October 3 - The radio brought news of two prisoners: Antonio Domín-guez Flores (León) and Orlando Jiménez Bazán (Camba). The latter admits having fought against the army; the former says he turned himself in, trusting in the president's word. Both are giving abundant information about Fernando, his illness, and everything else, not to mention what they must have told them that is not being publicized. Thus ends the story of two heroic guerrillas.

October 6 - Chilean radio transmitted a censored news item to the effect that there are 1,800 men in the area searching for us.

October 7 - Today marks eleven months since our guerrilla inauguration. The day went by without complications, bucolically, until 12.30 p.m., when an old woman, tending her goats, entered the canyon where we were camped and had to be taken prisoner. The woman did not volunteered any reliable information about the soldiers, saying simply that she knew nothing, and that it had been quite a while since she had last been there . . . The army made an unusual announcement regarding the presence of 250 men in Serrano, who are there to cut off the escape of those who are surrounded, 37 in number, giving the area of our refuge as between the Acero and Oro rivers. This news item appears to be diversionary.

October 8 - The column is surrounded in the ravine of Churo; three guerrillas are lost: Antonio (Cuban Capt. Orlando Pantoja), Arturo (Cuban Lieut. René Martínez Tamayo) and Aniceto (Aniceto Reinaga). Willi (Simón Cuba Sarabia), Pacho, Chino ( Peruvian fighter Juan Pablo Chang Navarro) and Fernando (Ernesto Ché Guevara) are captured. The army suffers four dead and four wounded. Pacho is critically wounded and Chino almost blinded.

October 8 - There is a report that the enemy is located in Churo, at the junction of the Racetillo and Jaguey streams. At 11:30 hrs. they are attacked by A and B Companies; 3 are killed and 2 wounded. Ché Guevara is among the latter. Two soldiers are killed and 4 are wounded. Everyone is taken to La Higuera.

October 8 - Due to a denounciation, two Ranger units, adding up to a total of 184 soldiers, surround the ravine of Yuro; Ché and his troops are trapped at the bottom. Several minor skirmishes take place between the adversaries lying in ambush until, at 1:30 p.m., the actual battle starts. At 3:30 Guevara is wounded on a leg and an arm; another shot puts his gun out of action. The Bolivian fighter Willy, Simón Cuba, attempts to move Ché out of the siege and, being unable to do this, he remains next to his commander; the others, led by Inti Peredo, succeed in breaking through the army lines and escaping.

"On the 8th, a peasant woman notified the army that she had heard voices along the banks of the Yuro. . . . The military sent out several search patrols. Around 1:30 p.m., a burst of machine-gun fire from the rangers announced that contact with the guerrillas had been established. The Bolivian miner Simón Cuba, an excellent shot, was in the lead and firing nonstop. . . . Behind him came Ché, who also fired until several bullets got him in the legs. In a heroic display of loyalty, Cuba picked up Ché and tried to carry him on his back out of the line of fire. But another volley wounded Ché again, knocking off his beret. Cuba then propped him up on the ground and decided to keep on shooting, although he was encircled at less than ten yards' distance. All the rangers concentrated their fire on him. Ché was now in an impossible position, but he tried to put up a last stand. He leaned against a tree with one hand and operated his M2 with the other. . . . He couldn't keep it up for more than a few minutes. He was wounded again in his right leg and another bullet hit the trigger of the M2. The gun jumped out of his hand, its stock split open, and the bullet went on to pierce his right forearm. He was surrounded and taken prisoner." pp . 218-219

October 9 - The count of dead soldiers rises to 4, with 4 wounded. Dead guerrillas: Cubans: Arturo, Antonio and Pacho; Peruvians: Chino; Bolivians: Aniceto and Willi. Wounded in a leg, Ché Guevara.

October 9 - Armed Forces Communiqué: ". . . a) Ernesto Ché Guevara has been taken by our troops, seriously wounded and in full use of his mental faculties. "After the actions ceased, he was transported to the town of La Higuera --at approximately 20:00 hrs. on Sunday, October the 8-- where he passed away as a consequence of his wounds."

Fuentes