Aleida Guevara


Aleida Guevara March is the eldest daughter of four children born to Ernesto "Che" Guevara and his second wife, Aleida March.
She is a doctor of medicine, based at the William Soler Children's Hospital in Havana. She has also worked as a physician in Angola, Ecuador, and Nicaragua. She is interviewed about the philosophy behind universal health care in Michael Moore's film Sicko.
Guevara has been an advocate for human rights and debt relief for developing nations. She is the author of the book Chávez, Venezuela and the New Latin America.

Early youth

Although Aleida was only four and a half when her father left Cuba to foment revolution in the Congo, and almost 7 years old when he was executed in Bolivia, she still has fond memories of him. One such story that she has shared publicly is that her father would make up animal stories for his faraway children, stating:

Her father's influence

Guevara refers to her father Che as a source of personal inspiration. When giving speeches throughout the world, she often mentions his writings, remarking that she finds his diaries particularly helpful for their "political insights and emotional maturity". She has also stated that she finds herself occasionally exclaiming: "Caramba! If only we'd put in practice this or that suggestion we would be in a better position now." In reference to her father's widespread use as a symbol of rebellion, she has stated that when she sees a child carrying his image on a march and the child says, "I want to be like Che and fight until final victory", she feels elated.
In discussing her father's legacy, Aleida has remarked that:

Angolan medical mission

Guevara cites her time as part of a Cuban medical mission in Angola as leaving a lasting mark. She describes the impact of this experience with these words:

Current work and personal life

As of 2009, Guevara helps run two homes for disabled children in Cuba and two more for refugee children with domestic problems. As a pediatrician specializing in childhood allergies, she has also been involved in medical support for a community in the flooded area around Río Cauto in eastern Cuba, while she has announced plans to work on the Island of Youth, which was devastated by several 2008 hurricanes.
She also participates as public intellectual and activist in conferences, debates and festivals, such as the Subversive Festival from 4 May to 8 May 2013, in Zagreb, Croatia. There she was guest speaker next to other notable public thinkers like Slavoj Žižek and Tariq Ali.
She has two daughters, Estefania and Celia.