Irish Postal Stamp to Honor Che on 50th Anniversary of Death

An Irish postal company has launched a stamp in honor of Ernesto Che Guevara in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death.

ANALYSIS:
The Legacy of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara

The stamp is inspired by the iconic 1960 photograph of the revolutionary leader reinterpreted by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick and will sell for one euro.

The An Post company launched a 2017 Stamp Program that aims to celebrate various figures such as the Women’s Rugby World Cup, the Ploughing Championships and the late former Prime Minister Jack Lynch, among others, according to Joe magazine.

Che is above all remembered for his internationalism evidenced by his leading role in the Cuban Revolution.

Argentine by birth, Che was born to a middle-class family, studied to become a doctor, but soon became a revolutionary and communist after traveling through Latin America.

Che's personal witness to the plight of the campesinos, workers and poor of the region, especially in Guatemala where he witnessed the coup against the democratically-elected leftist President Jacobo Arbenz, would guide his revolutionary path.

The Argentine eventually met Fidel Castro in Mexico City. The two formed a bond and a partnership that would lead them to fight side-by-side in a guerrilla campaign to oust the U.S.-backed Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in Cuba.

Che was an enthusiastic fighter who earned the rank of commander and played an important role in the victory of the Cuban Revolution, leading a column of fighters in the pivotal battle of Santa Clara.

He served as Minister of Economics and supervised a massive land reform process on the island.

He was executed by the Bolivian military in the village of La Higuera, Bolivia, on Oct. 9, 1967, after leading a guerrilla movement in the South American country.