CHE WANTS TO SEE YOU
THE UNTOLD STORY OF CHE IN BOLIVIA
CIRO BUSTOS
Translated by Ann Wright
With an Introduction by Jon Lee Anderson
To Ana María
To Paula and Andrea
To the memory of Avelino
Many people survived that combat, and they are all invited to write their memoirs, and add their experiences to our knowledge of those events. We ask only that, when telling their story, they do not deviate from the truth, or say something incorrect just to clarify or magnify a personal position or pretend they had been in some particular place.
Ernesto Che Guevara,
Prologue to the Diary of a Revolutionary War
Then, in Bolivia, there were some Argentines, like Tania – who was actually German although she had been born in Argentina – and Ciro Roberto Bustos whom Che had known for a long time. Che always talked a lot about ‘El Pelao’. I met Bustos in Bolivia.
Che’s Teachings, interview with Harry Villegas Tamayo (‘Pombo’),
by Nestor Kohan, 11 October 2003
When a man is born, he can choose one of three different paths. If he chooses the one on the right, the wolves devour him; if he chooses the one on the left, he will devour the wolves; if he continues straight on, he will devour himself.
Anton Chekhov
Moreover, we do not know if the universe belongs to the real world or fantasy.
Jorge Luis Borges
‘I want you to tell me what Tania said when she met you in Córdoba.’
‘That you wanted to see me, I replied.’
‘No, no. I want you to tell me exactly what she said. In her own words.’
‘Ah, well. She said, “Che wants to see you.” ’
Contents
Introduction by Jon Lee Anderson
1 Mendoza: Where It All Started
2 News of Castro’s Revolution Reaches Argentina: 1958
3 My Journey to the Island: April 1961
5 ‘Compañero, Che Is Expecting You’
8 Training and the Missile Crisis: October 1962
9 Prague, Paris and Algiers: November–December 1962
10 Death Takes Centre Stage: Algiers, January–May 1963
11 Onwards to Bolivia and Argentina: May–June 1963
12 The Base in the Argentine Jungle: June 1963
13 Making Contacts in the Cities: July–August 1963
14 They All Wanted to Climb Aboard: September 1963
15 Bringing More Recruits to the Jungle Camp: November 1963
16 Defections and an Execution: February 1964
17 Sudden and Total Disaster: March 1964
PART THREE: CHINA
18 A Post-mortem with Che in Havana: May–July 1964
19 Beginning All Over Again: August 1964
20 Encounter in Uruguay with Raúl Sendic: September 1964
21 A Decision to Suspend Guerrilla Activity in Argentina: 1965
22 Summoned Back to Havana: May 1966
23 The Terraces of the Rising Sun: June–July 1966
PART FOUR: BOLIVIA
24 ‘Che Wants to See You’: January 1967
25 The Camp with an Absent Comandante: March 1967
26 The Prophet in Tatters
27 A War Is Won by Fighting
28 Back at the Camp on the Ñancahuazú
29 Che Reiterates His Strategic Objective: Argentina
30 The First Battle: 23 March 1967
31 Bombardment, Che Calls a Meeting, and a Night March
32 Way Out Where There Was No Way Out
33 Leave-taking and Farewells
34 Under Arrest in Muyupampa: 20 April 1967
35 The CIA Takes Charge
36 On Trial in Camiri: October 1967
