FB I5 ‘Y Vjv - - GUEVARA DEATH DEBRAY TR IA L •« • LA PAZ RADIO LA C R lir DEL SUR IS SPANISH OOOO GMT 11 OCT 67 P I ' 'mi '■ -V- SUMMARY WITH QUOTATIONS ’ TH E BODY OF CHE‘ GUEVARA LAYS ON A CONCRETE SLAB IN THE VALLEGRANDE H O S P IT A L H IS BODY IS GUARDED B Y V-7 100 WELL-ARMED MEN HE WAS 39 YEARS OLD WHEN HE DIED AND WAS SHOT IN THE CHEST AND L E G S - H IS BODY SHOWS THE LEGS WEAKENED BY rVv RHEUMATISM AND AN EMACIATED CHEST I T WAS SAID THAT CHE ENDED H IS L IF E IN A S IT T IN G P O S IT IO N ’ F IR IN G U N TIL H IS • WEAPON WAS U S E L E S S ' • C O L i JOAQUIN ZENTENO ANAYA HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE WHICH v V LASTED NEARLY AN H OU R 'CH E GUEVARA'WAS TAKEN SERIOUSLY WOUNDED 10 ' HIGUERAS ON THE AFTERNOON OF THE DAY HE D IE D HE SHOWED WOUNDS ON HIS CHEST AND L E G S ' • 1 ’ t -v ‘ l • CHE GUEVARA S CAPTURED DIAR Y CONFIRMS THE SUBVERSIVE AND ARMED ACTION OF REGIS DEBRAiC THE DIARY SW WS THAY'DEBR'a V W a S T8 TH£ SANCAHUAZlTM tA ON GUERRILLA A C T IV IT Y BUSTOS WAS A L S d l'C T IN fi AS A guew il 'l a • a crCTfRirrffg-Ti r r he ' t i fflY T n m A E f D R i b c u M E ItCsZalsoREVEAL U'lHtK UUKNECntJjrS rNSriDE ffNB' OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY '• • THERE IS COMPLETELY IRREFUTABLE PROOF OF GUEVARA S ID E N T IT Y SUCH AS FINGERPRINT COMPARISON PERSONAL DOCUMENTS AND COMPARISON OF H IS FEA TU R ES — 0— FOR O F F IC IA L USE ONLY LIMA ftF jO a H SPANISH 0115 GMT 11 OCT 67 P v “ T E X T VALLEGRAN DE--THE F IE LD DIARY FOUND ON THE'BODY OF THE ’ GUERRILLA RAMON BELIEVED TO BE CHE GUEVARA WILL- BE USED AS PROOF IN THE TR IA L OF R EG IS DEBRAY T HE DIARY BEGINS ON 7 NOVFMRFR-i o k AND ENDS ON 7 OCTOBER 1967 THE EVE OF THE DAY IN WHICH RAMON WAS - ' MORfALLY WBUNDED T h e HANDWRITING c o u ld b e a n o t h e r p r o o f o f GUEVARA'S ID E N T IT Y -------------- ‘------ --------------------------------------- — y THE DIARY WAS MADE IN RFRWftNY AND BOUHn TH nARK Rfrp 6 U E R R IL L A 'A C Y lV fT T E 5 g E R T llO T E D D A IL Y 1N 1T A B O LIVIA N OFFICER SHOWED THE DIARY TO NEWSMEN IN VALLEGRANDE ’ STATING THAT I T CONTAINED SOME NOTES BY CHE GUEVARA ON DEBRAY WHEN HE LEFT NANCAHUAZU I T SAID THAT DEBRAY HAD BEEN ENTRUSTED WITH A GUERRILLA M ISSION CHE’ S D IA R Y THE OFFICER TOLD NEWSMEN INCLUDES THE-FOLLOWING REMARK ON THE B O LIVIA N ARMY I NEVER THOUGHT THAT THE B OLIVIAN SOLDIER COULD BE SO TOUGH THE DIARY ALSO REVEALED THAT ITKEJSUERRILLAS WERE NOT SCHEDULED TO START UP IN B O L IV IA UNTIL TH IS P IS ' J U H bUl T t rrT W n R g T T g r iiA R 'N E b TH1l ARMY A ND 0N 2 3 MARCH Trtfc CONFLICT WAS PREMATURELY STARTED 11 U -O C T 0S25-Z JD CT •tanx-wotc yiic v covt COPY LBJ LIBRARY B IS 07 FOR O F F IC IA L USE ONLY J - »• •• COMMUNIQUE ON GUEVARA •’ ’ • BUENOS-AIRES ANSA IN SPANISH 1825 GMT 10 OCT 67 P T E X T L A PAZ— THE B O L IV IA N ARMED FORCES HAVE ISSUED A NEW COMMUNIQUE CONFIRMING THE DEATH OF ERNESTO GUEVARA v THE COMMUNIQUE READS AS FOLLOWS ELABORATING ON OUR COMMUNIQUE NUMBER 45 67 WE ARE ABLE TO' REPORT THAT THE REDS K ILLE D ARE ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA A R G E N T IN E ARTURO CUBAN ANTONIO C U B A N A N IC E TO - C U B A N W IL L I B O L IV IA N i AND TWO OTHER U N ID E N TIF IE D MEN ' • 5#3 845 0 -4 -4 4 -0 # 9 5#3 9 7 8173 5 -5 3 t I N THE CLEANUP OPERATION IN THE AREA OF YURO CREEK WHICH EMPTIES IN TO SAN ANTONIO CREEK TWO MORE DEAD GUERRILLAS S T IL L U N ID E N TIF IE D WERE FOUND THE O F F IC IA L DOCUMENT THEN STATES THAT TH E ARMED FORCES ' WITH THE COOPERATION OF THE AREA INHABITANTS OCCUPIED TOWNS NEAR THE C R IT IC A L POINTS-WHERE THE LATEST OPERATIONS ARE BEING CONDUCTED THE COMMUNIQUE CONCLUDES BY STATING THAT T H E CAPTURED ARMS EQUIPMENT AND IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS INCLUDE CHE GUEVARA’ S CAMPAIGN D IA R Y -------------------------- ----------------------------r ------------------ ------- • — — — I PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS AGAIN REFERRED TO THE MOST RECENT IN C ID EN TS IN D IC A TIN G THAT THE DOCUMENTS FOUND IN CHE GUEVARA S KNAPSACK W ILL CLEAR UP MANY S T IL L CONFUSING MATTERS REGARDING THE RED MOVEMENT IN B O L IV IA FURTHERMORE THEY W ILL DETERMINE THE P A R TIC IP A TIO N OF PERSONS i7 0 ANDD E N T IT IE S ENGAGED IN CREATING A CLIMATE OF SUBVERSION AND IN C IT IN G TO STRUGGLE IN THE C I T I E S • • PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS SAID HE WAS AWAITIN6 THE LA TE ST EVIDENCE ON THE DEATH OF CHE GUEVARA AND THE GROUP OF MAIN GU ER R ILLA LEADERS WHO HE SAID CAME BY ORDERS OF CASTRO TO IN F L IC T ANARCHY P A IN AND D ESTR U C TIO N • CCCs GRAF F IV E L IN E FOUR READ X X X CLEARING GARBLE 111 OCT 0235Z AM BG COPY LBJ LIBRARY PERSONS GROUPS AND X X X •V u Vi c ■ FpiS 20 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY- SEE 16 V ' ' c DESCRIPTION OF G U E V A R A R E M A I N S BUENOS’AIRES'ANSA IN' SPANISH 0244 GMT 1 1 OCT 67 P ' '' ’i • k EXCERPTS VALLEGRANDE BOLIVIA— THE BODY OF ERNESTO CHE G U E V A R A — A L I A S R A M O N — L I E S UNDER A ROOFED-OVER AREA W H I C H LOOKS M O R E L I K E A L A U N D R Y ' T H A N A MORGUE THE AREA PART OF THE SENOR DE M A L T A HOSPITAL t-WAS USED TO DI S P L A Y G U E V A R A ' S B O D Y TO NEWSMEN AND RADIO C O R R E S P O N D E N T S ' W H O CAME AT THE INVITATION OF THE ' ARMED F OR C E S A B O A R D A SPECIAL PLANE WHICH MADE THE R O UND TRIP CN’ THE SAME DAY T H E B O D Y IS A P P R O X I M A T E L Y 1 75 METERS LONG AND OF A VERAGE EUILD A LT H O U G H IT IS APPARENT THAT THE RIGORS OF- AN EXTENDED ARMED STRUGGLE SLIMMED AND EMACIATED IT THE BODY HAS LONG BRO W N CU R L Y HAIR- AND A N O T - V E R Y - D E N S E BEARD COVERS THE CHEEKS AND CHIN THE FOREHEAD HAS THE P R O T U B E R A N C E S CHARACTERISTIC IN GUEVARA'S PHOTOGRAPHS THE NOSE IS CHISELED AND IS ALSO SIMILAR TO PHOTOGRAPHS INCLUDING THE W E L L - F O R M E D NOSTRILS SLIGHTLY CURVED THE CHIN IS SLIGHTLY D EP R E S S E D B E L O W THE LOWER LIP ONE OF THE SEVERAL IDENTIFYING MARXS IS ON THE BACK OF HIS LEFT HAND IT IS A SLIGHT SCAR WHICH ACCORDING TO EXISTING STORIES WAS INFLICTED BY A GRAZING BULLET DURING HIS SIERRA M AESTRA CAMPAIGN ON THE FLOOR OF THE PLACE THE LAUNDRY WERE THE B O D I E S OF THE OTHER G UERRILLAS IDENTIFIED BY THEIR CAMPAIGN NAMES SUCH AS ARTURO AND ANTONIO •BOLIVIAN ARMED F O R C E S IDENTIFICATION PERSONNEL ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING POINTS TO PROVE THAT IT IS IN FACT CHE G U E V A R A ’S BODY • THE FRON T A L P R O T U B E R A N C E S ARE VERY PROMINENT THE STRAIGHT NOSE COINCIDES P E RFECTLY W I T H AVAILABLE PHOTOGRAPHS THE CHIN HAS A DEPRESSION ON THE RIGHT SIDE A SMALL MOLE IS VISIBLE ON PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE R I GHT SUPERCILIARYIC REGION WHICH IS REALLY A SMALL AREA W I T H FINE HAIR 11 OCT 0755Z JD CT -V HOX y«o« uicK ' a w COPY L8J LIBRARY I 38 GUEVARA • £_ VALLEGRANDE B O L IV IA A P -B O L IV IA S GUERRILLA REVOLT HAS BEEN V IR T U A L L Y F IN IS H E D BY THE K IL L IN G OF ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA ONCE F ID E L C A S TR O 'S TOP EXPERT ON REVOLUTION THE CHIEF OF B O LIVIA N ARMED FORCES SA YS GEN ALFREDO OVANDO CANDIA S A ID GUEVARA DIED FROM WOUNDS RECEIVED IN A NEAR HAND-TO-HAND BATTLE WITH TROOPS IN B O L IV IA 'S SOUTHEASTERN JUNGLE AND BEFORE H IS DEATH TOLD H IS CAPTORSt I 'M TH E CHE AND I ' V E F A IL E D OVANDO TOLD NEWNEN BROUGHT TO VALLEGRANDE TUESDAY TO VIEW THE BODY THAT THE REBELS F A IL E D BECAUSE THEY LACKED THE SUPPORT OF THE PEASANTS THEY UNDERESTIMATED THE B O LIVIA N ARMY AND THEY CHOSE TO F IG H T IN AN AREA STRATEGICALLY UNSUITED TO THEM C O L JOAQUIN ZENTENO ANAYA S A ID THE GUERRILLAS LOST SEVEN MEN IN FTBHTING SUNDAY ftN D TRJNUAY NkAH HlTjim raSr ggBrwrL'Eg gOUTHEASr OF LA FA I A N ir H m O g P l I P E i C T M ILITA R Y SOURCES S A ID 29 GUERRILLAS HAVE BEEN K ILLE D IN T H O T S t S E V E N MONTHS INCLUDING 15 B O L IV I A N S '11 CUBANS AN ARGENTINE WOMAN AND A PERUVIAN DOCTOR THE STORY OF GUEVARA'S DEATH MET WITH SKEPTICISM IN SOME QUARTERS OUTSIDE B O L IV IA THE ARGENTINE-BORN REVOLUTIONARY WHO FOUGHT WITH CASTRO TOOVERTHROW CUBAN PRESIDENT FULGENCIO B A TISTA IN 1959 HAD BEEN REPORTED K IL L E D OR CAPTURED IN VARIOUS PARTS OF L A TIN AMERICA DURING THE 2 1 2 YEARS SIN CE HE MYSTERIOUSLY VANISHED FROM CUBA SR1117AED 10 11 39 GUEVARA-NEWSMAN LONDON C A P -A B R ITIS H CORRESPONDENT WHO ONCE MET ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA IN CUBA REPORTED FROM B O L IV IA TODAY THAT HE I S CERTAIN THE BODY DISPLAYED BY B O LIVIA N AU TH OR ITIES IS THAT OF THE LATIN-AM ERICAN REVOLUTIONARY LEADER IN A DISPATCH IN THE GUARDIAN FROM THE B O LIVIAN TOWN OF V A L L E GRANCE RICHARD GOTT ALSO REPORTED THAT A U S IN TELLIG EN C E AGENT WAS IN THE VAN THAT CARRIED THE BODY FROM A HELICOPTER TO A HUT GOTT REPORTED AFTER SEEING THE BODY I T WAS UNDOUBTELY THAT OF CHE GUEVARA I AM PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE HERE WHO HAVE SEEN HIM A L IV E I SAW HIM IN CUBA AT AN EMBASSY RECEPTION IN 1963 AND THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT I T IS THE BODY OF CHE GOTT S A ID HE HAD SOME DOUBTS AT F IR S T BECAUSE THE BODY WAS MUCH SMALLER AND THINNER THAN HE RECALLED— BUT I T IS HARDLY SURPRISING THAT AFTER MONTHS IN THE JUNGLE HE HAD LOST H IS FORMER HEAVY APPEARANCE GOTT WHO HAS RUN FOR PARLIAMENT AS AN INDEPENDENT L E F T IS T CANDIDATE ON AN A N TI-VIETN A M VAR PLANK IS ON LEAVE AS AN ED ITO R IA L WRITER FOR THE GUARDIAN DURING THE PAST YEAR HE HAS BEEN IN C H ILE HELPING ORGANIZE A FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN S T IT U T E AT THE U N IVER SITY OF SANTIAGO AND HAS BEEN REPORTING FROM B O L IV IA SRI120AED 10 11 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