I was first inspired, fully, by Che several years ago while reading his memoirs "The Motorcycle Diaries". The book found its way to me and every now and again I reference it in my own life, opening it to a random page for inspiration. What was markedly exceptional to me about Che was that he lived his life guided by passion. Sure, he's a controversial figure, but had he not been, he would not have been so impactful. Che Guevara is one of those figures who what we learn about him is completely colored by who is doing the teaching. To some he is simply a tyrant, killer and (possibly worst of all) a communist. To others he was a liberator, soldier, and revolutionary. No matter where you stand, it's undeniable that was a doctor, an artist and a politician.
His main concern during the revolutionary war that saw his rise, was expelling the ruling class from his country, who he saw as a foreign force preying on his people and land while they remained destitute. Once in power, Che implemented various programs that made Cuba one of the most literate countries in the world, distributed lands back to the peasant class and promoted racial dignity for Cuba's native and Afrocentric populations. He has been romanticized into a sort of poster child of a global definition of revolution and struggle. Even his last words as he faced death in Bolivia exemplify his preparedness for martyrdom. "I know you've come to kill me" he said, surrounded by enemy troops, "Shoot, you are only going to kill a man." Today Che Guevara is celebrated worldwide as a militant who laid down his life for the liberation of his people.