40 Most Revolutionary Che Guevara Quotes
René Burri (1933-2014), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Ernesto Che Guevara is the popular face behind the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s. Although some of Che Guevara quotes leave many people divided today, his influence on capitalism, imperialism, and socialism remains undeterred. He rebelled against the military leadership of the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista. He, later on, became the guerilla leader of South America and a symbol of revolutionary action in the region.
Despite the controversies, Che Guevara’s quotes resonate with many revolutionists today. They revolve around being courageous and doing everything possible to impact change where needed. They are also a reminder that sometimes the change we need is not always easy to achieve. Here is a compilation of some of the best Che Guevara quotes to inspire you.
Che Guevara Quotes Spanish
He was fluent in French and also spoke a little bit of English. However, Spanish was his main language. Here are some Che Guevara quotes in Spanish.
“Hasta la victoria siempre.”
Che Guevara
“Si ti tremble d’ignation a chaque injustice, alor, tu es un de mes camarades!”
Che Guevara
“Sé que has venido a matarme. Dispara cobarde, solo vas a matar a un hombre.”
Che Guevara
“Todos los dias la gente se arregla el cabello, por que no el corazon?”
Che Guevara
“Mo creo que seamos parientes muy cercanos, pero si usted es capaz de temblar de ingnacion cada vez que comete una injusticia el e mundo, seremos companeros, que es mas importante.”
Che Guevara
“Nuestro sacrificio es consciente, cuota para pagar la libertad que construimos.”
Che Guevara
“Es mejor morir de pie que vivir de rodillas!”
Che Guevara
“Las palabras que no coinciden con los hechos no son importantes.”
Che Guevara
“En la tierra hase falta personas que trabajen mas y critiquen menos, que construyan mas y destruyan menos, que prometan menos, y reseulvan mas.”
Che Guevara
“Deja que el mundo te cambie y tu puedes cambiar el mundo.”
Che Guevara Racist Quotes
Was Che Guevara racist? He for sure had some controversial quotes on race.
“It’s not my fault if reality is Marxist.”
Che Guevara
“A revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by hate.”
Che Guevara
“Many will call me an adventurer, and that I am…only one of a different sort: one who risks his skin to prove his truths.”
Che Guevara
“The black is indolent and a dreamer; spending his meager wage on frivolity or drink.”
Che Guevara, VIA POLITIFACT
“We’re going to do for blacks exactly what blacks did for the revolution. By which I mean: nothing.”
Che Guevara
“Mexicans are a rabble of illiterate Indians.”
Che Guevara, VIA BABALU BLOG
“The blacks, those magnificent examples of the African race who have maintained their racial purity thanks to their lack of an affinity with bathing.”
Che Guevara, VIA AMERICAS FUTURE
Che Guevara Famous Quotes
Here are some of the most memorable Che Guevara quotes.
“Words that do not match deeds are not important.”
Che Guevara
“Be realistic, demand the impossible!”
Che Guevara
“Live your life not celebrating victories, but overcoming defeats.”
“A country that does not know how to read and write is easy to deceive.”
Che Guevara
“We have no right to believe that freedom can be won without struggle.”
Che Guevara
“Until the everlasting victory.”
Che Guevara
“To accomplish much you must first lose everything.”
Che Guevara
“If you tremble with indignation at every injustice then you are a comrade of mine.”
Che Guevara
“It is a sad thing not to have friends but it is even sadder not to have enemies.”
Che Guevara
Che Guevara Love Quotes
There’s no doubt that Che Guevara was a loving, revolutionary leader. Here are some of his most iconic quotes on love.
“Every day people straighten up their hair, why not the heart?”
Che Guevara
“The true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.”
Che Guevara
“Hatred is an element of struggle; relentless hatred of the enemy that impels us over and beyond the natural limitations of man and transforms us into effective, violent, selective, and cold killing machines.”
Che Guevara
“One must endure without losing tenderness.”
“Passion is needed for any great work, and for the revolution, passion and audacity are required in big doses.”
Che Guevara
“Love is the humanity of justice and truth.”
Che Guevara
“Every day you have to fight so that love for humanity can be transformed into concrete deeds, into acts that set the examples, that mobilize.”
Che Guevara
“The only passion that guides me is from the truth. Look at everything from this point of view.”
Che Guevara
“We must struggle every day so that this love for humanity becomes a reality.”
Che Guevara
“We cannot be sure of having something to live for unless we are willing to die for it.”
Che Guevara
“The revolution is not an apple that falls when it is ripe. You have to make it fall.”
Che Guevara
“I would rather die standing up to live life on my knees.”
There’s no doubt that Che was one of the most influential people in world politics. His legacy, although filled with controversy and diverse views, still lives on many years later. If you loved reading these Che Guevara quotes, you’d also love these Malala Yousafzai quotes.
Facts about Che Guevara
Che Guevara was not Cuban, as many people believe. He was born in Rosario, Argentina, and was a descendant of a half-Irish family.
His real name was Ernest Lynch. “Che” was his childhood Irish nickname meaning ‘buddy.’ He also earned himself a nickname while in school called “Chancho”, Spanish for pig.
Che trained as a medical doctor with a focus on leprosy. While practicing in South America in 1953, he was amazed at the poverty and oppression he witnessed during his medical research. These experiences compelled him to become a revolutionary doctor and an activist.
Soon after, Che became an influential revolutionist. Apart from Cuba, he also fought in revolutions in Congo and Bolivia. After the successful Cuban Revolution, Che was named the Finance Minister.
Che was a well-travelled man. He visited many African countries such as Congo, Tanzania, Ghana, Mali and Algeria. He also visited many Asian countries too including Japan, Indonesia, China and Hong Kong.
Che was executed by an ex-Bolivian army officer. His fingers were surgically removed and used for fingerprint identification in Buenos Aires. At the time of his death, he had five children.
There’s no doubt that Che was one of the most influential people in world politics. His legacy, although filled with controversy and diverse views, still lives on many years later. If you loved reading these Che Guevara quotes, you’d also love these Malala Yousafzai quotes.