History Lesson 27

El Socialismo en Latinoamérica – Socialism in Latin America, part 2

Two of the most famous faces in Latin American history are those of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro. Che, a Marxist revolutionary, is seen as a hero and a martyr in the cause of the “downtrodden masses.” His face is popular on t-shirts and posters supporting everything from mild socialism to radical anarchy.

Fidel Castro was the longest-ruling dictator of the 20th century, ruling the country of Cuba with an iron grip for 52 years. In 2011 he passed control to his brother, Raúl. Castro was a hero and friend to the now-deceased Venezuelan dictator, Hugo Chavez, as well as many other socialist leaders around the globe.

How to Use This Page:

1. Listen to the audio as you read along with the Spanish on the left.

2. Open the English translation, and read the two side-by-side, making sure you understand the Spanish.

3. Close the English, and listen to the audio again, reading along in Spanish.

4. Close the Spanish, and listen once more. Maybe shut your eyes, and just try to catch as much as you can.

En todo el periodo de la subida del socialismo y el comunismo, dos figuras latinoamericanas se destacan entre los otros: Ernesto Guevara y Fidel Castro.

Ernesto Guevara (más conocido por su apodo Che) era un estudiante de medicina de la Argentina, pero dedicó su vida a la causa de revolución cuando vio la pobreza y la enfermedad de la gente latina. A la edad de 24 años él hizo un viaje por toda Latinoamérica en motocicleta, y fue convencido de que la única solución fue una revolución social. Un hombre muy inteligente, Che era un fanático del ajedrez, la poesía, los deportes y la psicología.

Che estuvo en Guatemala cuando el gobierno socialista fue atacado y reemplazado por un dictador anti-comunista. El golpe* fue organizado por el CIA y apoyado por United Fruit Company, una empresa estadounidense. Viendo esto, Che se opuso aún más al imperialismo y al capitalismo, y se hizo aún más radical en sus planes.

Viviendo ahora en México, Che conoció a Fidel Castro y a su hermano Raúl. Fidel Castro, hijo de un granjero cubano, era un estudiante de derecho en la Universidad de la Habana, donde empezó a ser Marxista y anti-imperialista. En 1953 Castro fue encarcelado porque trató de derrocar al gobierno del dictador Fulgencio Batista. Cuando fue liberado, Castro viajó a México con su hermano y empezó otra organización revolucionaria.

Con la ayuda de Che, los hermanos Castro regresaron a Cuba en 1956. Empezando con menos de 20 hombres, ellos formaron muchos grupos revolucionarios en los campos y en las ciudades. Con tácticas brillantes y brutales, ellos tomaban el país poco a poco, hasta que Batista huyó del país en 1959.

Bajo Fidel Castro, Cuba se hizo un país comunista. Estados Unidos, que había apoyado a Batista, cortó las relaciones económicas y diplomáticas, y Cuba nacionalizó toda la propiedad y todas las empresas estadounidenses. Castro se alió con La Unión Soviética, el gran rival de Estados Unidos. Él hizo cambios buenos en la educación, los derechos civiles y otras áreas importantes. Pero también creó un estado muy represivo y gobernó un país de pobreza tremenda. Fidel Castro gobernó Cuba hasta 2011.

Después de la revolución, Che viajó a otros países para instruir e inspirar a las fuerzas revolucionarias. En 1967 estuvo en Bolivia con el mismo motivo, donde fue capturado y asesinado por tropas bolivianas con el apoyo del CIA.

* This term is short for Golpe de Estado, meaning a hit/blow of the state (a hostile takeover of a country’s government by forces from within the same country).

In all of the period of the rise of socialism and communism, two Latin American figures stand out among the others: Ernesto Guevara and Fidel Castro.

Ernesto Guevara (better known by his nickname Che) was a medical student from Argentina, but he dedicated his life to the cause of revolution when he saw the poverty and sickness of the Latino peoples. At the age of 24 years he made a trip through all Latin America on a motorcycle, and was convinced that the only solution was a social revolution. A very intelligent man, Che was a fan of chess, poetry, sports and psychology.

Che was in Guatemala when the socialist government was attacked and replaced by an anti-communist dictator. The coup d’etat*This French term has been adopted into English. It basically means a hostile takeover of the government. was organized by the CIA and supported by the United Fruit Company, an American business. Seeing this, Che became even more opposed to imperialism and capitalism, and became even more radical in his plans.

Living now in Mexico, Che met Fidel Castro and his brother Raul.

Fidel Castro, the son of a Cuban farmer, was a law student at the University of Havana, where he began to be Marxist and anti-imperialist. In 1953 Castro was jailed because he tried to overthrow the government of dictator Fulgencio Batista. When he was liberated, Castro traveled to Mexico with his brother and began a revolutionary organization.

With Che’s help, the Castro brothers returned to Cuba in 1956. Beginning with less than 20 men, they formed many revolutionary groups in the countries and the cities. With tactics that were brilliant and brutal, they took the country little by little, until Batista fled the country in 1959.

Under Fidel Castro, Cuba became a communist country. The United States, who had supported Batista, cut off economic and diplomatic relations, and Cuba nationalized all American property and businesses. Castro allied himself with the Soviet Union, the great rival of the United States. He made good changes in the education, civil rights and other important areas. But he also created a very repressive state and governed a country of tremendous poverty. Fidel Castro governed Cuba until 2011.

After the revolution, Che traveled to other countries to instruct and inspire the revolutionary forces. In 1967 he was in Bolivia with the same purpose, where he was captured and assassinated by Bolivian troops, with the support of the CIA.

Preguntas Básicas

1. Where was Che from, and what was his goal in life?

2. Who are the two brothers that have ruled Cuba since 1959?

3. Where and how did Che meet his end?