Alberto Korda
Guerrillero heroico

On the early afternoon of March 4, 1960, the cargo ship "La Coubre," arriving from the port of Antwerp, docks in Havana. It is the height of the Cuban Revolution, and Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, known to friends as "Che", due to a recurring pronunciation of the adverbial phrase in dialogues, has recently been appointed to lead the National Institute for Agrarian Reform and the Ministry of Industry. There's a little anecdote about this event. During the formation of the government presided over by Fidel Castro, the latter, in search of a man with at least a minimum of technical competence in a room full of revolutionaries and fighters, asked: "Is there an economist in the room?" The "Che," sitting in the back, misheard the question, partly due to audio issues and partly because of the loud noise from the people present. He instead understood that Castro had asked if there was a communist in the room. Therefore, he raised his hand high, responding: "Here I am! It's me!" and he was given the job.

Returning to the cargo, around 15:10, while the crew was busy unloading several tons of Belgian-made ammunition, an explosion occurred. Che was at the INRA for a meeting and did not hesitate to roll up the sleeves of his camouflage to rush to the pier to help the wounded. Meanwhile, some FAR military personnel arrive to try to ensure safety, a missionary, Father McKniff, to pray for the dead, and a nurse, Gloria Azoy, to try to spare some prayers for the priest. A second explosion occurs, more powerful than the previous one. There would be approximately over 80 dead and over 200 injured. The probable perpetrator of the attack was thought to be a CIA emissary, William Morgan, although there are still lingering mysteries. The next day, Fidel Castro organizes a mourning ceremony at the Colon Cemetery, and Korda is tasked, as the official photographer, to immortalize the commemoration. An unknown individual photographs the march of the authorities toward the cemetery, giving us an image similar to the "Fourth Estate" by Pellizza da Volpedo. The atmosphere is heavy, moving, angry. Castro pounds on the pulpit and roars his war cry "Patria o muerte!" Che is more reserved, stepping back, preferring to suffer in silence. The asthma he suffers from torments him even at that moment, perhaps exacerbated by emotion. Korda sees him while he is zipping up his jacket, grabs his Leica, and presses the shutter button. Obtrusively at the sides are a statue and sharp leaves. But that gaze breaks the lens. He turns the camera vertically and shoots again, while Che tries to suppress an attack of the relentless ailment. Then he disappears. It's history.

Thus was born the most famous, printed, reproduced, exhibited, and parodied photograph on the face of the Earth. It remained unknown until Che's death and probably would have continued gathering dust if Giangiacomo Feltrinelli hadn't traveled to Havana to ask Korda for an image to print on the cover of "Diario in Bolivia." Korda gave him, as a friend, two copies, despite Feltrinelli having insisted on paying for them. The photo was beautiful, and the publisher, acquiring the rights, thought of printing it in larger sizes to plaster it across Milan on the day of the commemoration of the recent passing of the revolutionary. Korda made the biggest mistake of his life, and Feltrinelli took advantage. For this photo, he never received a nickel, apart from 50,000 dollars from a lawsuit won against Smirnoff, entirely donated to the purchase of medicines for Cuban children.

In the end, the photographer forgave the publisher, announcing, with a bit of regret, that ultimately if it weren't for him, neither he nor the photo would have achieved the glory acquired over time. Now, while that wrought iron resists the sun beating down on Plaza de la Revolucion... aquí se queda la clara, la entranable transparencia, de tu querida presencia Comandante Che Guevara... Seguiremos adelante como junto a ti seguimos y con Fidel te decimos:

!Hasta siempre, Comandante!