There are orders from your commander to eliminate this prisoner. The order from my government is to try to give him a life at all cost. We have helicopters and mobility to move him out of here to Panama. But the Bolivians won’t back down.

 

Che is too much of liability. They want him dead.

 

Very early, we heard the radio news that Che had been captured and that he was dead.

 

Felix is approached by Julia Cortez , the school teacher.

 

Julia Cortez came to where I was and said to me," captain,captain, why are you going to shoot him? Is this an order? We don't say that." She showed me the radio and said:" This radio has given the information that he'd already died from combat wounds." So at that point of time, I thought there was no point waiting any longer.

 

With no word from Washington and Bolivia's president demanding Che’s death, Felix decides to proceed with the execution order.

 

It was their decision, their war and he attacked their country. So it was their responsibility. I shouldn’t interfere with that. I let history continue its course.

 

Only a day after Che Guevara’s capture, the Bolivian government orders his death. News reports falsely claim he has been killed in battle. Held in a cell with the dead bodies of his comrades, Che Guevara awaits his fate. 12:30 p.m., Oct. 9th, CIA agent Felix Rodriguez entered the school house.

 

He was sitting in the bench. I stood in front of him and said: “Commander, I’m sorry. I have tried my best.” He turned white like a piece of paper, but he composed himself and said, " It's better this way, I should have never been captured alive.” And I ask him and say if I can send a message to one of your family. And then Che said: “You can tell my wife to remarry and try to be happy.”

 

Che stood up. He thought that Rodriguez was gonna kill him then and there. Rodrigues told me that he then embraced Che as a gesture to a kind of noble enemy, said goodbye and left the room. Rodriguez went out and asked for volunteers.

 

Mario Teran, a young sergeant steps forward.

 

Came to where he was because I knew he was to be a Saginser and said, "Look, don’t shoot from here up, shoot from here down because he was supposed to die from combat wound.“

 

Teran enters the cell, ready to execute the rebel leader.

 

When he sees Teran entering the room, he knows that this is the man that is going to kill him. You know, when you look into your murderer’s eyes, he knows he is about to die. When Teran came in, he said," Shoot! Coward, you are only gonna kill a man and in other words you are not going to kill my ideas." Teran fired several bursts into Che, first seemed to hit his arm. Che fell on the ground, and bit his hand hard to avoid crying out. And then Teran finished him off with another burst, something like nine bullets to enter his body. The fatal bullet entered his thorax, and he asphyxiated on his own blood.

 

The captain came down. And we all came to the room. And then Godipro said," captain, I think we have finished with the guerilla in Latin America."

 

He wasn't even put in the helicopter. He was just tied to it. I saw it with my very own eyes, he was tied on with a rope.

 

Before the helicopter leaves, a priest steps forward.

 

He gave the last benediction. He is a man who is in act with those who believe in god and he did receive the benediction of the Catholic Church.

 

Che’s body is flown to the local hospital in Viagranday. People from miles around come to view the body. One of them is local portrait photographer Rene Cadima.

 

When I went in, there were about ten soldiers guarding Che. I got on top of the washer to get a good angle. Kneeled a bit, and took one of the best pictures circulating the world, I’m told.

 

That evening, Felix meets with the top brass of the Bolivian army. One of the generals has concerned that people may not believe this is really the body of Che Guevara.