Today in History · October 9, 1967

The final chapter of Che Guevara

The revolutionary is executed in Bolivia, becoming one of the most enduring—and contested—symbols of the twentieth century.

On October 9, 1967, Ernesto “Che” Guevara was executed in the small schoolhouse of La Higuera, a remote village in southeastern Bolivia. He had been wounded and captured the day before at the Yuro ravine, after a Bolivian army unit trained with US assistance surrounded the remains of his guerrilla column.

Guevara had arrived in Bolivia in late 1966, hoping to ignite a revolution that would spread across South America. The campaign went badly from the start. His small force received little support from local peasants or from the Bolivian Communist Party, and it was steadily worn down by hunger, illness and army patrols.

Bolivian high command ordered his death rather than risk a public trial. A soldier, Mario Terán, carried out the order shortly after midday. Guevara’s body was flown to nearby Vallegrande and displayed to the press, and photographs of his corpse circulated around the world.

His remains were secretly buried near the Vallegrande airstrip. They were located only in 1997 and returned to Cuba, where they now rest in a memorial in Santa Clara, the city where he won his most famous battle in 1958.

In death, Guevara became far larger than the failed campaign that ended his life. Alberto Korda’s portrait of him turned into one of the most reproduced images of the century. To admirers he is a symbol of rebellion and sacrifice; to critics, including many Cubans, he is remembered for his role in revolutionary tribunals and executions. That contested legacy is why October 9 is still marked, debated and remembered.