In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia’s booming eastern city, the familiar Che Guevara Avenue no longer appears on official maps. Renamed Monseñor Nicolás Castellanos Avenue last November, the change reflects a deliberate effort by the center-right government of President Rodrigo Paz to downplay the presence of Guevara in national memory. As reported by El País, the street remains popularly known as Che Guevara, though the municipal authorities insist on the official designation. This renaming is part of a wider campaign to challenge the revolutionary icon’s legacy, including decorating the soldiers who captured and executed him in La Higuera in 1967.
Since the leftist Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) lost power, efforts to “de-Guevarize” Bolivia have accelerated. Public spaces and monuments bearing the revolutionary’s image have come under scrutiny, and his executioners are being publicly lauded. In La Paz last October, the Bolivian Nationalist Union held a ceremony honoring approximately 700 surviving soldiers from the 2,000-strong force that opposed Che and his 44 guerrillas, including 23 Bolivians, 16 Cubans, three Peruvians, and two Argentinians. Arturo Berazain, a 23-year-old lawyer and political activist, told El País that these ceremonies represent “the vindication of Bolivia’s history,” correcting what he sees as decades of romanticization of Guevara and neglect of Bolivian soldiers’ sacrifices.
The campaign extends beyond formal honors. In Santa Cruz de la Sierra, local veterans complain that many have received only minimal compensation and are demanding pensions along with symbolic recognition. Juan Siles, speaking at Heroes of Ñancahuazú Square—a site renamed from Litoral in 2017 and dedicated to the 50 fallen soldiers—condemned those who continue to venerate Che: “Those socialists who carry the image of Che are traitors to the homeland. We were on the side of our country.” The monument itself, erected to memorialize the fallen soldiers, stands as a direct counterpoint to the MAS-era celebration of the revolutionary.
Che Guevara’s enduring presence in Bolivia, particularly in towns like La Higuera, has long been a point of contention. The village, where the National Liberation Army (ELN) was finally defeated, still bears remnants of his campaign—busts, memorials, and hotels named after him. Inma Rosado, an 80-year-old eyewitness, told El País that the local population initially hid from the guerrillas, revealing that Che’s mission lacked genuine peasant support and was largely isolated from local social struggles. Historians agree that the failure of Guevara’s campaign stemmed from poor knowledge of the terrain, inadequate communication, and insufficient local backing, compounded by negative portrayals from the military and government of René Barrientos.
Even the revolutionary’s influence on subsequent administrations is being reevaluated. While the two governments following Barrientos adopted certain reforms—such as nationalizing oil and releasing anti-imperialists who had accompanied Guevara—Bolivia’s current leadership views the period differently. Rodrigo Paz himself has acknowledged the historical impact of Guevara but prioritizes the narrative of national soldiers and sovereignty over revolutionary romanticism. Senator Nilton Condori has publicly called for removing Che’s image from educational institutions, arguing that Bolivia’s culture and heritage should transcend political ideologies, a sentiment captured in El País’ reporting.
This campaign is emblematic of a broader cultural and political shift in Bolivia. As younger generations, particularly those aged 17 to 25, increasingly question the hero worship of Guevara, public memory is being recalibrated to honor the country’s own military history rather than international revolutionary icons. Meanwhile, monuments such as the seven-meter-high scrap metal Che in El Alto are now under scrutiny, with public debate fueled by social media and local political leaders.
