Bolivian Paper Releases Che Guevara Unpublished Documents And Photos

Personal letters intercepted by the military and unpublished photographs of the guerrillas that joined the armed struggle of Argentine-born Cuban Ernesto Che Guevara in Bolivia in the mid-60's were revealed Monday by the Bolivian newspaper La Razón, nearly half a century after the revolution hero's death.

The 1,007 documents and letters, some of them written by Guevara himself, were enrolled on Tuesday in the Memory of the World of UNESCO, that protects and preserves the documentary heritage of humanity.

The collection, which includes essays, newspapers and biographical articles, was compiled under the name "Life and Work of Ernesto Che Guevara: from the original manuscripts of adolescence to the Bolivia Campaign Journal".

La Razón's 20-page supplement reveals documents that the military had secretly kept under lock since 1967, including black-and-white photographs, as well as information about the items provided by retired military staff.

Among the items was a photograph of the corpse of Argentine-born German guerrilla Haydeé Tamara Bunke (also known as Tania), killed in battle against  Bolivian soldiers. She was the only woman to fight alongside Guevara.

There is also a letter that she wrote during the insurgency to her Cuban companion Damasco Lascaille, that never made it to him; it was intercepted by the Bolivian troops surrounding the rebels.

The Bolivian military also have as a "war prize" the letters written by captured guerrilleros, such as Bolivian Antonio Dominguez Flores, who goes by the name of "León."

Flores gave out information on the movement of Che Guevara. The revealed documents include at least eight missives written by Cubans and Bolivian guerrilleros that were meant for their families, but were intercepted by the military.

Che Guevara led an armed movement in southeastern Bolivia, with the aim of establishing a socialist regime. But his intentions were cut short after his guerrilla was dismantled by the armed forces of that country.

Guevara was killed on October 9, 1967 in La Higuera, after being captured by Bolivian troops a day earlier.