It was May of 1967, and Che Guevara, the Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, was in Bolivia, leading a small band of guerrillas in an attempt to spread socialism across Latin America. Facing harsh environmental conditions and the pressure of the Bolivian military backed by US forces, Guevara and his comrades confronted the challenges of guerrilla warfare, including supply and communication difficulties, while trying to garner local support. As they journeyed through the rugged terrain, Guevara chronicled his experiences in a personal diary; this entry came on the 12th. Just five months later, in October, Guevara was captured and executed by the Bolivian military.

The Diary Entry

May 12

A day of belching, farting, vomiting, and diarrhea—a veritable organ concert. We remained absolutely immobilized, trying to digest the pig. We have two cans of water. I was quite sick until I vomited, and then felt better. At night we ate fried corn and roasted calabash, plus the remnants of yesterday’s feast—those who were able to.

All the radio stations are emphatically reporting the news of a Cuban landing in Venezuela that was crushed. The Leoni government presented two of the captured men, with their name and rank. I do not know them, but everything indicates something went wrong.

Further Reading

The Bolivian Diary of Ernesto Che Guevara was published in 1994 by Pathfinder Press, edited by Mary-Alice Waters. It can be read over at the Internet Archive.

Worth a visit: the Che Guevara Internet Archive.