Cuba, Bolivia, remember ‘Che’ 50 years after death

HAVANA: A half-century after his death, Ernesto "Che" Guevara will be remembered in ceremonies next week in Cuba and in Bolivia, whose CIA-trained troops sent shockwaves around the world when they executed the Cold War revolutionary icon in 1967.

In Cuba -- where schoolchildren still begin their day with a raised fist salute and chant "Pioneers for communism, we will be like Che" -- President Raul Castro will lead a ceremony at his mausoleum in the central town of Santa Clara.

The 86-year-old Castro’s memories will be deeply personal as he fought alongside Che in the Cuban revolution led by his brother Fidel that in 1959 overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista. In Bolivia, the army will participate at a public commemoration of his death for the first time.

"We want this to be a moment of unity for the Bolivian people," said deputy coordination minister Alfredo Rada, saying the context was different from 1967, when staunch anti-communist president Rene Barrientos gave the order to execute the wounded Che.