Gold ducat Cult of personality - Che Guevara proof
Gold ducat Cult of personality - Che Guevara proof
The product can also be purchased directly in the stores of the Czech Mint
Cult of personality
The controversial figure of Che Guevara appears on the sixth gold ducat of the Czech Mint from the series entitled Cult of personality.
When a medical student named Ernesto Guevara set out for a journey to South America, he witnessed heartbreaking misery - poverty, hunger and disease. He set out from Argentina and visited Colombia, Chile, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador and Panama, where he saw incredible inequality among the people. He saw how the CIA supported a coup against a democratically elected government in Guatemala, so he formed an unwavering life view: the USA is an imperialist power that exploits Latin America and prevents its governments from creating a just society. The young scholar encouraged with leftist theories was convinced that the only solution to this injustice was a world revolution in the spirit of proletarian internationalism. In Mexico he met another Marxist revolutionary, Fidel Castro, who was preparing the overthrow of the Cuban dictator who enjoyed the support of the United States. They became loyal comrades and together they led a two-year guerrilla campaign that made Cuba an "island of freedom". Guevara acquired his nickname, Che, which can be translated as “hele“. In the new Cuban government, Che Guevara held a number of key roles - Minister of Industry, President of the National Bank, instructor of the armed forces, ambassador of Cuban socialism, but also executioner of political opponents. He was convinced that guerrilla warfare could be exported to South America, Asia and Africa, and this is what proved fatal for him. After an unsuccessful campaign in the Congo, he went to Bolivia where, after a year of pointless fighting, he was captured and executed with the help of the CIA. A disaffected dreamer, he became a martyr, an eternal inspiration, and a romantic and controversial icon…
The obverse side of the ducat, which is the work of academic sculptor Jiří Dostál, presents a characteristic portrait of Che Guevara with a beret on his head, supplemented with his name and life dates. On the reverse side, there is the revolutionary's quote „REVOLUCE MUSÍ BÝT NENÁVIST A ZABÍJENÍ“ (translated as "A REVOLUTIONARY MUST BECOME A COLD KILLING MACHINE MOTIVATED BY PURE HATE") supplemented with the Cuban flag.
An integral part of the issue is a special attachment offering an objective view of Che Guevara through the eyes of historian Pavel Kosatik.