Che’s doctrines outdated, but idea of reforming government is not

Loory: For years, we’ve seen Che Guevara’s likeness printed on T-shirts, wall posters and any kind of souvenir around the world. Che was an Argentinian who helped Fidel Castro carry out the revolution that brought Fidel to power in Cuba. The Bolivian army executed Che 40 years ago when he tried to start the same kind of revolution there. It’s safe to say that a lot of people have made money marketing the Che image. The hero of the revolution was even celebrated with bikini bathing suits carrying his likeness. But a ceremony last week at his grave at Santa Clara, Cuba, was low-key. Raul Castro, the acting president of Cuba, attended but didn’t speak. Fidel, who has not appeared in public in 14 months because of medical problems, wrote a long tribute to Che in Granma, the Cuban Communist Party newspaper. The essay was read at the service. In life, Che was a hero of the revolution that ousted the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista of Cuba in 1959. In death, he was a symbol of failed efforts by the U.S. to oust Castro from power. A lot has been made about how Che’s image has been tarnished by marketing. Is that a big problem, and how are Cubans reacting to it?