debunking as many allegations against aleida march as i can, and misconceptions about che’s relationship with her. (because im tired that you folks keep trying to pick fights with 89 year old widows.)
[side note: this isn’t specifically targeted towards anyone, i’m making a refutation of assertions that i keep seeing online (especially on places like tiktok)]
1. “aleida was misogynistic, a pick me, and constantly put other women down.”
there is no evidence to conclude that aleida march was misogynistic, in fact, contrary to this narrative, she actually worked under the fmc (federation of cuban women), was promoted to general secretary, and cooperated alongside famous feminists like vilma espin.
from her book, remembering che (2008)
there’s also no documentation of her shaming other women’s looks as well. although aleida did espouse jealous tendencies in the early years of her marriage (i will put another excerpt down below thats about her admitting and eventually letting go of her jealousy as she aged, sourced from the same book just cited), being jealous does not automatically make her a raging misogynist, it’s just a personality defect you should expect from any other flawed human being and shouldnt entirely define her character.
“It wasn’t until many years later, when we were in Tanzania, that I finally confessed my part in the secretary’s disappearance. By that time I no longer experienced such bouts of jealousy, and he would actually complain I was no longer as jealous as I had been! He didn’t realize that by then I was far more secure in our relationship.”
for the accusation of being a pick me, most of what people’s go-to reference is her brief and petty altercation with a pretty secretary assigned to che, which again, does not define her entire personality (as, shocker, human beings are not solely characterized by one facet of identity and are full of different internal contradictions). so as a counter, i would again, reference her work under the fmc and the fact she was amiable and surrounded herself with loads of female contemporaries (vilma espin, celia sanchez, haydee santamaria, etc.) with no documented incidents of intense resentment/bitterness towards them occurring. (excluding any normal friendly squabbles)
possessiveness ≠ being a pick me.
this one is going to be a bit speculative in argument, as we are basing our claims off of scraps of information. what i mean by this, is that the accusation that aleida march is racist stems from two clauses of input by jon lee anderson in his biography, che guevara: a revolutionary life, where he theatrically describes the duality of che and aleida as a love story beginning to blossom during the struggle:
“Che and Aleida made an unlikely couple. Aleida came from the faction within the Cuban revolution most despised by Che. She was from the Llano (the urban movement), she was anticommunist, and she retained many of the social prejudices she had been brought up with. Although it wasn’t a factor, things such as dress were important to her, and she shared her mother’s racial disdains.”
we can concede that yes, aleida at this period of time, had inherited and held the same racial prejudices that were widespread in people similar to her poor white cuban background (alongside other aforementioned attitudes like anticommunism, and devout protestant religiousness). however i have to note that we are judging this woman, who is still alive and kicking at 89 years old, based on values she held at 23. the main question at hand is if she still holds the same attitudes. the grace given to che for his political developments should also, with fairness, be distributed to aleida if the objective question is answered with a “no.”
first thing to note is her eventual revolutionary radicalization under che’s guidance, as detailed in her own memoir:
and also one of the rare instances of her talking about the “past influence” of her rural background
these few instances, her describing the development of her political views, the “reddening” (aka the succession of anticommunist sentiments for communist ones), and the implications of her not being influenced by her rural background anymore is indicative of a shedding of prior reactionary values, and since the racial prejudices stated above stemmed from her rural background, it’s safe to assume she also shed those as well.
furthermore, although i do not like making the argument that a person’s values reflect those of their parents; there’s strong evidence to suggest that aleidita guevara becoming an international activist for the global south, pushing anti-racism, anti-imperialism and feminism was heavily influenced by her mother. multiple interviews and articles with aleidita have shown her to incessantly reference her mother as another crucial source for the development of her revolutionary ideas and will (besides her father of-course.)
[another note: i’ve seen someone claim she also said slurs, which has no historical backing as far as i can scour.]
3. “aleida tried to get with a married man (in other words a homewrecker.)”
this statement is just the epitome of double standards unfortunately, the vindication of che from being involved in this messy love fiasco and the falling of blame to aleida is misogynistic outright. implying aleida was some malicious homewrecker is something devoid of historical evidence, as aleida herself initially saw che as a skinny older man that over time, she came to respect and admire. although the prospect of romance eventually grew, it was something she approached hesitantly. this is the antithesis of any homewrecking, malevolent attitude. if any one should point fingers, the fingers should be pointed at che for his part of pursuing.
a quote from her memoir after the decisive battle of santa clara and before hilda and che’s divorce:
as you can see, while che was confessing his love for her, aleida herself was unsure and passive in response. she was afraid of misinterpreting the conversation, especially as she saw him, at the time, as someone who was “way older” and her idea of him was divided between the duality of a respectable teacher and potential romantic lover. the latter being a far reach for her. i do not believe she was attempting to actively commit infidelity even if she was developing feelings (whether she knew or not.)
4. “che chose aleida over hilda because she was less intelligent and easily submissive.”
this alone is a very vile thing to say about someone, but that’s my personal sentiment. aleida was never described as a submissive person. she was instead someone who was profoundly critical, blunt, yet doting and loyal. that’s the reason why she kept getting squabbles with other people, che himself, and even che’s own father at one point. (aleida criticized him for lying about being the reason che was a socialist)
che guevara: a revolutionary life (1997)
moreover her daughter has repeatedly praised her mother’s strength and resolve in multiple interviews. as far as one can tell, aleida’s passionate love for che does not mean she’s docile.
tributo a camilo: entre guevaras - claridad: periodico (1997 interview, second part. aleidita describes her dynamic with che.)
aleida guevara march: en el nombre del padre, de la madre y de la revolución - fundación ummep (2018 interview)
the second claim that che wanted to get with her because her “lack of intelligence” would make her easier to subdue falls apart as we realize che encouraged aleida to continue her studies, introduced to her to a variety of literature where they would afterwards discuss the material, and heightened her political consciousness. if a man wanted a submissive unintelligent wife who was easy to walk over, why would he want to mold her into the opposite?
5. “che cheated on aleida with mamie van doren/tamara bunke.”
the alleged affair between che and mamie have their roots in mamie’s book, you thought i was dead (2026). in recollection, she states that it took place in bueno aires, 1961, culminating in a one-night stand after meeting each other at a party. however, i believe, one portion of the conversation that van doren claims happened during the party brings this all down.
“I found myself totally charmed, ‘Do you live in BA, Che?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘my home is in Cuba. I miss it terribly, but I’m not going home yet. Tomorrow, I leave for the Congo.”
there’s two things in this excerpt that rip off the credibility of the story. 1. the congo expedition was in 1965, not 1961. 2. right before this, che was, according to the story, just briefly introduced to her by a french friend. why would he reveal something as important as a covert revolutionary project to a woman he just met?
for tamara bunke, they only worked together in the same guerrilla camp for about a month, during which, che blasted her for coming into the camp in the first place. there’s no evidence to support this fictional love story other than western propaganda attempting to devalue tamara as a person, which was also debunked by someone who worked alongside her as an underground operative and tania’s mother herself, who sued western journalists for defamation.
a quote from tania: undercover for che guevara in bolivia by chaman lal - frontier weekly
“In Prologue Luis Suarez has mentioned Tania was denigrated by some intellectuals in pay roll of ruling classes in US, Europe and Latin America by describing her as ‘femme fatale’, who had ‘useless sacrifice’ for “her secret and sordid extramarital affair with Che.” She was also described as ‘Triple Agent for Cuba, East Germany and KGB of ex Soviet Union. These vilifiers described Che Guevara also as ‘seeking death’, because of his differences with Cuban leadership. All these lies have been bunked with documents being published from Cuba, putting an egg on the faces of these so-called ‘intellectuals’ and ‘writers’ holding rabid anti-communist views.”
6. “aleida gatekeeps and exploits che’s image”
when we discuss about exploitation, what type of exploitation are we talking about? is she specifically weaponizing her relationship with che to gain money and fame? as far as i know, she never wrote anything about her late husband until 2008 (when she initially released her memoir) while the che guevara studies center has hitherto no fee for admission. she barely accepts interviews and disclosed next to nothing about the contents of their relationship ever since che’s extrajudicial murder in 1967. the most we get out of it is, 1. her memoir, 2. che’s letters, 3. anecdotes from her children.
for the gatekeeping, we have to understand that aleida owes nobody anything about her husband nor the intimate moments they shared etched in her memory. her daughter has stated several times that recollecting about her time with che is excruciating for her mother. in fact, just writing her memoir alone was so painful for aleida that she had multiple breakdowns in the process of revisiting past memories.
there’s nothing insidious about this, rather the “gatekeeping” is a result of aleida’s personal internalization and avoidance as a coping mechanism and trying to paint her as someone evil for it is ridiculous.
a quote from no por ser hija del che, soy mejor o peor persona (2013 interview with aleida guevara)
“When my father died, my mother lost her first boyfriend, her first lover, the father of her children, her partner, her guide, her teacher—she lost everything. But we were left, four little pieces of meat, as my father used to say, and for them, she had to keep living. I was very young and didn’t understand anything; now I understand that what she did was put up a wall, freeze time so she could keep on living.”
another quote from the source, hija del che presenta libro del romance de sus padres (2008 interview with aleidita again)
“She recounts that when her mother ‘started recording (for the book's notes), she cried and cried; it was very difficult for her to remember, because she froze that part of her life in order to keep living,’ she says.”
in conclusion, i think you guys need to stop dogging on someone who has suffered so much without understanding or researching her and and her husband in depth. the proliferation of misinformation about aleida is just wicked and 9 times out of 10 born out of misogynistic, ignorant, and unfounded contempt.
i dont even know what compels people to say these terrible things about her so ruthlessly, maybe jealousy, maybe gullibility, whatever it is. i just know that larping as a fan of che and hating on the person he loved most, even going as far to say he didn’t care about her or only loved her because she was the perfect submissive docile wife is odd. if anything, che would feel insulted by such claims.
blakekathryn
jacobvanloon
pixelskylines
