Argentina - Che Guevara Statue in Rosario
A Bronze Cast from 75000 Donated Keys Honors the South American Hero
While statues of the bearded icon were erected in Cuba, Bolivia and other countries, Argentina - his country of birth - remained silent. Until today. On June 14, 2008 a towering statue of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was inaugurated in Rosario, his hometown. A homage, cast from pieces of bronze donated by thousands of people.
Donations With a Story
On the plaza already carrying his name, you can admire the four metres tall, with a weight of almost three tons, bronze replica of 'el Che' - depicted in his combat fatigues and characteristic beret. Thousands of people donated some 75,000 pieces of bronze to Andrés Zerneri, the Argentinean sculptor of the effigy. Old candlesticks, padlocks, decorative objects and even relics were sent from all over the world - like the bronze keys of houses abandoned by Argentineans who fled the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina in the '70s.
While in the course of time their lives have returned to normal, the keys remained an important token of the past. The monument of Guevara provided them with the right opportunity to give the key a new place: it was melted and became part of the 'new' Che. Che's statue is filled with memories of its donors and thus became truly a people's statue.
The Son of Rosario
Like in the rest of the world, Che is merchandised in Argentina - he appears on billboards, t-shirts, hats, key chains, you name it. It looks like somebody in Rosario has picked up the scent of commercialising the revolutionary hero. Since a few weeks you can stay in 'Hostel Guevara', a pleasant hangout for backpackers, where you pay 25 pesos [about 8 US dollars] per night for sharing a dormitory with anywhere from four to eight people.
The location is not coincidental: the hostel is situated across a Parisian-style apartment complex, which is Che’s house of birth. From the first floor of the hostel you can see exactly from which apartment his baby cries could be heard eighty years ago. It will be only a matter of time before the apartment will be bought by a fan or entrepreneur, and will be added to the collection of Che Guevara museums that can be found around the country.
Practical Information
- Statue of Che Guevara: Plaza Ernesto 'Che' Guevara [corner of Buenos Aires St. and Bv. 27 De Febrero], Rosario
- House of birth: Entre Ríos 480, Rosario
- Hostel "Guevara'" Urquiza St. 1311, Rosario; info@hostelguevara.com;
- Museum "Casa Ernesto Che Guevara": Avellaneda St. 501, Alta Gracia [35km southwest of Córdoba]; 9am-7pm
- Museum "Ernesto 'Che' Guevara": Rioja St. 129, Buenos Aires; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri
- Che Guevara Historic museum: N. Oroño St 458, Buenos Aires; 9am-1pm Mon-Fri
Discovering Rosario
Would you like to know more about Rosario? Check out these walking tours:
