Che Guevara

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (1928–1967) was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary who played a central role in the Cuban Revolution alongside Fidel Castro, served as Cuba's Finance Minister, and was subsequently captured and executed in Bolivia while attempting to spread revolution. Alberto Korda's 1960 photograph 'Guerrillero Heroico' became the most reproduced photograph in history — appearing on millions of T-shirts, posters, and murals. Guevara is simultaneously a hero to the left (as a symbol of anti-imperialism, sacrifice, and idealism) and reviled by his critics (as responsible for executions of real and suspected enemies in Cuba and elsewhere). The gap between his iconic image and the historical record — including his documented role in revolutionary executions — is a case study in the creation of political mythology.