Eutimio Guerra

Eutimio Guerra was a Cuban peasant executed by Che Guevara in February 1957. He was the 7^th person allegedly killed by Guevara

Aleida March wrote in his 2005 "Reminiscences of the Cuban Revolutionary War" that Guerra reportedly told Castro's company that he had dreamed of a Corporal Roselló murdering Sergio Acuña [ [http://www.marxists.org/archive/guevara/1963/reminiscences/ch05.htm Surprise Attack At Altos De Espinosa ] ]

Guerra had spent a night sleeping alongside revolutionary Castro several days before his treachery became known, expressing concern about the reliability of the guards posted nearby. [ [http://www.marxists.org/archive/guevara/1963/reminiscences/ch05.htm Surprise Attack At Altos De Espinosa ] ]

Capture and Execution

Castro's posted guards, Julito Díaz, Ciro Frías, Camilo Cienfuegos, Efigenio Ameijeiras and Almeida were told to capture Guerra on sight, and Almeida did so. Guerra was searched, and found with a .45 pistol, three grenades and a letter of safe passage from anti-Revolutionist Casillas. He was harshly rebuked by Frias, and asked Castro to have him shot, the duty of which was given to Guevara with a .32 pistol. Guerra did not die immediately after being shot, and even spoke to Guevara as the latter began searching his body.

Guevara later wrote about the "traitor" Guerra in a January 1958 article for the El Cubano Libre, and referred to three times that he believed Guerra had represented a dangerous threat to their group. [ [http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/43b/066.html Che Guevara articles from Sierra Maestra ] ] Che also wrote of this execution in his diaries, stating:

"“I fired a .32calibre bullet into the right hemisphere of his brain which came out through his left temple. He moaned for a few moments, then died.”" [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2461399.ece Behind Che Guevara’s mask, the cold executioner] by Matthew Campbell. The Sunday Times, September 16, 2007]

Manuel Fajardo wanted to erect a cross to mark Guerra's gravesite, but was forbidden to do so lest it attract attention to the execution, and instead carved a cross into a nearby tree.

References