September 15 - The radio carries news of the arrest of Loyola. The photos must be to blame.

September 18 - The radio is now reporting two suicide attempts by Loyola "out of fear of guerrilla reprisals," and also of the arrest of several teachers who, if not directly involved, are at the very least sympathetic to us.

September 21 - It is made known that the reds have occupied Aguaditas and Palmitas.

September 22 - The guerrilla enters the town of Alto Seco where they carry out their first rally with the townspeople.

September 22 - They have seized Citanos.

"There was a battle at the Iquira mountain pass, where Ché lost equipment, one man, and a valuable collection of documents. On September 22nd the documents were exhibited in Washington by the Bolivian ambassador, who denounced Guevara's presence in his country before a forum of Latin American ambassadors convened by the OAS. This had a strange effect: almost no one believed the photographs were really of Ché, either because they had been previously convinced of his death or because the Bolivian government's truthfulness was held in very low esteem. And yet, during those same days, Guevara was falling back with a group of sixteen men before a force of fifteen hundred soldiers." pp. 216-217

September 22 - The Bolivian ambassador in Washington exhibits photographs and documents, as proof of Guevara's presence in that country. At that moment the column is made up of 22 exhausted men, and with 3000 soldiers right on their heels.

September 23 - They have seized Alto Seco.

September 24 - They have seized Río Santa Elena.

September 25 - The 4th Division Command is transferred to Vallegrande along with the Rangers' 2nd Division which arrives on the 26th.

September 26 - The vanguard of the column is ambushed near La Higuera. Coco (Roberto Peredo Leigue), Miguel (Cuban captain Manuel Hernández) and Julio (Mario Gutiérrez Ardaya) are killed.

September 26 - Higueras - Abra Picacho. The E. Galindo Company ambushes the red vanguard and kills the Cuban commander Miguel; the Bolivian Coco, second in command; and Julio, the doctor--all of them identified by prisoners captured as a result of this action. The two Bolivians, Roberto Peredo Leigue and Mario Gutiérrez Ardaya, carried documents.

"On September 26th a battle took place at Higueras. It occurred in broad daylight, forcing the guerrillas to abandon their dead, three in all, one of them the Bolivian leader, Roberto Peredo." p. 217

September 26 - I organized the defense inside the small village to wait for the survivors. I set as the escape route the road leading to Río Grande. In a few moments, Benigno arrived, wounded, followed by Aniceto and by Pablito, whose foot was in bad shape. Miguel, Coco and Julio had been killed and Camba had disappeared, leaving his knapsack behind.

September 27 - The radio is reporting that we clashed with the Galindo company, leaving three dead, whose bodies are to be transported to V.G. for identification. It seems that Camba and León have not been taken prisoner. Our losses this time are very great indeed. The one we feel most is Coco, but Miguel and Julio were magnificent fighters . . .

September 28 - León (Antonio Domíngo Flores) deserts, and Camba (Orlando Jiménez Bazán) is captured. The guerrilla is reduced to 17 men.

September 28 and 29 - León and Camba desert ranks and are taken prisoner.

Summary of the Month - The characteristics of the month are the same as those of the previous one, except that the army is now showing more effectiveness in action. In addition, the peasants are not helping us at all and are being turned into informers.

October 1 to 8 - The Rangers 2nd Division is deployed throughout the zone, searching for the enemy that remains hidden and motionless in extremely difficult terrain with many ravines covered with vegetation.

Fuentes