Today Reason.TV released the short, 8-minute long documentary, “Killer Chic: Hollywood’s Sick Love Affair with Che Guevara.” Available here, it is a timely contribution as a new film glamorizing Ché Guevara is being released.
During its on-going investigations, Cuba Archive has found that most of the men executed by order of Ché Guevara were career or low-ranking members of the Police or Armed Forces of Cuba who had performed their constitutional duties and had committed no crimes despite serving under a 7-year dictatorship. In many cases, they came from families that had served their country for several generations. A few were members of paramilitary groups or protective forces that had committed crimes under the Batista dictatorship. But, none had the benefit of trials conducted with basic rules of jurisprudence. In Santa Clara, in just two days, Ché ordered several executions that were immediately carried out and were publicized by the Cuban media -some were shown on national television. At La Cabaña Fortress prison, where Ché was put in charge, the accused were put through summary trials at which the prosecutor’s accusations were considered irrefutable proof of guilt and capital punishment had often been preordained. “Witnesses,” if any, were regularly brought in and coached to give false testimony and appeals, if allowed, took minutes and were followed by the swift execution of the defendants.
Guevara is reported by several of his former underlings to have demanded no delays with the proceedings, admonishing: “This is a revolution. Do not use bourgeois legal methods; evidence is secondary. We must proceed to convict.” He showed no mercy for those sentenced to death and mocked and terrorized their suffering families, quickly becoming known as “The Butcher of La Cabaña.” The history is well known –in fact, the events were deliberately publicized by the government in order to spread fear among the population. Among his later deeds, he inspired the concentration camps established in Cuba for youngsters, gays, and religious figures, called for nuclear annihilation of the United States, and worked to establish Maoist-Communist revolution in Africa and Latin America.
Ché Guevara has turned into a capitalist marketing phenomenon. Most people who romantically use or promote his iconic imagery ignore the uglier and monstrous, yet certain, truths of his life. Regrettably, some do so by choice. Whether delusional or malevolent, it is a disservice to history. Moreover, it is abhorrently insensitive to the memory of his victims, to loved ones who suffered such tragic losses, to survivors of prison camps and many of his other victims, and to universally-held principles he trampled on, including that of self-determination, free press and association, and the sanctity of human life.
Cuba Archive’s updated list of documented killings by Ché Guevara in Cuba is available here . The circumstances and sources surrounding all cases appearing on this list are available for review in the electronic database of documented cases, which may be accessed here. In many cases, sources include direct testimony from family members of victims or witnesses to the events.

Cuba Archive