Ernesto Guevara de la Serna was born in the year 1928 in Argentina. Just after his birth the fanily left Risario and went to San Isidor. His father didn`t like this city, because the crime-rate was very high. On the 2nd May 1930 the little Ernesto had an asthmatic attac. He suffered his whole life under this illness. His mother thought it was her fault that Ché had asthma, because on that day she went to swim with him, although the weather was very bad and it was cold. After the swim Ernesto was in a very bad condition. His parents went with him to the doctor and he said that the baby had asthma.

2 years later the family left the city, because there was much rain and it was not good for Ché. They went to Alta Grocia in the mountains. In Alta Grocia 4 more childeren came to the Guevara family. But Ché was still the biggest problem, his asthma came so often that he couldn`t go to school. Celia, his morther, taught him at home; she liked him more than the other children. They often quarreled about this problem. His brothers were very angery and jealous they were very bad to him, but he defended himself . All what Ernesto learned he had learned from his mother. Celia taught him French too.

When he was a boy in Alta Grocia he was shy, but he already had then the soul of a leader. When he was six years old, he was the leader of all neihtbor cildren and when seven or nine years old he lead a big gang of children. He challenged rich children to play football. Normaly his gang was the winner. Already then he had no fears. When one of his friends said he shouldn't eat chalk or drink squid, because they are poisonous, he took a bite of chalk and a big swallow of squid.

He was a very good student. Soon he started to read politial books. But he was not only intrested in reading. He liked the nature and travels, too. His asthma-attacs stopped him, but he had the strong conviction that he is the winner against his illness. The doctors said he shouldn't do sport, but Ernesto decided for rugby. Soon he had to stop with this sport, his illness was the reason. 1937 he had a first political experience. In Spain there was civil war. The Guevaras were for the left wing of politic. During the civil war more people decided for the left side especially his mother Celia.
The family left Akta Grocia and went to Codoboe. The little bit democracy in Argentinia ended. The politics in his home-country already influenced him in his childhood. When Ché was young he was against all forms of force. But the terror and torture on communists made him a fighter.Only the war with weapons could free the suppressed people.

1947 he began surpisingly to study medicine, his friends thought that he was studying architecture. The reasons: He wanted to know all about his asthma and his mother's cancer. He thought he could help her. 1949 the family went to Buenos Ayres. There the parents separated. Later Ché fell in love with Maria del Carmen Ferreyra. Her family was very rich and her parents didn't want the relation between Ché and Maria; but nevertheless they got engaged.
After this love he did a long trip by bicycle. On this travel he saw illness, hunger and death. In December he had to do a test for a doctor diploma. Later he traveled with a friend through South America. He went on three trips and on the last one he met Hilda, and married her. For a short time Ché worked in a hospital, where he met Nico Lopez. Lopez brought him to Raul Castro. Fidel, Raul's brother, had a farm to teach men to be guerillas. Ché went to this farm, he was the best student, but there was his asthma, too. On the 5th December 1956 the guerillas landed in Cuba. Three years later he was the leader of one troup which went successfully to Havana. The guerillas won the revolution of Cuba and Ché was one or the one of most impotant persons of this revolution.

1960 he ran the Nation bank and 1961 the Ministry of Industry of Cuba. On the 14th March Ché made his last speech in Cuba, then he disappeared for a long time. In Congo he started a secret guerilla-war. On the 18th May 1965 his mother died. He came back to Cuba where he prepared his last war. He wanted to start a revolution in Bolivia, with his biggest goal: continental revolution. Nobody except Fidel Castro and a few of his friends knew that he went to Bolivia. Many people thought he was dead, what had been said more than often. On 23th. March 1967 he started the attac the Bolivia Army. Ché was always successful. But then came the American troops and Ché had no chance with 50 guerillas against 100'000 soldiers. On 8th. October 1967 they caught him and on 9th they executed him. His body was not cremated by the Bolivian Government, but buried in Bolivia and they found it only in 1997.

I chose Ernest Guevara for my biography, because he was a very special person. I had a presention about Cuba and learned to know him. My parents were in Cuba and told me that the poeple honoured him and I asked why. They explainded that it`s because he helped the suppressed and poor people and their countries.

by Madeleine Näf