Organized by East L.A.'s SELF HELP GRAPHICS & ART, and sponsored by KPFK/Pacifica Radio, the exhibition is actually a grand festival that will feature a showing of 60 photographic images of Ernesto Che Guevara by four prominent Cuban photographers - Liborio Noval Berbera, Guillermo Fernando Lopez Junque, Perfecto Romero Ramirez, and Sergio Luis Toca Camejo. The festival also includes the aforementioned Art Exhibition and sale of Che inspired works by local Artists. There will be Film presentations, Cuban music, Panel discussions on the life of El Che, Art workshops, Cuban food, and much more!

SELF HELP GRAPHICS is located at 3802 CESAR CHAVEZ AVENUE (East L.A.). Phone: 323-881-6444. SELF HELP also maintains a terrific website where you can find a full calendar of events for the CHE Y QUE exhibit, as well as direction for finding the gallery:

www.selfhelpgraphics.com/shgche.html

why is it that every picture Mark Vallen paints of popular revolutionary figures appears to look like him?

...seriously!!

Not only does Che have stalinist and bolshevik roots in his politics, Che was personally responsible for the murder and execution of campesinos that fought in the revolution that disagreed politically with Che.

Che ordered the execution of numerous anarchists, syndicalists and other revolutionaries that opposed the creation of the cuban dictatorship.

Che is not the glorious hero he is painted to be but a rigid authoritarian thug whose hatred for capitalists was equalled by his hatred of dissent within the ranks.

see this:

http://www.spunk.org/library/groups/acf/sp001768.html

"Apart from the drive towards militarisation in the guerrilla groups, Che also had another important duty. He acted as the main spreader of Stalinism within J26M. He secretly worked towards an alliance with the Popular Socialist Party (the Cuban Communist Party). Up to then there were very few Stalinists within J26M and other anti-Batista groups like the Directorate and the anarchists were staunchly anti-Stalinist. The communists were highly unpopular among the anti-Batista forces. They had been junior partners of the regime and had openly condemned Castro's previous attacks on Batista in 1953. They belatedly joined the guerrilla war. "

also, from Sam Dolgoff's book, "The Cuban Revolution

A Critical Perspective"

http://dwardmac.pitzer.edu/anarchist_archives/bright/dolgoff/cubanrevolution/toc.html

"These, and similar remarks scattered throughout Guevara's book, reveal a great deal about the true nature of Castro's ARMY. We emphasize the word ARMY to demonstrate that an allegedly voluntary association of dedicated idealists, in which a member who avails himself of his right to resign is called a "deserter" and shot on sight differs in no essential respect from any other traditional army of disciplined conscripts. Castro's military conduct is wholly consistent with his domineering personality. Commandante (now General) Castro and his officers, true to form, have turned Cuba itself into a MILITARY STATE."

I admire Che for his organizational abilities and theories on guerilla warfare. Che was not perfect. So what?