The Argentine guerrilla Ernesto Che Guevara was born in the city of Rosario, in the province of Santa Fe. Today, on the ninetieth anniversay of his birth, the Socialist Party and the mayor Monica Fein have prepared a series of tributes which are certain to draw upon a completely false version of the seminal political figure, and foster erroneous interpretations of his alleged “achievements.”
Among the official celebrations, paid for with taxpayer funds, the decorated buses, adorned with the face of the Communist saint stands out, as well as a programmed series of talks with left-wing intellectuals.
The municipal buses with the iconic image of the guerrilla, have already generated indignation on social media, where they were widely shared before they were put into service.
Así que la Municipalidad de Rosario pinto las bondis de transporte público con la figura de Ernesto Guevara? pic.twitter.com/ZzIbZzrOMT
— Beto Valdez (@betovaldez) June 11, 2018
The municipality, which is currently run by a socialist administration, also mentions that the events will feature the participation of such renowned “intellectuals” as Darío Sztajnszrajber, Carlos Polimeni, Raly Barrionuevo, Claudia Gilman and Felipe Pigna. Given their known ideological profiles, it is certain that they will conveniently overlook the executions and the atrocities perpetrated by the figure in question.
For local authorities, this latest anniversary of the birth of Guevara, who was born on June 14, 1928, is a further opportunity to strengthen the incomplete and naive presentation of a revolutionary, who was a murderer, but has now been relegated to immortality on t-shirts.
The statue and the controversy
Che Guevara has a statue in a plaza in the city, which was built with the political endorsement of the municipality and with the contribution of neighbors who donated old keys, which were melted down to contribute to the metal for the monument. The classical liberal think tank Fundacion Bases, a leading critic of Che’s legacy, carried out a campaign to remove the statue which, until now, was considered untouchable.
During 2017, the Fundacion Bases campaign made media headlines around the world, and made the left increasingly nervous. Although the think tank launched a massive ad buy for the project, which included video presentations public highways, the contracted companies failed to comply with the agreements after receiving multiple threats, and did not broadcast the videos.
Federico Fernández, president of the think tank, told the PanAm Post that the myth of Che Guevara “has feet of clay”. Fundacion Bases is already active in several countries in Europe and Latin America. In Fernandez’s view, the cult of personality around Che is a product of state sponsorship, and the support of the municipality leaves it in evidence. “Our campaign to remove the monument already exceeded 22,000 signatures, while the campaign to keep the statue has less than 7,000” he stated.
Rosario’s mayor under fire for abortion stance
Rosario’s socialist mayor Monica Fein, who has led the charge to pay tribute to the murderer Guevara, last month came under fire at a public ceremony. In the framework of the celebrations of May 25, which commemorate Argentina’s independence, Fein was present at a youth meeting, where the audience turned on her with boos and chants. The audience, composed largely of Catholic organizations, reproached her for her militancy in favor of abortion. The mayor, surprised and nervous, had to leave the stage without finishing her speech.
In the meantime, classical liberal groups are continuing to draw attention to the official celebration and commemoration of Che in the city of Rosario.