me mo r a n d u m THE E HOUSE 9 WA S HI N G T ON 0 GQNFIDRN liJTC Monday October 9 1967 - - 6 10 p m M r President This tentative inform ation that the Bolivians got Che Guevara w ill interest you It is not yet confirm ed The Bolivian unit engaged is the one we have been training for some tim e and has just entered the field of action 1 President Barrientos at 10 00 a m October 9 told a group of newsmen but not fo r publication until further notice that Che Guevara is dead 2 No further confirm ation or details as y e t 11 MP re s e n cia October 9 reports capture MCheMGuevara G uerrillas reported lost three dead and two seriously wounded and captured including C h e in six hour firefigh t on October 8 with unit of 2nd Rangers seven kilom eters north of Higuera Bolivian armed forces losses two dead and four wounded General Ovando reportedly proceeding to Vallegrande today at head of investigating team for purpose of identifying gu errilla dead and captured Comment This confirm s Bolivian armed forces conviction that C he11 Guevara e a rlie r seriously wounded or ill and among captured Among dead are believed to be two Cubans Antonio and A rtu ro not otherwise identified A lso captured is said to be Bolivian W illy identified as Simon Cuba Due to nightfall evacuation of dead and wounded gu errillas d eferred until morning October 9 Bolivian armed forces believes Rangers have surrounded gu errilla force boxed into canyon and expect to eliminate them soon Rostow DECLASSIFIED B O 12356 Sec 3 4 CONFIDENTIAL COPY LBJ LIBRARY LBJL NSF Country File Latin America Box 8 Folder “Bolivia vol 4 1 66 – 12 68 3 of 3 ” This document is from the holdings of The National Security Archive Suite 701 Gelman Library The George Washington University 2130 H Street NW Washington D C 20037 Phone 202 994-7000 Fax 202 994-7005 nsarchiv@gwu edu Read related article Che Guevara and the CIA in the Mountains of Bolivia 2020-10-09