Che's Pamphlet (1958)

Of great interest here is his pamphlet published in the first issue of the rebels' periodical El Cubano Libre (The Free Cuban), and signed "Sniper". This pamphlet, released in 1958 was Che's first article to be published in Cuba. Below is the full text:

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"News of events in distant countries reaches the summits of our Sierra Maestra through newspapers and radio that report quite candidly what is going on there because they cannot tell of the crimes daily committed here.

"So we read and hear of disturbances and murders taking place in Cyprus, Algeria, Ifni and Malaysia. All of these have common features:

a) the authorities 'have inflicted heavy losses on the insurgents';

b) there are no prisoners;

c) the government is not planning to change its policies;

d) all revolutionaries, regardless of country or region in which they are active, are receiving secret 'aid' from the Communists.

"How much the whole world resembles Cuba! Everywhere the same events are taking place. A group of patriots, armed or unarmed, in revolt or not in revolt-is being killed, and the punitive force is once again 'victorious after protracted shooting'. All the witnesses are killed, so there are no prisoners.

"The government forces never suffer losses, which sometimes fits with reality, for it is not very dangerous to kill unarmed people. But often the absence of casualties is mere fiction. We offer the Sierra Maestra as irrefutable proof of their losses. Finally, what of the old, threadbare accusation of 'communism'.

"Communists, it would seem, are all who take up arms, because they are fed up with poverty, and it does not matter what country we are discussing.... Those who kill common people, men, women and children, call themselves democrats. How much the whole world resembles Cuba!

"But in Cuba and everywhere else the people will have the last say against injustice and evil, and the people will have their victory."