The Guatemalan Diaries Pt.1: Expectations

It was Guatemala that Che Guevara chose:

“So as to perfect himself and accomplish what may be necessary in order to become a true revolutionary.”

I find myself sitting on my fourth consecutive flight, this time to Guatemala. Who would have ever thought I would end up in Guatemala? Well, I believe that my journey from Istanbul, through London, Washington D.C., and Atlanta is worth this trip to Guatemala. To be honest, I don’t know much about Guatemala other than my mission there. I am traveling with Team PURA (Partnership for University Research Abroad), a group of five students from diverse academic backgrounds on a service-based mission to devise and implement a water sanitation and distribution system in the Tzununa community on Lake Atitlan.

I have always wanted to join a project to serve those who are less fortunate than me, and this seemed like the ideal opportunity. I think my deep-rooted altruistic spirit stems from my teenage devotion to Che Guevara. I have to admit that I went a bit over the edge with my admiration for the guy. Quite frankly, I haven’t thought much about him since I turned twenty, but this trip to Guatemala brings back many memories about Guevara’s legacy.

I was deeply moved by the Motorcycle Diaries, Guevara’s personal account of how a roadtrip across Latin America transformed him from a doctor to a revolutionary who sought justice in the name of the poor. It was in Guatemala that Guevara realized the injustice of capitalist imperialism and how corporate interests toppled a democratically elected Guatemalan government of Jacobo Arbenz Guzman. Arbenz’s land reform policies aimed at nationalizing the holdings of the United Fruit Company to redistribute it to the landless peasants, similar to Nasser’s nationalizations policies.

It was through Guatemala that Guevara became acquainted with the Cuban revolutionary cause and where he acquired his famous nickname: “Che”. Unpleased with the nationalization of its territories, the United Fruit Company with the aid of the CIA intervened, overthrew Abenz and installed dictator Carlos Castillo Armas.

Guevara’s feelings towards the coup were that “The last Latin American revolutionary democracy-that of Jacobo Arbenz-failed as a result of the cold premeditated aggression carried out by the U.S.A.” It was this event that triggered Che’s conviction that Marxism and armed struggle were the path to justice.

Now I have long abandoned Guevara’s approach to justice and have adopted a pacifist approach, but I believe my visit to Guatemala, and especially my work in the field of development, will shed some light on the dire state that led to the revolutionary transformation of his personality. I will take this trip as an opportunity to learn about this ancient Mayan civilizations, its locals, and hopefully I will be able to serve others, even if my effort has a miniscule impact.

Guevara Graces Egypt With Her Presence

Never would I have imagined that the legacy of Che Guevara would survive with such flare to this day, and especially in my homeland. Approximately one week ago, Alieda Guevara, the oldest of Che Guevara's daughters and revolutionary internationalist was received with much rave in Egypt. This wide media coverage is unprecedented for a Latin American.

What was the hype all about? Well, as trivial as this might seem, it was a mere expression of gratitude from the Egyptian masses to the legacy that Che had left to all those struggling in the Third World. Alieda follows in the footsteps of her father, who would frequently convene with Egypt's foremost revolutionary, Nasser, to conspire against imperialism. The fraternal relationship between these two revolutionaries still defines Egypt's unique reverence for Cuba's revolutionary struggle against imperialism that Che's legacy spearheads to this day. Egypt had been a revolutionary hub at the time, and its importance is marked by Che's visit to Cairo the same year as the triumph of the Cuban revolution.Alieda's visit to Egypt ends today, but her visit means something special to me. It was her words that I first laid my eyes upon when first discovering who this Che Guevara was. Curious, I purchased a copy of The Motorcycle Diaries on my way to China, knowing that my father was is also an admirer of Che. The first words I read about Che Guevara came from her pen. During my read of the preface of The Motorcycle Diaries, I was mesmerized by how she had shed light on the exemplary model Che had set for revolutionaries out there.

Although I may be a lone star in my reverence of Che, at least I know that back home I can share this revolutionary frevor with others of my generation. Che is still widely celebrated today in Egypt. The above video is one of my favorite Egyptian bands called Wust El-Balad, which means downtown or middle of the country because they are in touch with the social conditions of Egypt's masses. They are especially talented because they improvise all of their music. They usually perform in Sa2yet El Sawi, which is this really neat concert venue under a bridge in the heart of Cairo. I have been to this venue twice before, but have never had the opportunity to enjoy Wust El-Balad live. Above is honestly one of my favorite tunes; its a upbeat elegy to Che Guevara and how his legendary spirit continues to inspire.

Its always pleasures me to have an event occur that shows me that the solidarity of between the struggling people of the Middle East and Latin America and how Che Guevara's mere image is what could keep that fire burning.

Cafe Cubano: My New Sanctuary

I'm a sucker for Cuba and I admit it. Almost everything Cuban appeals to me, from the Cuban Revolution to Salsa music. Just yesterday, I discovered a tucked away cafe called Cafe Cubano. After a stroll down the Downtown, I escaped to this Cafe with my book and enjoyed a good cup of Chamomile. Of many of the cafes I'd been to, I liked this one because of the ambiance that was very simple, yet very reminiscent of my readings of Cuba. The walls were painted in vintage orange, and they had classic coffeemakers that blow steam every other minute. I literally felt as if I'd walked into Cuba. All of the sudden, the cold freezing cold of Charlottesville disappeared, and the smell of freshly roasted coffee tantalized the atmosphere.

From the framed photos on wall, I imagined myself walking down the alleys of Cuba, where the colonial remains of the Spaniards still stand. I felt very much at home in this new atmosphere. Although I spent most of my time doing reading an Arabic play for class, I truly enjoyed the refreshing cup of Chamomile while listening to Cuba's best: Buena Vista Social Club. I can't wait to bike down to Cafe Cubano for another refreshing reading session among the gallery of vintage photos of Cuba and atmosphere that truly brings Cuba and its Caribbean atmosphere to life midst the cold of Charlottesville.