These photos that made history # 6. When Korda immortalized Che

Humble among the humble, Ernesto Che Guevara would have been annoyed to see himself thus deified. His political convictions, his ideals, his young life mowed down in 1967 and undoubtedly a photo of Alberto Diaz Gutierrez, says Alberto Korda, have decided otherwise. Che, also keen on photography, did not like having his portrait taken. This March 5, 1960, the circumstances were even less suitable for posing. The “barbudos” are then in mourning. The day before, in the port of Havana, the French boat la Coubre, loaded with arms to defend the revolution proclaimed on 1 ^is January 1959, is the target of an attack. The attack bears the seal of the CIA and the White House.

Behind his Leica, Alberto Diaz Gutierrez aka Alberto Korda

This March 5, therefore, a ceremony of tribute to the victims brings together several thousand Cubans in the capital, opposite the Colon cemetery. A platform was hastily erected. Fidel Castro delivers a vibrant speech there: “Homeland or death!” We will vanquish ! ” he proclaims. Behind his Leica, Alberto Korda scrutinizes the scene; Guevara is back. Suddenly, the man in the starry beret comes to the fore: “I only had time to take two pictures. One horizontal, the other vertical. Afterwards, Che moved ”, will tell the photographer, quoted by Humanity. Without knowing it, he has just immortalized Che. However, he is not satisfied with his framing, on one of the pictures there is a profile in the foreground, on the left. The photo will not be selected for inclusion in the newspaper. Revolution. It will be published a posteriori but without repercussions.

President of the Bank of Cuba, minister, itinerant ambassador, internationalist of heart and reason, Ernesto Guevara dreams of seeing other peoples emancipate themselves. After a failed expedition to the Congo, he flew to Bolivia. On October 7, 1967, he was captured and then executed by order of the CIA. In the eyes of imperialism, it is imperative to kill this symbol of revolt. Wasted effort. A few months earlier, Alberto Korda had offered two impressions to the Italian publisher Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, who would be responsible for disseminating them widely, while refraining from paying a penny to its author.

From May 1968, the famous cropped and reworked photo will be worn by French students. She will be pinned in student rooms, stuck in front of factories. Since then, it has continued to be used in popular uprisings around the world. Despite the capitalist gadgetization of the image, the Guevara myth is alive and well; the guerrilla still embodies today the thirst for justice, the rebellion in the face of the established order.

To be continued in this series (Monday July 12 on l’Humanité.fr and Tuesday 13 in l’Humanité): 1934. The Loch Ness Monster, or the Need to Doubt

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