ARG 0044 2025 ZULU 23 MARCH 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: POLO SIX.

TO: EARNEST SIXSITUATION REPORT #42REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774 BOLIVIA1. AT APPROXIMATELY 1615 ZULU 23 MARCH 1967, A PATROL OF CAMIRI-BASED BOLIVIAN SOLDIERS WAS AMBUSHED APPROXIMATELY 15 KILOMETERS FROM nANCAHAZu FARM. ONE (1) KIA; THREE (3) WIA; TWO (2) MISSING.2. UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES LTCOL CUPULL MUST NOW FULLY REPORT ON HIS AND MAJOR ZAMMORO'S ACTIVITIES IN AREA.3. CUPULL'S OBSERVER ON ALGARANAZ FARM REPORTED "TANIA" AND REGIS DEBRAY PASSING AS THEY LEFT nANCAHAZu FARM.4. CUPULL BELIEVES AMBUSH WILL RESULT IN FAR GREATER BOLIVIAN ARMY REACTION AGAINST CUBANS, OVER WHICH HE WILL HAVE LESS CONTROL.G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INFTOP SECRET [ SEVENTEEN ].

TOP SECRET.

1820 GREENWICH 27 MARCH 1967FROM STATION CHIEF, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA.

TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY.

COPIES TO STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA.

MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR.

TO THE PRESIDENT,.

THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE BUILDING.

WASHINGTON1. GENERAL RENe BARRIENTOS BECAME PRESIDENT OF BOLIVIA AS OF 2815 GREENWICH 27 MARCH 1967.2. THE UNDERSIGNED CONSIDERS IT GERMANE TO REPEAT THE EXTRACT OF THE PRIVATE CONVERSATION BETWEEN BARRIENTOS AND THE UNDERSIGNED OF 24 MARCH 1967, FOLLOWING THE AMBUSH BY CUBANS OF BOLIVIAN ARMY UNIT, PREVIOUSLY FURNISHED.BEGIN QUOTEKEEP HIM ALIVE? WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS BEHEAD THE COMMUNIST (OBSCENITY) AND STICK HIS HEAD ON A POLE ON THE BOULEVARD PRADO.END QUOTE3-THE UNDERSIGNED AGAIN RECOMMENDS IN THE STRONGEST POSSIBLE TERMS THAT DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIONS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL BE MADE VIS-a-VIS U.S. GOVERNMENT POLICY RELATIVE TO ERNESTO GUEVARA.

DONALD J. MACNAMARA.

STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRESTOP SECRET.

[ EIGHTEEN ].

TOP SECRET.

EARN0225 WASH DC 1405 ZULU 29 MARCH 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: EARNEST SIX.

TO: POLO SIX.

STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES1. PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS WILL SHORTLY NAME LIEUTENANT COLONEL ANDReS SELICH, DEPUTY COMMANDER OF THE PANDO REGIMENT OF MILITARY ENGINEERS STATIONED AT VILLEGRANDE, TO OVERALL COMMAND ANTI-GUEVARAN ACTIVITIES IN BOLIVIA.2. PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS HAS REQUESTED, AND US GOVERNMENT WILL FURNISH ASAP, A SPECIAL FORCES UNIT TO TRAIN A BATTALION OF BOLIVIAN RANGERS. CAPT JOHN S. OLIVER, WHO HAS BEEN KEPT ABREAST OF ALL DEVELOPMENTS, WILL COMMAND.3. SELICH, OF YUGOSLAVIAN BACKGROUND, IS WELL KNOWN TO OUR FRIEND IN GERMANY. HE HAS AGREED WITH OUR GERMAN FRIEND THAT GUEVARA SHOULD BE KEPT ALIVE, AND WILL DO WHATEVER HE CAN IN THIS REGARD. SELICH HAS BEEN INFORMED OF ACTIVITIES OF CUPULL (OF WHICH HE WAS AWARE) AND ZAMORRO/THOMAS (OF WHICH HE WAS NOT) AND BELIEVES INFORMING BARRIENTOS AND OTHERS OF CUPULL/ZAMMORO/THOMAS ACTIVITIES WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE.4. SELICH WILL INITIATE CONTACT WITH LUNSFORD, BUT NOT, REPEAT NOT, WITH CIA STATION CHIEF LA PAZ. LUNSFORD IS AUTHORIZED RELAY BETWEEN CIA AND SELICH AND TO PROVIDE SELICH WITH WHATEVER ASSETS HE CONTROLS, TO INCLUDE USE OF THE L-23 TO TAKE GUEVARA, IF CAPTURED, TO ARGENTINA FOR FURTHER SHIPMENT.5. YOU ARE DIRECTED TO MAKE THIS ORDER KNOWN TO LIEUTENANT COLONEL CUPULL AND LIEUTENANT COLONEL RANGIO.6. DIRECTOR CIA CONCURS.SANFORD T. FELTER, COLONEL, GSCCOUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATESTOP SECRET.

[ NINETEEN ].

TOP SECRET.

1650 GREENWICH 21 APRIL 1967FROM STATION CHIEF, LA PAZ, BOLIVIA.

TO DIRECTOR, CIA, LANGLEY.

COPIES TO STATION CHIEF, BUENOS AIRES ANGENTINA.

MR SANFORD T. FELTER, COUNSELOR.

TO THE PRESIDENT, THE EXECUTIVE.

OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON1. FRENCH JOURNALIST REGIS DEBRAY WAS ARRESTED BY BOLIVIAN ARMY NEAR MUYUPAMPA EARLY LAST NIGHT.2. DEBRAY WAS IN COMPANY OF KNOWN BOLIVIAN COMMUNIST BUSTOS WHO WAS ON WANTED LIST. THEY WERE APPARENTLY TRYING TO LEAVE GUEVARAN FORCES FOR LA PAZ. DEBRAY WAS IN POSSESSION OF COUNTERFEIT IDENTIFICATION AND OTHER INCRIMINATING MATERIAL AND WILL PROBABLY BE COURT-MARTIALED.

DONALD J. MACNAMARA.

STATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRESTOP SECRET.

[ TWENTY ].

TOP SECRET.

ARG 0061 1935 ZULU 1 SEPTEMBER 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: POLO SIX.

TO: EARNEST SIXSITUATION REPORT #56REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774 BOLIVIA1. MAJOR ZAMMORO, WHO WAS PRESENT AS OBSERVER, REPORTS THAT AT APPROXIMATELY 2200 ZULU 31 AUGUST 1967 A UNIT OF BOLIVIAN EIGHTH ARMY (CAPTAIN MARIO VARGAS SALINAS) UNDER CONTROL OF LTCOL SELICH AMBUSHED A PARTY OF GUEVARAN CUBANS AT THE CONFLUENCE OF RIO GRANDE AND MASICURI RIVERS.2. FRIENDLY LOSSES NONE. GUEVARAN FORCE LOSSES SEVEN (7) KIA; FIVE (5) WIA; SIX (6) PRISONERS.3. ZAMMORO POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED CORPSES OF COMANDANTE JUAN VITALIO ACUNA, "JOAQUIN"; AND GUSTAVO DE HOED, "ALEJANDRO," FORMERLY CUBAN VICE MINISTER OF INDUSTRY.4. PRISONERS STATED THAT "TANIA" HAD BEEN WITH GROUP AND AFTER A SEARCH HER CORPSE WAS FOUND SEVERAL MILES DOWNSTREAM.5. ON BEING ADVISED OF ACTION, PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS PERSONALLY RADIOED SALINAS STATING (A) HE HAD BEEN PROMOTED TO MAJOR AND (B) THAT "TANIA" WAS TO BE PLACED IN A COFFIN AND GIVEN A CHRISTIAN BURIAL. WHEN SALINAS ADVISED THAT "TANIA" WAS KNOWN TO BE AN ATHEIST, PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS REPLIED "SO MUCH THE BETTER."G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INFTOP SECRET [ TWENTY-ONE ].

TOP SECRET.

ARG 0074 1935 ZULU 7 OCTOBER 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: POLO SIX.

TO: EARNEST SIXSITUATION REPORT #64.

REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774.

BOLIVIA1. LTCOL SELICH ADVISES TROOPS UNDER HIS CONTROL BELIEVE THEY HAVE GUEVARA AND REMNANTS OF "BOLIVIAN LIBERATION ARMY" NUMBERING LESS THAN TWENTY-FIVE (25) MORE OR LESS SURROUNDED IN CANYON NEAR LA HIGUERA ON RIO GRANDE.2. IT IS BELIEVED TROOPS ARE BOLIVIANRANGERS TRAINED BY CAPT OLIVER AND HE MAY BE PRESENT AS OBSERVER. MAJOR ZAMORRO EN ROUTE TO RELIEVE HIM IF THIS IS THE CASE.G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INFTOP SECRET [ TWENTY-TWO ].

TOP SECRET.

ARG 0075 1705 ZULU 8 OCTOBER 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: POLO SIX.

TO: EARNEST SIXSITUATION REPORT #65.

REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774.

BOLIVIA1. ZAMMORO, WHO RELIEVED OLIVER AS OBSERVER, REPORTS THAT AT 1310 LOCAL TIME 8 OCTOBER 1967, BOLIVIAN ARMY ATTACKED GUEVARAN FORCES NEAR LA HIGUERA. A FIREFIGHT ENSUED.2. AT APPROXIMATELY 1405 LOCAL TIME, SERGEANT BERNARDINO HUANCA ACCEPTED THE SURRENDER OF ERNESTO GUEVARA, WHO RAISED HIS HANDS AND STATED, "DON'T SHOOT. I AM CHE GUEVARA. I AM WORTH MORE TO YOU ALIVE THAN DEAD." ZAMORRO CONFIRMS IDENTITY OF PRISONER, WHO WAS WOUNDED IN LEFT LEG. HE WAS ARMED WITH A US CARBINE M2, WHICH HAD BEEN STRUCK BY A BULLET AND RENDERED USELESS, AND WITH A US M1911A1 .45-CALIBER PISTOL FOR WHICH HE HAD NO MAGAZINE.3. LT COLONEL SELICH HAS PERSONALLY RADIOED OFFICER NOW IN CHARGE OF GUEVARA THAT HE IS TO BE GIVEN MEDICAL TREATMENT AND NOT HARMED IN ANY WAY. SELICH NOW EN ROUTE SITE BY HELICOPTER. L-23 ON TEN-MINUTE ALERT TO TRANSPORT GUEVARA TO ARGENTINA. LTCOL RANGIO AND I WILL ACCOMPANY.G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INFTOP SECRET [ TWENTY-THREE ].

TOP SECRET.

ARG 0075 1105 ZULU 9 OCTOBER 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: POLO SIX.

TO: EARNEST SIXSITUATION REPORT #66REFERENCE US ARMY MAP SERVICE MAP 4774 BOLIVIA1. ZAMMORO REPORTS LTCOL SELICH PERSONALLY TRANSFERRED GUEVARA TO THE SCHOOL HOUSE AT LA HIGUERA LATE YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, WHERE GUEVARA IS BEING GUARDED AGAINST BOTH AN ATTEMPT, CONSIDERED UNLIKELY, TO RESCUE HIM, AND OTHER DANGERS.2. ZAMMORO AND SELICH BELIEVE THAT UNLESS HE IS DISSUADED BY HIGHEST ECHELONS OF US GOVERNMENT, BARRIENTOS WILL ORDER EXECUTION OF GUEVARA WITHIN HOURS.3. ZAMORRO STATES SUFFICIENT SPECIAL FORCES STRENGTH IN AREA WOULD PERMIT TRANSPORT OF GUEVARA FROM IMMEDIATE AREA AND INTO ARGENTINA DESPITE WISHES OF BOLIVIAN GOVERNMENT. UNDERSIGNED CONCURS. L-23 ON TEN-MINUTE CALL. REQUEST GUIDANCE.G. W. LUNSFORD, MAJ INFTOP SECRET.

[ TWENTY-FOUR ].

TOP SECRET.

EARN0250WASH DC 1420 ZULU 29 OCTOBER 1967.

VIA WHITE HOUSE SIGNAL AGENCY.

FROM: EARNEST SIX.

TO: POLO SIXSTATION CHIEF BUENOS AIRES1. REPRESENTATIONS AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL REPEAT AT THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE LEVEL WITHIN THE HOUR HAVE FAILED TO CONVINCE PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS OF WISDOM OF US POSITION VIS-a-VIS GUEVARA.2. BY DIRECTION OF THE PRESIDENT, NO US OFFICIAL REPEAT NO US OFFICIAL WILL TAKE ANY REPEAT ANY ACTION TO CONTRAVENE THE WISHES OF PRESIDENT BARRIENTOS IN THIS MATTER.3. DIRECTOR CIA IS AWARE OF THIS DECISION AND DIRECTS COMPLIANCE.

SANFORD T. FELTER, COLONEL, GSC.

COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED.

STATESTOP SECRET.

[ TWENTY-FIVE ].

The Laundry Room Nuestro Senor de Malta Hospital Vallegrande, Bolivia 1205 10 October 1967 A Bolivian sergeant, recently graduated from the Bolivian Ranger School, and wearing his new uniform, which included a green beret, not looking entirely confident about what he was doing, raised his brand-new U.S. Carbine Caliber .30 M1 and challenged the two men at the door of the laundry room. They, too, were wearing green berets, and fatigue uniforms, and almost certainly were U.S. Army Special Forces officers and instructors. He just hadn't met these two.

"Off-limits!" the sergeant announced firmly.

The one thing he had heard again and again during his training from the U.S. Green Berets was that orders were orders and had to be obeyed, even if you didn't like them, and even if following them was going to get you in trouble, which he suspected was going to be the case here.

Major Zamorro, who was sitting on a chair tilted back against the mud wall of the laundry room, looked away from the body on the table and at the door.

"It's all right, Sergeant," Major Zammoro said. "Let them pass."

"Si, senor," the sergeant said with obvious relief. the sergeant said with obvious relief.

The two U.S. Army Special Forces officers moved through the door.

"Oh, shit!" Warrant Officer Junior Grade William E. Thomas said when he saw what was there. The bearded, longhaired, barechested, barefooted body of Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, M.D., was lying on a crude stretcher laid atop a stone laundry basin.

Guevara's eyes were open and his fists were clenched. There were several entrance wounds, including one in the thorax, from which most of the blood had been wiped.

Major George Washington Lunsford turned to the man in the chair. "Who actually did it?"

Major Julio Zammoro met Lunsford's eyes for a very long moment. Then he pushed himself erect and wordlessly walked out of the laundry room. Lunsford watched him go. Then, after a final look at the body, Lunsford and Thomas followed him.

Afterword.

The remains of Ernesto "Che" Guevara were buried secretly not far from where he met his death.

In 1999, skeletal remains of a corpse buried without a coffin were determined by DNA evaluation to be those of Guevara, and were returned to Cuba.

In the first days of the millennium, speaking at the dedication of an enormous memorial to Guevara in Havana, Fidel Castro described Guevara as "Christlike."

1.

Lieutenant General Vernon Walters, USA, who spent much of his military career as an interpreter for senior military and government officials at high-level international conferences, was later Ambassador to the United Nations.

2.

A High Altitude, Low Opening parachute descent is made by exiting at a very high altitude, and falling close to the ground before deploying the canopy.