National Hero of Bolivia, General Gary Prado Salmón, Passes Away at 84

Bolivian General Gary Prado Salmón, who led the military operation that captured Cuban revolutionary Ernesto "Che" Guevara in 1967, has passed away at the age of 84. This event made him a national hero in Bolivia, where he was celebrated for having defended the military regime against a communist insurrection organized by Guevara.

At the time of the capture, Bolivia had a right-wing military government, and the US secret service agents backed the operation. The Cold War between the US and Soviet Union was at its height, and Washington was particularly concerned about communist influence in Latin America, including Guevara's activities.

Guevara had left Cuba after the triumph of the 1959 revolution there to lead guerrilla movements in other countries. He was a key ally of Cuban communist leader Fidel Castro and became a hero for communists worldwide.

Che Guevara was executed by an army officer in the Bolivian village of La Higuera a day after his arrest. Guevara's body was buried in a secret location, but in 1997, his remains were discovered, exhumed, and returned to Cuba, where he was reburied.

Last year, the Bolivian officer who shot and killed Che Guevara, Mario Terán, died. With Prado's passing, it marks the end of an era and an opportunity to reflect on the history of the Cold War and its impact on Latin America.