own Polish homeland. Still, his message of the Catholic Church being the “church of the poor” resonated with Cubans and only reminded them of the message of their revolutionaries, such as Che. Che is certainly prominent in Afro-Cuban religion, also known as Santería, as well. He is present on home altars and in Cuba, as he is in Bolivia, he is a patron saint of health. 

Che Guevara is a saint for atheists and theists alike. Devotion to Che is theism for the atheist. This revolutionary’s image grows and inspires and will likely continue to for a very, very long time. Che Guevara lay against a rock in 1967, injured and stating that he was worth more alive than dead, and today it is written into that same rock the words: “Che is alive.” Sartre, in my opinion, has only been proven more correct over time. Ernesto “Che” Guevara was the most complete human being of our age, and the truest friend of the poor in his imitation of Christ.