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Jocelyn Huembes
Ms.Gomez
Global Seminar
7 March 2019

Ernesto Guevara

Ernesto “Che” Guevara was born in the providence of Rosario in Argentina on June 14,

1928. Throughout his life, he was an Argentine Marxist, a physician, and a guerilla leader. As a

physician, Guevara was a specialist in treating leprosy which during this time period was a

disease that had killed many. Guevara had developed an affinity for helping the poor as he

himself grew up poor. During his early twenties, he along with his friend Alberto Granado took a

motorcycle journey throughout South America. They left Argentina on January 4, 1952, and

ended their journey in the United States. His goal throughout his journey was to reach the leper

colony in Peru which lay on the bank of the Amazon River. After this eye-opening journey he

recognized a different perspective in the leper colony, the people living there were showing more

signs of solidarity and unity between themselves than in any other place he had seen. Not only

did he notice this, but he also witnessed their struggles and this is what motivated him to go into

the political field which helped free these people.

One way that Ernesto Guevara investigated the world was through the same journey he

learned new perspectives, which is something that is most commonly true. In the journey to

study the world, one often finds new perspectives. In his journey to Peru, he visited other Latin

American countries and due to this, he realized that their cultures are interconnected. He saw that

each of the countries shared a common Latin ancestry and he envisioned a coalition or a merging

of the countries in Latin America. Due to his investigation of the countries of Latin America, he

was able to build his platform for his revolutionary ideas.

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Investigating and creating a new viewpoint is not often enough to emerge as a global

leader. This is probably something that Ernesto Guevara realized and this probably led him into

taking action. He took this action by participating in the Bay of Pigs invasion. Although he was

not a frontline soldier, he was able to command part of Cuba’s armed forces. He was a part of the

reason why America retreated from Cuba and how he helped in Cuba’s liberation. If being part

of a country’s liberation and being a commander in a war that has international effects is not

being a global leader, then I do not know what is.

However, being part of the war was not enough for Ernesto. He also decided to be sort of

diplomatic in that dispute. He also corresponded with the president of the United States of

America in a passive aggressive way but nevertheless, he was able to bring his point across. He

was not afraid to speak out against a bigger war power just to defend what he thought was right

and just.

Ernesto Guevara has motivated me to become a person who is not afraid to speak out

against injustice, to speak out over poverty, and to seek possible solutions to issues that conflict

an economy. He has motivated me to become a leader in my own community which is why i like

to be involved in leadership programs like our school’s student body which main focus is to

foster leadership skills in students. Guevara said “Let the world change you and then change the

world” I find this quote inspiring because he had to understand how life was for impoverished

people which changed his mindset on life and then he changed the world by liberation thousands

of people.