Ch6's guerrillas operated in the Red Zone between Camiri and SantaCruz. The dark line indicates the path of the campaign. The dottedline was followed by Pombo and his group after Ch6's capture atQuebrada del Yuro. in their escape to Chile, (also see map on page

C H R O N O L O G Y

1 9 6 6

J a n u a r y

February

M a r c h

J u n e

Ju ly

P o m h o d i a r yhegiriM July 14

A u g u s tR o l a n d o d i a r ybegins August 11

\

Tricontinental Conference, Havana, January 3-15; Mario Monje Molina, First Secretary of the Russia-oriented CommunistParty of Bolivia (PCB) and Cuban PremierFidel Castro and other Cuban leaders d iscuss establishment of base in Southern Conefo r con t inen ta l revo lu t ion .Cuban agents Ricardo and Tania, alreadyin Bolivia, make arrangements with PCBand other Communist factions for supportof forthcoming guerrilla operations.Guerrilla training in Cuba of future Bolivian guerrillas such as Inti and Benjamin.Coco purchases farm at Nancahuazu. Othercampsites (in Beni and elsewhere) also beingexplored. Arms, food, and other suppliesstockpiled in Santa Cruz and La Paz.General Rene Barrientos elected Presidentof Bolivia with 62% of vote, July 6. Laterin month, Pombo and Tuma arrive in Bolivia, representing Che carrying his instruct i o n s t o R i c a r d o . C o n f u s i o n o v e r w h e r e

guerrilla base is to be located. Pombo andT u m a i n f o r m P C B t h a t B o l i v i a i s t o b e t h ecenter of the guerrilla struggle not merelya staging area for continental revolution.Monje agrees to supply 20 guerrillas. Peruv i a n s E l C h i n o a n d S a n c h e z t o l d o f H av a n a ' s d e c i s i o n t o c o n c e n t r a t e o n B o l i v i ainstead of Peru as they had hoped. Discussions with Maoist labor leader Moises Guevara requesting recruiting of miners.El Chino opposes "giving priority" to Bolivia. President Rene Barrientos inaugurated.Training of Cuban members of Che's bandgets under way in Cuba. Pombo, Tuma,other Cubans in La Paz fee l PCB wi l l no t

support guerrilla struggle. Monje threatens

7 1

p

C h r o n o l o g y

to withdraw four guerrilla recruits he hasenlisted. PCB youth recruited by Monje refuses to go into mountains, believing Boliviaunripe for revolution.

September Pacho arrives by train from Chile to inspectoperations and report back to Che. He announces arrival of Regis Debray "to makea geopolitical study of the selected zone."The advance party awaits Havana's instruct ions on breaking off wi th PCB; MoisesGuevara supplies ten recruits. Equipment accumulated now includes uniforms, canteens,r a d i o s , t e n t s , h a m m o c k s a n d m a c h e t e s .Mon je summons R icardo to a meet ing ,"brought about by the ac t iv i t ies o f theFrenchman," since Debray has been negot i a t i n g w i t h t h e P C B ' s a r c h e n e m y M .G u e v a r a .

October Che accepts his advance party's desire notto relocate in the Beni, despite Debray's advice, and settles the question of the guerrillab a s e . I t w i l l b e t h e f a r m a t N a n c a h u a z u .

Pombo and Ricardo d i rec t supp ly ing o fN a n c a h u a z u b a s e a n d r o u t e s o f i n fi l t r a t i o nfor incoming guerrilla force. Strong con-

Braulio diary flicts develop between Monje and his PCBbegins and the advance party of guerrillas overOctober 25 Monje's continual reneging on PCB com

m i t m e n t s t o C h e a n d C a s t r o . T h i s i s c o m

pounded by the guerrillas' negotiations withM o i s e s G u e v a r a .

November November 3, Che arr ives in La Paz withP a c h o v i a H a v a n a , P r a g u e a n d S a o P a u l o .

e diaries November 7 Che arrives at Nancahuazu.Construction of defenses, storage, housing,vember 7 radio facilities at the base. Patrols sentto scout the neighboring areas. Curiosity oflocal landowner Algaranaz forces guerrillasto camp away from the main buildings oft h e b a s e .

December Guer r i l l as con t inua l l y a r r i v ing , inc lud ingC h i n o , A l e j a n d r o , M o r o , a n d B e n i g n o .Training classes held for the growing camp,

j Construction of defenses, facilities and reconnaissance patrolling continues. December31 Monje meets with Che and reaches a

N o v e m b e r

C h e d i a r i e s

beginJ S o v e m b e r 7

C h r o n o l o g y 7 3

d e a d l o c k i n t h e i r a l l i a n c e o v e r t h e i s s u e o f

leadership of the guerrilla movement. Cheinsists upon his leadership of the militarycampaign, and the subordination of political considerations despite Monje's offer ofPCB cadre support i f Che accepts hisleadership.

Training and stockpiling of supplies continues. Many guerrillas sick. Minor discip l inary p rob lems among the men ando c c a s i o n a l f r i c t i o n b e t w e e n C u b a n s a n d

Bolivians. On January 19 Algarahaz sendsa Bolivian police detachment to inspect theguerrilla base for cocaine operations, butthey find nothing. Slow recruitment of Bolivians disappointing to Che.Che begins training march on February 1planned for 25 days which is to last 48days over terrain in which the guerril laforce is continually becoming lost. It rainsconstantly and Benjamin and Carlos (during the return in March) drown in crossing swollen rivers. Che encounters majorlanguage problem as natives primarily speakInd ian d ia lec ts un fami l i a r even to mos t o fhis Bolivian guerrillas. Serious friction between various individuals under severe hardship. Che often ill. The peasants show nointerest in supporting or enlisting in thei n s u r r e c t i o n .Bolivian Government issues statement denying existence of guerril la groups in thecountry. Border military force is ordered tostate of alert. March 17, Bolivian Armysearches camp at Nancahuazu, discoversBraulio's diary, Bustos' portraits of Che andother guerrillas, and other photos and documents. March 19, the training march finallyreturns to Nancahuazu. Two guerrilla deserters are captured by the Army; one ofthem confirms Che's presence in Boliviaearlier. Barrientos recognizes the presenceof guerrillas in the areas of Camiri andMonteagudo. March 23, Che successfullya m b u s h e s B o l i v i a n t r o o o s a t N a n c a h u a z u i n

C h r o n o l o g y

the first battle of the Bolivian campaign. Asecond l ieutenant , s ix so ld iers and a c iv i l ian

guide are ki l led by the guerr i l las in thefight. President Barrientos issues a call tothe nation "to join in the fight against localand foreign anarchists with arms and moneyf r o m C a s t r o - c o m m u n i s t s . " D r . G i l b e r t oFlores, the head of the Red Cross groupw h i c h r e c o v e r e d t h e r e m a i n s o f L t . R u b e nAmezaga and five soldiers k i l led by theguerri l las reveals that "the guerri l las areyoung foreign and Bolivian men . . . Theycarry automatic weapons . . ." March 27,Che prepares the manifesto of his ELNB,the National Liberation Army of Bolivia.

April Barrientos believes Che Guevara has beendead for some time. Army planes bomb theguerri l la zone. Mil i tary missions from Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay have arrivedin Bolivia to study the movement of theguerrillas in the southeast. Almost nothingknown of guerrillas; they seem to have noprogram, no manifesto and they have novisible connection with any of Bolivia's fourCommunist parties. The Army announcesthat on Apr i l 5, the 4th Div is ion of theArmy took control of Nancahuazu after ashort combat. In Havana, on April 6, Ho-ang Bich Son, Chief of Mission of the Vietn a m e s e N a t i o n a l L i b e r a t i o n F r o n t d e c l a r e s

that the armed struggle in Bolivia constitutes" a s t i m u l a n t f o r t h e S o u t h V i e t n a m e s e r e vo l u t i o n . " G e n . O v a n d o a n n o u n c e s t h a t t h eCastro-communist guerrillas have been extinguished. The second fight between Armyand guerrillas takes place on April 10 in thezone of Iripiti, 12 miles from the Nancahuazu Canyon. The Army has 19 casualties.Four provinces are declared zones of emergency by the government. The activities ofthe Communist Party are suspended by theGovernment. "El Diario" of La Paz publishes fragments of a diary written by theg u e r r i l l a B r a u l i o w h i c h i n d i c a t e s t h a tCuba sent the guerrillas to Bolivia; it is con-

C h r o n o l o g y 7 5firmed in part by photographs of campshowing many foreigners. On April 19, anew guerrilla group appears between Muy-upampa and Yacunday about 44 miles fromCamiri. On April 17, the guerrillas accidentally split into two groups under Cheand Joaquin. New encounter of Army andguerrillas estimated at 50 men in the Yacunday zone. April 20, Regis Debray, GeorgeAndrew Roth and Giro Roberto Bustos captured by the Bolivian Army. U.S. militaryadvisors are insisting that the Bolivians introduce basic changes in the organization oftheir forces. Barrientos has personally flownr e c o n n a i s s a n c e m i s s i o n s o v e r t h e r e b e l r e

gion in an AT-6 two-seat jet trainer. OnApril 21 the three foreign prisoners, Debray,Roth and Bustos are moved to Camir i . OnApril 22, a clash takes place in Caripotebetween Muyupampa and Monteagudo;the guerrillas suffer 4 dead and variouswounded. April 25, other encounters in ElMeson and Itia, during which Rolando iskilled. The Minister of Government saysthat "some political parties like the PRINand the MNR" are preparing an "insurrectional climate to assist their political declar a t i o n s . " C h e h a s l o s t r a d i o c o n t a c t w i t hHavana, evidently able to receive but nottransmit for the duration of the campaign.He is unable to send communications exceptby courier.Estimates of the guerrillas' strength put at30 to 50 in early April have risen withinthe last month to 100 or 120. Sixteen U.S.

Special Forces troops have arrived in Bolivia to train a battalion of 600 to 1,000men. There are reports of trouble brewingamong Bolivia's tin miners. Now the Gove r n m e n t h a s b o t h t h e m i n e r s a n d t h eguerrillas to cope with. May 8, another encounter between Army and guerrillas atPineal, 44 miles north of Camiri. Armycasual t ies to date to ta l 23 dead. Bo l iv ia isattacked by international intellectual press

P o m b o

d i a r yc o n c l u d e s

M a r 2 9

C h r o n o l o g y

for imprisoning Regis Debray for his activit ies as a " journal ist" in Bol ivia. May 13,guerrillas attacked a ranch in Pirirenda. InHavana, Ecuadorian labor leader Raul Guzman Ortega calls for the complete supportof the guerrillas of Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela and Guatemala. May 16, two morebattles in the regions of La Manga and ElP l a t a n a l , o n e g u e r r i l l a s h o t a n d m a n ywounded escape. Colonel Federico Arana,Chief of the Military Intelligence of Bolivia,t e l l s o f fi c a l s o f 1 6 A m e r i c a n c o u n t r i e s t h a t

there are important reasons to believe thatRamon, the Cuban leader of the guerrillas,c o u l d b e C h e G u e v a r a . I n t h e b a t t l e t h a ttakes place on May 27 the Bolivian JulioVe lasco Montano is k i l led . On May 29,Jorge Vasquez Viaha, the captured guerrillaLoro, is executed outside the hospital ofCamiri. Battle on May 30 in Muchiri; result: one guerrilla and five soldiers dead.Another encounter takes place in El Espinow h e r e s i x s o l d i e r s a r e k i l l e d .

Two small battles reported on June 3 and 4in the oil region of Abapo near Santa CruzAn encounter takes place in Ipita causingt h r e e c a s u a l t i e s . G u e r r i l l a s t r a n s m i t a c o m

munique through Radio Havana announcingthey will soon start popular revolutionarytribunals in Bolivia. The Army announcesthat to date 17 Cubans, 14 Brazilians, 4Argentines and 3 Peruvians have been identified among the guerrillas. On June 7, Bar-rientos declares a state of siege and 60radical pol i t ic ians and labor leaders arearrested. Agitation in the mining area ofSiglo XX and Gruro, Army troops aresent to keep order, but a clash betweenArmy and miners causes 21 dead and 70w o u n d e d . O n J u n e 2 4 t h e m i n e r s o f C a t a v iand S ig lo XX dec la re a 48 -hou r s t r i keto protest the Army intervention. Anotherc l a s h b e t w e e n A r m y a n d g u e r r i l l a s t a k e splace on June 26 causing three dead andt w o w o u n d e d n e a r F l o r i d a , a n d a n o t h e r

A ugust

C h r o n o l o g y 7 7encounter near the Gulf Oil property inSanta Cruz. Che begins to have increasinglyfrequent asthma attacks, often incapacitating him, from June to his death in October.In a press conference on July 1, Barrientosstates that Che Guevara is in Bol iv ia. In a

newspaper interview Regis Debray revealsthe presence of Che Guevara in Nanca-h u a z u w h e r e h e t a l k e d t o h i m o n t h r e e d i fferent occasions. Debray insists he cameto Bolivia to interview Che. July 6, high-water mark for the guerrilla campaign: Chetakes over Army garrison at Samaipata.Army announces beginning of "OperacionCynthia" designating six Army units withair cover to round up guerrillas. Army captures another guerril la camp. El Doradon e a r R i o G r a n d e . A n o t h e r e n c o u n t e r w i t h

guerrillas in Iquira causes the death of oneguerrilla. On July 29, Barrientos proposes ajoint intervention with the OAS againstCuba. On July 30, guerrilla fighting in theR i o M o r o c o . W o r k b a c k t o n o r m a l i n t h e

mining districts as the strike is called offafter signing an agreement favorable to thecompany. July 31, Che loses the tape recorder enabling him to decode messagesf r o m H a v a n a . H i s i s o l a t i o n b e c o m e s m o r e

complete.August 8, led by two guerrilla deserters,Chingolo and Eusebio, the Army capturestwo guerrilla caches containing arms anda m m u n i t i o n . O n A u g u s t 9 , t h e r e i s abattle in Taperillas against the guerrillas resulting in a number of casualties, the guerril la group commanded by Joaquin fleestoward the west. August 27, unsuccessfulguerrilla assault against a military unit inL o m a M a n s a n e a r T a t a r e n d a . A f t e r t r a c k

ing Joaquin's group since April when it hadbeen cut off from Che, the Army finallydestroyes the guerrilla group led by Joaqumon August 31, in Masicun Bajo (Vado delYeso); guerrillas killed: Joaqum, Ernesto,Walter, Moises, Tania, Negro, Alejandro,

C h r o n o l o g y

Paco, Paulo and Braulio. This was the firstof three fatal losses which destroyed Che'sBo l i v i an i nsu r rec t i on .

September Barrientos states on September 10 that CheGuevara died a long time ago. However, onSeptember 11, he states that there is proofC h e i s i n B o l i v i a a n d o f f e r s a r e w a r d o f

$4,200 dollars for his capture with leafletsair-dropped into the Red Zone. Second crucial battle in campaign at La Higuera onSeptember 26; three guerrillas are killed:" C o c o " R o b e r t o P e r e d o , " J u l i o " M a r i oGutierrez Ardaya, and "Miguel."

October Army clash with guerrillas on October 1 inAbra del Quinal in the southwest of Valle-grande province. In a final battle on Octo-

- b e r 8 a t Q u e b r a d a d e l Y u r o , t w o s o l d i e r sand s ix guerr i l las are k i l led: E l Chino,Willy, Aniceto, Pacho, Antonio and Arturo.concludes Guevara is executed on October 9. Theten remain ing members of the guerr i l laband led by Inti and Pombo escape towardthe border. On October 14, four more guerril las, (Moro, Chapaco, Eustaquio, Pablo)are killed in a clash with Bolivian Rangersabout 20 miles from La Higuera. The sixsurviving guerrillas are spotted south of Val-legrande in Los Gitanos. There are threeCubans: Pombo, Urbano and Benigno, andt h r e e B o l i v i a n s : I n t i , D a r i o a n d N a t o .

October Numerous small engagements as the six1967- guerri l las attempt to escape from Bolivia.

January Nato is kil led on November 15 near1 9 6 8 M a t a r a l .

February The Cubans, Pombo, Urbano and Benigno1968 escape into Chile. Inti and Dario sti l l re

main in hiding in Bolivia.March Pombo, Urbano and Benigno arrive in Ha-

1968 vana via Prague.

C H E G U E V A R A ' S D I A R Y

Written in what Fidel Castro has described as "the small andalmost illegible letters of a doctor," Che Guevara's diary beginsupon his arrival at Nancahuazu on November 7, 1966 and concludes October 7, 1967, two days before his death. Ch6 left twodiaries. The first was kept in a spiral notebook and concludedDecember 31, 1966. The second diary was an appointment bookgiven out by a German pharmaceutical company and useduntil Ghe's final entry. Examples of both diaries are includedin the picture section.

Ch^'s style is crisp and restrained, highly literate, and evidences an excellent, dry sense of humor. It is interesting to contrast the monthly analyses entered by Che with the cumulativeeffect of his diary for any given month. He often seems to ignorehis daily impressions for a more hopeful summary of them.. ButChe does not attempt to conceal either the course of his campaign or his growing desperation, and the daily reports becomeincreasingly moody until towards the end he is considering meansof escape. His courage, his mistakes in judgment, his illusions,and his ideals are honestly set down.

The following entries of those contained below were missing in the Cuban text released by Fidel Castro on July 2, 1968:January 4, 5, 8, and 9; February 8 and 9; March 1 and 4; April4 and 5; June 9 and 10; July 4 and 5; all of 1967. There arenumerous aliases and codewords used throughout Che's diariesand the other diaries following them. Because of code changesduring the course of the Bolivian insurrection, many of the guerrillas have more than one alias, and some of them as many asthree. These are listed with a key in the Appendix.

There are a number of inconsistencies or errors in Ch6's spelling of names and places which have been retained from his diar>'.

7 9