Viva Che

Viva Che

New Left

On an orange field, this button contains the words, “Viva Che,” in black. Representing the cult of personality Che Guevara developed internationally following his death in 1967, this button signifies the international appeal of Guevara, particularly his armed involvement in the Cuban Revolution and Bolivia campaign. Guevara embodied the image and philosophy of intellectual Marxism coupled with guerilla warfare tactics. Wearing a Che t-shirt or button, or hanging a Che poster on the wall of a bedroom or office, was meant to signify a person's own (aspired to) radicalism.

unknown

Roz Payne

Center for Digital Research in the Humanities, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

ca. late-1960s

Button

Physical Object