[1] B Dod man Luce lent a hand to epain the road, al. EFORE THE DAY HAD CLEARED completely, we left in Old man Lucas lent a hand to repair the road, but despite everything, it remained quite abrupt and slippery. The vanguard left in the morning and we left at noon, spending all afternoon going up and down the ravine. We had to stay and sleep in the first chaco and were separated from the vanguard who had gone ahead. There were three boys by the family name of Yepez, exceedingly shy. Barrientos held a press conference in which he admitted my presence here, but predicted that within a few days we would be wiped out. He made the usual string of stupid we have made an attempt through Paulino, which may be intended to punish Debray. h = 1550 ms.
We detained a peasant called Andres Coca, whom we statements, calling us rats and vipers, and repeated that h along with us.
[2] IN THE MORNING we joined the vanguard which had camped on the hill at the house of Don Nicomedes Arteaga, where there is an orange grove. They sold cigarettes to us. The main house is farther down the Piojera River and we went there, eating sumptuously. The Piojera River runs through a very narrow and steep canyon and it is necessary to travel downstream on foot in the direction of the Angostura; the way out is towards the Junta, another point on the same river, which cuts through a rather high hill. It is important because it is a junction. This place is 950 meters high and is much, more temperate; here the garapatilla is exchanged for marigui. The settlement is comprised of the residences of Arteaga and his children. They have a small coffee plantation where people from nearby places come to work on a share basis. Now there are about six farm hands from the San Juan zone.
Pombo's leg is not healing fast enough, which is probably due to the endless trips on horseback, but he has no complications nor are they feared any longer.
[3] WE REMAINED THERE ALL DAY, trying to give Pombo's leg a chance to rest. High prices are being offered to make purchases, and this causes the peasants to mix fear with interest and to get the things for us. I took some pictures and this aroused their interest. Let's see how we get them developed, enlarged and delivered to them: three problems. An airplane flew over in the afternoon, and at night somebody talked of the danger of night bombardments, but everybody went out anyhow when we stopped them and explained that there was no danger. My asthma keeps bothering me.
[6] WE WENT OUT EARLY in the direction of Peña Colorada, field where we had been well-received by a man the last time we were there-which is one league away from Ramon's house. Fear continues to run rampant among the people; the man sold us a pig and was amiable, but warned us that there were 200 men in Los Ajos and that his brother had just arrived from San Jua. and had announced that there were 100 soldiers there. I wanted to pull some of his teeth but he didn't want me to. My asthma is getting worse.
[8] WE WALKED CAUTIOUSLY from the house where the cane was, to River Piojera and the way was clear. There weren't even rumors about soldiers, and the people coming from San Juan denied that there had been any there either. It seems to have been a trick on the part of the man to make us go. We walked about two leagues along the river to El Pavo and another league from there to the cave, where we arrived when night was falling. We are near El Filo.
I injected myself several times in order to be able to go on, ending up using a 1:900 adrenalin solution prepared for collyrium. If Paulino has not fulfilled his mission, we Will have to return to the Nacahuasu to get medicine for my asthma.
The army issued the dispatch about the action, acknowledging one dead which must have resulted from the shooting when Ricardo, Coco and Pacho took the small military post.
[9] ON LEAving, we lost our way and we spent the morning looking for it. At noon we followed a path which was not very clear and which took us to the highest altitude reached up to now, 1840 meters. Shortly afterwards, we arrived at a tapera where we spent the night. There is no certainty about the road to El Filo.
The radio gave out news of a 14 point agreement between the workers of Catavi and Siglo XX and the Comibol Enterprise; this means total defeat for the workers.
WE LEFT LATE because a horse had been lost which later appeared. We passed by the highest altitude of 1900 meters by way of a seldom-used road. At 15:30 a tapera was reached where we decided to pass the night, but we had a disagreeable surprise when we learned that the roads were ending. An exploration of unused trails was made but they led nowhere. In front there are some chacos, which could The radio gave out news of a clash with guerrillas in the zone of El Dorado, which does not appear on the map and is located between Sumaipata and Rio Grande; they acknowledged one wounded and claimed that we have two On the other hand, the statements by Debray and Pelao are not good; especially in that they have made a confession about the intercontinental purpose of the guerrilla, something they did not have to do. lieutenant in El Filo from his colleague in Pampa, where there are 30 soldiers. We decided to change course and entered the road to Florida, pitching camp a while later.
The PRA and the PSB withdrew from the Revolutionary Front, and the peasants warned Barrientos of an alliance With Falange. The government is disintegrating rapidly; it is too bad that we do not have 100 more men at this moment.
[15] WE WALKED ONLY A LITTLE due to the bad road, abandoned many years ago. On the advice of Aurelio, we killed one of the mayor's cows, eating sumptuously. My asthma is somewhat better.
Barrientos announced the Operation Cintia to wipe us out in a few hours WE STARTED MARCHING very slowly, due to the intensive work of cutting the underbrush, and the animals suffered greatly due to the bad conditions of the road. We came to the end of our journey without any major incident, reaching a canyon where it is impossible to continue with the loaded horses. Miguel and four men from the vanguard went on ahead and slept apart.
There was no news on the radio worth of attention. We reached an altitude of 1600 meters near Duran Peak, which was on our left.
[17] WE KEPT ON WALKING but slowly because the trail was difficult to follow. We had hoped to arrive at an orange grove which the guide had pointed out, but when we did, we found the trees were dry. There is a pond which was suitable for camping. We didn't march more than three hours effectively. It looks like we shall end up on the road we used to reach Piray. We are beside El Duran. h= 1560 ms.
AFTER ONE HOUr on the road, the guide lost the route and said that he didn't know any more. At last an old trail was found and, while it was being opened, Miguel followed it, cutting through the thicket, and he reached the crossing of the road to Piray. On arriving at a creek where we camped, the three peasants and the little soldier were released, after I gave them a lecture. Coco went out with Pablito and Pacho to find out whether Paulino had left anything in the hole; they should come back tomorrow night if everything goes well. The little soldier says he. is going to desert. h= 1300 ms.
[19]
sing of troops, and they have also left their tracks in the part of the road where we are.
The political news is about a tremendous crisis, the outcome of which cannot be predicted. In the meantime, the agricultural unions of Cochabamba have formed a political party "of Christian inspiration" which supports Barrientos who has asked to be "allowed to govern for four years." It is almost an imploration. Siles Salinas threatens the opposition by saying that our rise to power will cost the heads of everyone and clamors for national unity, placing the country in a state of war. He seems to be imploring on one side and demagogical on the other; perhaps he is preparing for a substitution.
[20] WE WALKED CAUTIOUSLY until reaching the first of two little houses where one of the Paniagua boys and Paulino's son-in-law were found. They did not know anything about him, except that the army was looking for him because he had been our guide. The footprints correspond to a group of 100 men who had passed a week after we did and who continued on to Florida. It seems that the army suffend losses of three dead and two wounded in the ambush. Coco, with Camba, Leon and Julio were ordered to explore Florida and buy whatever they could find.
They came back at four with some food and a man called Melgar, the owner of two of our horses, who has offered to be of service to us. He brought detailed and quite certain information from which the following could be deducted: four days after our departure Tuma's corpse was discovered, eaten by the animals; the army advanced only the day after the combat and after the appearance of the naked lieutenant. The action of Sumaipata is known in minute detail and with a few things added and is cause for mockery by the peasants; they found Tuma's pipe and a few scattered belongings; a major called Soperna seemed to sympathize with us or to be an admirer; the army reached the house of Coca where Tuma had died and from there went on to Tejeria, returning to Florida. Coco considered using the man to carry the letter, but it seemed more prudent to me to test him first by sending him to purchase some medicine. Megar talked to us about a group that is coming here, in which there is a woman, having learned this in a letter from the mayor of Rio Grande written to the one here. As the man is on his way to Florida, we sent Inti, Coco and Julio to interview him. He denied having news of another group but in general confirmed the state ments of the other one. We passed a miserable night beca of the water. The radio gave the news of t of the corpse of the dead poerrilla as t but Ovando, in a pre respect to this and blamed the identification on the Ministry of Interior. The possibility exists that the whole thing is a farce or the supposed identification invented. h = 680 ms.
[21] WE SPENT A CALM DAY. A conversation was held with the old man Coca about a cow that he had sold us which was not his, and then he later said that he had not been paid for it. Shortly after that, he emphatically denied the fact. We told him that he had to pay for it.
At night we went to Tejeria, buying a big pig and chancaca. Inti, Benigno and Aniceto, who are the ones who went there, were received very well.
[22] WE LEFT EARLY, with a heavy load on the men and the animals, with the intention of misleading everybody about our presence here. We left the road that leads to Moroco and took the one to the lagoon, one or two kilometers to to the south. Unfortunately, we did not know the rest of the way, and we had to send out explorers. In the meantime, Mancilla and the Paniagua boy appeared near the lagoon herding cattle. They were warned not to say anything but now things are very different. We walked a couple of hours sleeping by the edge of a creek which has a trail due southeast, following its course and others less noticeable to the south.
The radio brings the news that the wife of Bustos (Pelao) confirms that he saw me here, but she says he came with other intentions. h = 640 ms.
[23] WE STAYED IN THE SAME CAMP While explorations of the two possible trails were being made. One of them leads to the Rio Seco, at a point where the waters of the Piray pour into it and have not yet been absorbed by the sand; that is, between the ambush we set and Florida. The other one leads to a tapera some two to three hours away and, according to Miguel, who made the exploration, it is possible to come out at the Rosita from there. Tomorrow we shall take that trail, which could be one of Melgar's, according to the stories that he told Coco and Julio.
[24] WE WALKED ABOUT THREE HOURS following the explored trail, which made us go over heights of 1000 meters, camping at 940 meters alono the chare fast me end here. The whole day tomorrow must be spent looking for the best way out. Here there is a series of chacos in production which show their relation to Florida; it could be the place called Canalones. We are trying to decipher a long message from Manila. Raul talked at the graduation of officers of the Maximo Gomez School and, among other things, he refuted the qualifications made by the Czechs in my message on many Vietnams. The friends call me a new Bakunin, regretting the blood spilled and that to be spilled in case of three or four Vietnams.
[25] WE SPENT THE DAY RESTING, sending three pairs to explore different points with Coco, Benigno and Miguel in charge.
Coco and Benigno came out at the same place, and from there it is possible to take the road to Moroco. Miguel reported with absolute certainty that the creek flows into the Rosita, and that it is possible to walk along it opening the trail with a machete.
Two actions are reported, one in Taperas and another one in San Juan del Potrero, which could not have been carried out by the same group, and the unknown factor emerges as to whether it really happened and, if it did, whether the facts are true.
[26] BENIGNO, CAMBA AND UrBANo were commissioned to build a road by the creek that bypasses Moroco. The rest of the personnel stayed in the camp, and the center set an ambush in the rear. Nothing happened. The news of the action in San Juan del Potrero was spread in detail by the foreign radio broadcasts; the capture of 15 soldiers and one colonel, spoils and liberty- —our technique. That point is on the other side of the Cochabamba-Santa Cruz back road. At night I gave a short talk on the meaning of the 26th of July; rebellion against oligarchies and revolutionary dogmas.
Fidel mentioned Bolivia.
127] WE HAD EVERYTHING ready to leave, and the men in ambush had received the order to set it automatically at 11, when Willie arrived-—just a few minutes before that timeoced that the army was there. Willie, Ricardo, and Eust and carried This in how it happened: top, walked toward the south, followed an old path and returned shooting some mortar shells and signaling with a piece of cloth. Once, the name Melgar was called out; he could be the one from Florida. After resting awhile, the eight little soldiers started the march toward the ambush. Only four fell into it, for the rest were walking slowly; there are three dead for sure and probably a fourth who, if not dead, is wounded. We withdrew without taking their arms and equipment, because it was very difficult, and we took off down the creek. A new ambush was set past the fork of another ravine; the horses advanced as far as the road. My asthma was hard on me and those miserable sedatives are almost used up. h = 800 ms.
[28] CoCO, TOGETHER WITH PACHO, Raul, and Aniceto were sent to stand guard at the outlet of the river which we believe to be the Suspiro. We walked for a while, opening a trail through a rather closed-in canyon. We camped apart from the vanguard, because Miguel had advanced too fast for the horses, which sank into the sand or suffered because of the stones. h = 760 ms.
[29] WE CONTINUED WALKING through a canyon which goes to the south and has good hiding places at the side and is in a zone with plenty of water. At approximately 16 hours, we met Pablito, who told us that we were at the outlet of the Suspiro, but there was nothing new. I thought for a while that the canyon was not that of the Suspiro, because it runs due south, but on its last turn it runs to the west and flows into the Rosita.
At approximately 16:30 the rearguard arrived and I decided to continue traveling to move away from the outlet. But I didn't allow myself to insist that the men make the necessary effort to reach beyond Paulino's chaco. We made camp on the border of the road, a one-hour march from the outlet of the Suspiro. At night I asked Chino to refer to the independence of his country, the 28th of July, and then explained why this camp was badly located, and gave the order to rise at 5 to take Paulino's chaco.
Radio Habaña gave the news of an ambush where some numbers of the army fell and were rescued by helicopters, but this report was not heard well.
[30] MY ASTHMA BOTHERED ME a lot and I was kept awake all night. At 4:30, when Moro was making coffee, he said he could see a beam of light coming across the river. Therefore, he and Miguel, who was also awake for the change of watch, went to arrest whoever was coming. I heard the "Listen, who goes there?"
"Destacamento Trinidad."
Right then the shooting began and a moment later Miguel brought back an M-1 and a cartridge belt of one of the wounded together with the news that there were 21 men on the way to Abapo and another 150 in Moroco. Other Losses were inflicted on them, but they could not be well-defined because of the prevailing confusion. It took a long time to load the horses, and the black one was lost along with an ax and a mortar which had been taken away from the enemy. It was already near 6 and still more time was lost when part of the load fell off. The final result was that the last crossing was made under fire from the little soldiers who had become bold. Paulino's sister was in her chaco and she received us calmly, informing us that all the men in Moroco had been arrested and were in La Paz.
I hurried up the men and we left with Pombo, again under fire, for resistance could be organized at the river canyon where the road ends. I sent Miguel, together with Coco and Julio to take a forward position while I spurred on the cavalry. To protect the withdrawal, seven men left from the vanguard, four from the rearguard and Ri cardo, who fell behind to reinforce the defense. Benigno with Dario, Pablo and Camba were on the right side; the rest, in the first acceptable position, when Camba arrived rest were coming on the left. I had just given the order to with the news that Ricardo and Aniceto had fallen crossing the river; I sent Urbano with Nato and Leon with two horses and sent for Miguel and Julio, leaving Coco as forward watch. They got through without receiving instructions from me.
In a while Camba again came with the news that they had surprised them, together with Miguel and Julio, and that the soldiers had advanced a great deal, and that the former had moved back and waited for instructions. I sent Camba to him again plus Eustaquio and only Inti, Pombo, Chino and I remained. At 13 hours I sent for Miguel, leaving Julio as forward watch, and I withdrew with the group of men and the horses. When I was reaching the height of Coco's post they reached us with the news that all the survivors had appeared; Raul was dead and Ricardo and Pacho wounded.
Things happened this way: Ricardo and Aniceto crossed imprudently through open space, the former being wounded.
Antonio organized a firing line and Arturo, Aniceto and Pacho rescued him, but Pacho was wounded and they killed Raul with a shot in the mouth. The withdrawal was made with great difficulty, dragging the two wounded, with little help on the part of Willie and Chapaco, especially the latter. Then Urbano joined them and his group with the horses and Benigno with his men, leaving the other wing through which they advanced ungarrisoned, surprising Miguel. After a strenuous march through the woods, they came out on the river and joined us.
Pacho was coming on horseback, but Ricardo could not ride, and they had to carry him in a hammock. I sent Miguel, with Pablito, Dario, Coco and Aniceto to take the outlet of the first creek, on the right edge, while we cured the wounded. Pacho has a superficial wound that pierces the buttocks and the skin of the testicles, but Ricardo was very seriously wounded, and the last plasma was lost along with Willie's knapsack. At 22:00 Ricardo died, and we buried him near the river in a well-hidden place so the soldiers cannot locate him:
[31] AT 4, WE LEFT by the river and, after taking a short cut. we moved down-river without leaving any traces. We reached the creek by morning where Miguel was ambushed. He had not understood the order and had left tracks. We walked up-river some four kilometers and entered the woods. erasing our footprints, and camped near a tributary of the creek.
At night I explained the mistakes of the action: 1) The camp was badly located; 2) the wrong use of time which allowed them to shoot at us; 3) excess confidence which caused the wounding of Ricardo and then Raul while rescuing him; 4) lack of determination to save all the impedimenta: 11 knapsacks were lost with medication, binoculars, some confliction equipment like the tape recorder where messages from Manila are copied, Debray's book with my own notes and a book of Trotsky, not to mention the political fortune which the capture means for the government and the confidence it instills in the soldiers We calculated two dead and up to five wounded among them, but there are two contradictory news items: one of the army, acknowledging four dead and four wounded on the 28th, and another from Chile which talks about six wounded and three dead on the 30th. The army gave another dispatch later wherein it announced that a corpse had been taken and that a second lieutenant was out of danger. Of our dead, it is difficult to catalog Raul due to his introspection: he was not much of a fighter or worker, but it was observed that he was constantly interested in political problems, even though he did not ask many ques tions. Ricardo was the most undisciplined of the Cuban group and the one with the least determination to face everyday sacrifice, but he was an extraordinary fighter and an old comrade in adventures from the first failure of Segundo, in the Congo and now here. It is another regrettable loss due to his quality. We are 22; two wounded Pacho, Pombo, and I with my asthma at full steam. MONTHLY ANALYSIs: The negative points, the same as the previous months, continue to be: ie., the impossibility of
modality: We have had three including the taking of Semaipata, causing the army seven dead and ten wounded, which are approximate figures according to confused dispatches.
We lost two men and one was wounded.
The most important characteristics are:
I) The total lack of contact continues.
2) The lack of incorporation of the peasants continues to be feit, although there are some encouraging signs in the reception given to us by old peasant acquaintances.
3) The legend of the guerrilla is acquiring continental dimensions; Ongania closes the border and Peru takes precautions.
4) Failure in the attempt to make contacts through Paulino.
5) The morale and the fighting experience of the guerrilla increase with each combat; Camba and Chapaco remain weak.
6) The army keeps on without making head or tail of the situation, but there are units which seem to be more combative.
7) The political crisis in the government increases, but the U.S.A. is giving small credits which are a great help on the Bolivian level and contribute to ease the discontent.
The most urgent tasks are: to reestablish the contacts, incorporate fighters and obtain medicine.
QUIET DAY, Miguel and Camba started the trail but difficulties of the terrain and the vegetation. We killed a sly colt which should give us meat for five to six days. The small trenches to set an ambush were built in case the army should come around. If they should come tomorrow or the day after, the idea is to let them go by; if they don't discover the camp, to shoot them later on. h = 650 ms.
[2] THE TRAIL SEEMS TO HAVE ADVANCED well thanks to Benigno and Pablo who have followed it. It took them almost two hours to come back and reach the camp from the end of the road. They haven't given any news about us on the radio, since they announced the transfer of the corpse of an "anti-social one." My asthma struck me very hard and I have already used up the last anti-asthmatic injection; there is nothing left but tablets for about ten days.
THE ROAD TURNED OUT to be a fiasco; Miguel and Urbano took 57 minutes to return today; they advanced very slowly. There is no news. Pacho is recovering very well, but 1, on the contrary, am ill. The day and the night were hard on me and a quick recovery is nowhere in sight. I tried the intravenous injection of novocaine to no avail.
[4.
THE MEN CAME TO A CANYON which takes a course due southwest and may flow into the creeks which go into the Rio Grande. Tomorrow two pairs will cut the underbrush and Miguel will climb our canyon to explore what seems to be old chacos. My asthma has improved some.
[5] BENIGNO, CAMBA, URBANO AND Leon divided themselves into pairs to make better progress, but they came to a creek that flows into the Rosita and so today continued crosscountry. Miguel went to explore the chaco but did not find it. We finished the horsemeat; tomorrow we shall try fishing, and the day after tomorrow we shall slaughter another animal. Tomorrow we will go as far as the new watering place. My asthma was implacable. Despite my reluctance for separation, I will have to send a group in advance. Benigno and Julio offered to be volunteers. Nato's position needs to be examined.
[6] THE TRANSFER OF THE CAMP was made; unfortunately there were not three hours on the road but one; which shows that we still have far to go. Benigno, Urbano, Camba and Leon continued breaking through, while Miguel and Aniceto went out to explore the new creek as far as its junction with the Rosita. By night they had not returned, and therefore precautions were taken, more so because I had heard something like a faraway mortar shot. Inti, Chapaco and I said a few words referring to today. Bolivian Independence Day. h - 720 ms.
17] AT 11 IN THE MORNING 1 had given up Miguel and Aniceto for lost, having ordered Benigno to advance cautiously as far as the outiet into the Rosita and study the direction they took, if they had gone that far. However at 13 the missing aimed in the same place, other creck, and tomorrow we shall move to it. Today our old horse Anselmo died. Now the only one we have left is our horse of burden. My asthma continues the same, and I am running out of medicine. Tomorrow I shall make a decision to send a group to the Nacahuasu. Today marks exactly nine months since our arrival and the constitution of the guerrilla. Out of the first six, two are dead, one has disappeared and two are wounded; I have asthma which I do not know how to stop.
[8] WE WALKED EFFECTIVELY something like an hour, which seemed more like two to me due to the weariness of the little mare. In a moment of temper, I struck her in the neck with a whip, wounding her badly. The new camp must be the last one with water until the arrival at the Rosita or the Rio Grande; the macheteros are 40 minutes from here (two to three kilometers). A group of eight men were assigned to fulfill the following mission: they are to leave here tomorrow to walk all day long; the next day Camba should return with the news about whatever has happened; on the day after. Pablito and Dario should return with the news of that day. The remaining five will keep on until they reach Vargas' house and from there Coco and Aniceto should return. with the news about how things are. Benigno, Julio and Nato will go as far as the Nacahuasu to look for my medicine. They should move with great care to avoid ambushes; we shall follow them and the points of meeting will be: the house of Vargas or further up, according to our speed, and the creek that is facing the cave in the Rio Grande, the Masicuri (Honorato) or the Nacahuasu. The army announced that they have discovered a deposit of arms in one of our camps.
At night I brought everybody together and gave them the following lecture: we are in a difficult situation; Pacho has gotten better today but I am just a human carcass, and the episode of the little mare proves that at some moments I have lost control; that will be modified, but the situation must weigh squarely on everybody and whoever does not feel capable of sustaining it should say so.
It is one of those moments when great decisions must be taken; this type of struggle gives us the opportunity not, only to turn ourselves into revolutionaries, the highest level of the human species, but it also allows us to graduate as men; those who cannot reach either one of these two stages should say so and leave the struggle.
All of the Cubans and some of the Bolivians expressed their desire to continue to the end; Eustaquio did the same but also criticized Muganga because he carried his kna,sack on the mule instead of wood for fuel which provoked an angry reply from the latter; Julio chastized Moro and Pacho use of similar things and there was a new cussion by saying that there were two things being debated here of very different categories: one was whether the will to continue exists or not; the other deals with little grudges or internal problems of the guerrilla which wrests greatness from such a major decision. I did not like the questions raised by Eustaquio and Julio, but neither did I like the answers of Moro and Pacho. The essence is to be more revolutionary and set the example.
[9] THE EIGHT EXPLORERS LEFT in the morning. The macheteros, Miguel, Urbano and Leon continued some 50 minutes more away from the camp. They opened an anthrax in my heel, which permits me to set my foot on the ground, but it is still very painful and feverish. Pacho is very well.
[10] ANTONIO AND CHaPaco went out to hunt and caught an urina or guaso and a turkey; they explored the first camp where there was nothing new but brought a load of oranges. I ate two and immediately I had a slight asthmatic reaction. At 13:30 Camba arrived, one of the eight, with the following news: yesterday they slept without water and they continued until 9 today, still without finding any. Benigno had already explored the place and he was continuing towards the Rosita to obtain water. Pablo and Dario are to return only in case they reach the water.
There was a long speech by Fidel in which he assails the, traditional parties, and, above all, the Venezuelan; it seems that the quarrel behind the scenes was great.
They again cured my foot. I'm improving, but I am not well. Notwithstanding that, tomorrow we must depart to bring our base closer to the macheteros who advanced only 35 minutes today.
[11] THE MACHETEROS ADVANCED VERY SLOWLY. At 16 hours Pablo and Dario arrived with a note from Benigno in which he announced that he is near the Rosita, and he figures that it is three days more to Vargas house. At 8:15 Pablito left the watering place where they spent the night and at approximately 15 he met Miguel, so they still have a long way to go before reaching the place. It seems that the turkey did not agree with me, for I had a slight asthmatic reaction, and so I made a present of it to Pacho. We changed camps in order to locate ourselves in a new creek that disappears Stained hat it is not A GRAY DAY. The macheteros advanced a little. Here, there was nothing new and neither was there much food; tomorrow we shall kill another horse which should last six days. My asthma is not so bad. Barrientos announced the decline of the guerrillas and again threatened with an intervention in Cuba; he was as stupid as he always is.
The radio announced a combat near Monteagudo, resulting in one dead on our part: Antonio Fernandez, of Tarata. It sounds like the real name of Pedro, who is from Tarata.
[13] MIGUEL, URBANA, LEON AND CAMBA left in order to camp at the watering place discovered by Benigno and to advance from there. They took with them chunks of Pacho's horse slaughtered today, enough to last them about three days. Four animals are left and everything seems to indicate that it will be necessary to kill another one before suppertime. If all goes well, Coco and Aniceto should arrive here tomorrow. Arturo hunted two turkeys which were given to me because there is hardly any corn left Chapaco keeps showing more signs of becoming unbalanced. Pacho improves at a good rate, but my asthma has become worse since yesterday; now I take three tablets a day. My foot is almost well.
[14] A BLACK DAY. It was gray as to the activities and there was nothing new, but at night the radio announcer gave reports about the taking of the cave which our messengers were to go to, with details so precise that it is not possible to doubt it. Now I am doomed to suffer asthma for an indefinite time. They also took all types of documents and photographs of every type. It is the hardest blow they have ever given us; somebody talked. Who? That is what we don't know.
[15] EARLY IN THE MORNING, I sent Pablito with a message to Miguel that he should take two men to fetch Benigno, provided Coco and Aniceto had not arrived, but he met them on the road and so the three came back. Miguel sent word that he would stay where the night overtook him and asked for some water. Dario was sent with the warning that early tomorrow we should by all means leave, but he came across Leon coming to tell us that the road was completed.
A radio broadcasting station in Santa Cruz mentioned that two men from the Muyupampa group were taken no doubt remains that this is NOW of that not have a bad night; another abscess in the same foot must be cut open. Pacho already has been declared cured.
Another clash in Chuyuyako was announced, without any losses on the army's side.
[16] WE WALKED ON A RELATIVELY GOOD ROAD for 3.40 hours and then rested for another hour. My mule neatly threw me off my saddle after being hurt by a stick, but nothing happened to me. My foot is getting better. Miguel, Urbano and Camba continued using the machetes and reached the Rosita. Today was the day on which Benigno and his comrades should have reached the cave and the airplanes flew over the zone several times. It could be due to some evidence they had left near Vargas or to a troop coming down the Rosita or advancing along the Rio Grande. At night I warned the people about the danger of the crossing and we took the necessary precautions for tomorrow. h = 600 ms.
[17] WE LEFT EARLY REACHING the Rosita at 9. There Coco thought he heard a couple of shots and an ambush was set, but nothing happened. The rest of the way was slow because of being continuously lost due to misinterpretations, and on reaching the Rio Grande at 16:30 we camped there i thought we should take advantage of the moon, but the inen were very tired. We have enough rationed horsemeat for two days and I have mote for one. We will have to do some slaughtering, the way it looks. The radio announced that it would present documents and proof of the four caves of the Nacahuasu, which indicates that the monkey cave was also found. My asthma is treating me rather well, considering the circumstances. h = 640 ms. (illogical, if it is taken into account that yesterday it was 600).
[18] WE LEFT EARLIER than usual, but we had to ford the creek four times, one of them being rather deep, and also had to open trails in some places. Because of all this we arrived at the creek at 14 hours and the men were dead tired. There was no more activity. There are clouds of nibariguisis in the zone and the nights are still cold. Inti told me that Camba wants to leave: according to him, his physical cona cat keep on, and besides he does
Chapaco h = 680 ms.
[19] MIGUEL, Coco, INTI AND AnIcero went out to explore to try to find a better road to Vargas' house where we think there is a detachment, but there was nothing new, and it looks like we must follow the old trail. Arturo and Chapaco went out hunting and got an urina and Arturo, while standing watch with Urbano, shot an elk and this created tension in camp because seven shots were fired. The animal will provide meat for four days, and the urina for another, and there is a reserve of beans and sardines; in all, food for six days. It looks like the white horse that is the next on the list, has an opportunity to be saved. I talked with Camba, telling him that he could not leave until after we take our next step which is the meeting with Joaquin. Chapaco said that he would not leave because that is cowardice, but that he wants some hope of being able to leave after six months or one year, and so I gave it to him. He talked about a series of unconnected things. He is not well.
The news is all about Debray. There is nothing said about the others. No news from Benigno; he could be here already.
[20] THE MACHETEROS, MIGUEL AND URBANO, and my "public works department," Willy and Dario, advanced only a little and because of this we resolved to stay right here another day. Coco and Inti had no luck, but Chapaco hunted a monkey and an urina. I ate urina and at midnight I had a strong attack of asthma. El Medico continues to be sick, apparently with lumbago, and his condition has turned him into an invalid. There is no news from Benigno, and as of now there is reason to be worried.
The radio announces the presence of guerrillas 85 kilometers from Sucre.
[21] ANOTHER DAY IN THE SAME PLACE and another day without news from Benigno and his comrades. Five monkeys were shot by Eustaquio and one by Moro. The latter's lumbago is still bad, and he was injected with meperidina. My asthma doesn't get along with the urina.
[22] FINALLY WE MovED, Hit before that because a man was seen who apparently was fleeing along the beach; it turned out to be Urbano, lost. I gave local anesthesia to El Medico, and with this he could travel on the mare, although he arrived in pain. He seems a little better. Picho made the trip on foot. We made camp on the right hand side, and only a little more clearing has to be done to prepare the way to Vargas' house. There is elk meat left for tomorrow and the day after, but from tomorrow on hunting won't be possible. There is no news from Benigno; it's been ten days since they separated from Coco. h = 580 ms.
123] THE DAY WAS VERY LABORIOUS, for a very bad cliff had to be skirted; the white horse refused to go ahead and they left him sunk in the mud without even taking advantage of his bones. We came to a hunting cabin with signs of having been inhabited recently; we set an ambush and in a little while two fell. Their alibi was that they had set ten traps and that they had gone out to examine them. According to them, there are troops in Vargas' house, in Tatarenda, Caraguatarenda, Ipita and Yamon. A couple of days ago there was a clash in Caraguatarenda and one soldier was wounded. This could be Benigno driven by hunger or the encirclement. The men announced that the army would come to fish tomorrow, and that they would come in groups of 15-20 men. Elk and a few fish caught with a bag were distributed; I ate rice, which agreed with me very well: El Medico is a little better. The postponement of the trial of Debray was announced for September. h = 580 ms.
[24] THE REVEILLE today was at 5:30 and we went toward the ravine we expected to follow. The vanguard started the march, and we had walked a few meters when three peasants appeared on the other side. Miguel was called with his men and everybody was ambushed. Then eight soldiers appeared. The instructions were to let them cross the river by way of the ford which is in front and shoot at them when they were approaching, but the soldiers didn't cross; they just made a few turns and passed in front of our rifles. and we didn't shoot at them. The civilians taken prisoners claimed to be hunters. Miguel and Urbano, along with Camba and Dario and Hugo Guzmán, the hunter, were sent to follow a trail that runs a course due west, but we don't know where it leads. We remained ambushed all day. At dusk the macheteros came back with the traps, having caught a condor and a putrid cat. Everything was eaten including the piece of elk, all we have left is beans and whatever else may be hunted.
Camba is reaching the limit of moral degradation; he there are two slightly wounded on their part "guerrilla casualties." Radio Habaña gave news of an unconfirmed combat in Taperias with one wounded on the army's side.
[25] THE DAY PASSED without anything new. Reveille was at 5 and the macheteros went out early. Seven soldiers came within a few steps of our position but they did not attempt to cross. They seem to be calling the hunters with their shots; tomorrow we shall attack them, should the occasion arise. We did not continue the trail. Miguel ordered making contact with Urbano who transmitted it incorrectly and at a time when nothing could be done.
The radio announced a combat at Monte Dorado, which seems to be under the jurisdiction of Joaquin, and the presence of guerrillas within three kilometers from Camiri.
[26] EVERYTHING WENT WRONG; the seven came but they divided up, five going down river and two crossed. Antonio, who was responsible for the ambush, shot ahead of time and missed, permitting the two men to flee and call for reinforcements. The other five withdrew on the run. Inti and Coco ran after them but they went behind parapets and fired back at them. Observing the hunting I saw how the bullets strafed around them, due to shots from our side. I ran out and found that Eustaquio was shooting at them, because Antonio had not wanted him. I was so furious that I lost control of myself and ill-treated Antonio.
We left slowly because of El Medico, while the army, recovered, was advancing along the island in front of us in numbers of 20-30. It was not worth our while facing them. They may have two wounded, at most. Coco and Inti distinguished themselves by their decision. Everything went well until El Medico was exhausted and began to delay the march. At 18:30 we stopped without having reached Miguel, who was, nevertheless, a few meters away and made contact with us. Moro remained in a ravine without being able to climb the last stretch and we slept divided into three groups. There are no signs of pursuit. h = 900 ms.
[27] THE DAY WAS SPENT in a desperate search for a way out, which has not been found yet; we were near the Rio Grande and we had already passed Yumon, but there were no new fords according to the reports, so the only thing to do was to skirt Miguel's cliff. But this was impossible on account of the mules. There is a possibility of crossing a small range of mountains and then continuing towards Rio GrandeMasicuri, but not till tomorrow shall we know if it is feasible. We have crossed over heights as high as 1300, approximately the highest of the zone, and we slept at 1240 meters in the cold. I am quite well, but El Medico is rather ill, and the water has been used up, only a little remains for him.
The good news or the best event, was the appearance of Benigno, Nato and Julio. Their odyssey was great because there were soldiers in Vargas and Yumon and they almost clashed with them. Then they followed some troops that went down the Saladillo and came up the Nacahuasu, and they found that the Congri creek has three ascents made by the soldiers. The Oso cave, where they arrived at 18 hours, is an anti-guerrilla camp which quarters about 150 soldiers. They were almost taken by surprise there but succeeded in returning without being seen. They were in grandfather's chaco, where they obtained jocos, the only thing that there was, for everything has been abandoned. They went by the soldiers again, hearing our shooting and stayed to sleep nearby in order to follow our tracks until they reached us. According to Benigno, Ñato behaved very well, but Julio got lost twice and he was a little afraid of the soldiers. Benigno is of the opinion that some of Joaquin's people were around there a few days ago.
[28] A GraY DAY and full of anguish. We quenched our thirst with cakes of caracari, which just fool the throat. Miguel sent Pablito alone with one of the hunters to look for water, and to make it worse, had only a small revolver. At 16:30 he had not arrived and I sent Coco and Aniceto to look for him; they did not return the whole night. The rearguard remained at the resting place so the radio could not be heard; there seems to be a new message. At last we slaughtered the little mare, after having accompanied us for two painful months; I did everything possible to save her, but hunger was growing more intense, and, at least, now we only suffer from thirst. It looks like we shall not reach water tomorrow either.
The radio gave the information of a wounded soldier in the Tatarenda zone. What 1 would like to know is: Why, if they are so scrupulous in announcing their losses, would they lie in the rest of their dispatches? And, if they do not lie, who are the ones causing them losses in such far off places as Caraguatarenda and Taperillas? This could only be so if Joaquin's group has been divided into two parts or if new independent groups exist. h = 1,200 ms.
r00T leving they were going toward the Masicun We pitched camp at 1600 meters in a relatively humid place which has some small cane, the pulp of which quenches the thirst. Some of the comrades, Chapaco, Eustaquio and Chino, are falling to pieces from the lack of water. Tomorrow it will be necessary to go straight towards the place where the water is. The muleteers endure quite well.
By radio there was no big news; the most important thing being the trial of Debray which keeps being postponed from one week to the next.
[30] THE SITUATION WAS BEcOMING anguished; the macheteros were suffering fainting spells. Miguel and Dario were drinking their own urine and Chino was doing likewise, with the ominous results of diarrhea and cramps. Urbano, Benigno and Julio went down a canyon and found water. They sent word to me that the mules could not come down and I decided to stay with Nato, but Inti came up again with water and the three of us stayed there eating mare meat. The radio remained below so that there was no news. h= 1,200 ms.
[31] IN THE MORNING, Aniceto and Leon went out to explore down below, réturning at 16 hours with the news that from there on there was passage for the mules from the camp to the watering place. I studied this and found that the worst part came first and the animals did have the possibility of passing, so I ordered Miguel to make a short cut for us on the last cliff tomorrow and to continue on the path ahead, and said that we would bring the mules down. There is a message from Manila but it could not be copied.
SUMMARY OF THE MONTH: It was, without any doubt, the worst month we have had since the war started. The loss of all the caves containing the documents and medicine is a hard blow, above all psychologically. The loss of two men at the end of the month and the subsequent march on horsemeat demoralized the men and provoked the first case of giving up, Camba, which would be advantageous under different circumstances, but not under these The lack of contact with the outside, with Joaquin and the fact that prisoners taken from him have talked, also demoralized the troop a little. My illness caused uncertainty in several others and all this was reflected in our only encounter, in which we should have caused several enemy losses but only wounded one. On the other hand, the difficult march through the mountains without water brought out some negative aspects of the men.
The most important characteristics:
1) We continue without contacts of any kind and without reasonable hope of establishing them in the near future.
2) We continue without any incorporation on the part of the peasants. logical to understand if we take into account the little contact we have had with them in recent times.
3) There is a lowering of the fighting morale; 1 expect that it be momentary.
4) The army does not increase its effectiveness nor its combativeness.
Our morale and revolutionary legend have reached a new low. The most urgent tasks continue to be the same as those of last month, ie., to restablish in the contacts; to incorporate fighters, to supply ourselves with medicine and equipment.
It should be taken into accoun that Inti and Coco excel ever more firmly as revolutionary and military cadres. SEPTIEMBRE, 1967 11] E 'ARLY IN THE MORNING We brought down the mules after some incidents which included a spectacular 1 fall into the gorge by one of them. El Medico has not recovered, but I have, and walk perfectly well leading the mule. The trail was longer than expected and not till 18:15 did we realize that we were at the creek at Honorato's house. Miguel continued at full speed but had only reached the main road by the time it was completely dark. Benigno and Urbano advanced cautiously and did not notice anything abnormal; they occupied the empty house noticing *that it had been enlarged with several barracks for the army, which had abandoned it for the present. We found corn meal, lard, salt. We killed two goats and had a banquet together with the corn meal, although the cooking made us spend all night on guard. In the early morning we withdrew, leaving a sentry at the little house and at the entrance to the road. h=740 [2] EARLY IN THe MORNING we withdrew as far as the chacos, leaving an ambush set in the house made up of Coco, Pablo and Benigno with Miguel in charge. On the other side a sentry remained. At 8 Coco came to warn us that a muleteer had stopped to look for Honorato; there were four and he was ordered to let the other three pass. All this took time because it was an hour from our point to the house. At 13:30 several shots were heard, and later it was learned that a peasant was coming with a soldier and a horse: Chino. who was on sentry duty together with Pombo and Eustaquio. shouted: "a soldier" and cocked his rifle
Fading everybody up the Maxicuri A yearling was ought from the muleteers for $700 and Hugo was given $100 for his work and $50 for some things that were taken from him. The horse that was killed turned out to be one that had been left in Honorato's house because it was crippled. The muleteers said that Honorato's wife had complained about the army because they had beaten her husband and eaten everything they had. When the muleteers went by, eight days ago, Honorato was in Valle Grande recovering from a tiger bite. Anyway, there had been somebody in the house, as a fire had been found burning when we arrived.
Due to Chino's mistake I decided to leave at night by the same route as the muleteers and to try to reach the first house, assuming there were few soldiers there and that they continued to withdraw. We left very late and crossed the ford at 3:45 hours without finding the house and later sleeping on a cow trail waiting for daybreak.
We heard disagreeable news, on the radio about the liquidation of a group of ten men led by a Cuban called Joaquin in the zone of Camiri; however, the news was broadcast by the Voice of America and the local stations have said nothing.
[3] SINCE TODAY IS SUNDAY, there was a clash. At dawn, we looked down the Masicuri to its outlet and then we went a short distance up the Rio Grande; at 13 hours Inti, Coco, Benigno, Pablito, Julio and Leon went out to try to reach the house and, if the army was not there, to buy the merchandise which makes life more pleasant. First the group captured two farm hands, who said that neither the owner nor the soldiers were there and that plenty of food could be obtained. Other information was that yesterday five soldiers went galloping by without stopping at the house. A couple of days ago, Honorato went to his house with two of his sons. On reaching the house of the landowner, they found that 40 soldiers had just arrived, resulting in a confusing encounter in which our men killed at least one soldier, the one who had brought along a dog. The soldiers reacted by surrounding them, but later withdrew because of the shouting; not even one grain of rice could be taken. The airplane flew over the zone and shot some small rockets, apparently over the Nacahuasu. Other information from the peasants was that around this zone they had not seen guerrillas, and the first information that they had received was from the muleteers who had passed by yesterday.
Once more the Voice of the United States gave information about a combat with the Army and this time it mentioned Jose Carrillo as the only survivor of a group of ten men. Since this Carrillo is Paco, one of the drifters, and the liquidation occurred at Masicuri, everything seems to indicate that it is a phony story. h=650 [4] A GROUP OF EIGHT MEN under the command of Miguel were ambushed on the road from Masicuri to Honorato until 13 hours without anything happening. Meanwhile, Nato and Leon were struggling to bring a cow, but later two magnificent tamed oxen were obtained. Urbano and Camba walked about ten kilometers up-river; they had to cross four fords, one of which is somewhat deep. The yearling was killed and volunteers were solicited to make an incursion to look for food and information: Inti, Coco, Julio, Aniceto, Chapaco and Arturo were selected, under the command of Inti. Pacho, Pombo, Antonio and Eustaquio also offered to go. The instructions to Inti were to reach the house in the early morning, observe the movements and obtain all the supplies if there were no soldiers. If there were soldiers, they should surround it and move forward, and try to capture one, remembering that the fundamental thing was not to suffer losses and that the greatest of caution was to be recommended.
The radio gives the news of one dead in Vado del Yeso in a new clash, near where the group of ten was liquidated, which makes it seem that the information on Joaquin is a farce. On the other hand, they gave all the evidence that Negro, the Peruvian doctor, had died in Palmarito and had been transferred to Camiri. His identification was made by Pelao. It looks like this is indeed a real death; the others may be fictitious or members of the drifters. Anyway, the tone of the dispatches, which now are transferred to Masicuri and Camiri, is strange.
THE DAY PASSED WITHOUT ANYTHING NEW, but waiting for the results. At 4:30 the group returned, bringing a mule and some merchandise. In the house of Moron, the planter, there were soldiers who were on the brink of discovering the group by using dogs. By the looks of it, they move by night. They surrounded the house and were cutting through the woods as far as Montaño's house, where there was nobody, but there was some corn of which 100 pounds was brought. At approximately 12 they crossed the river and came upon the two houses on the other side. Everybody escaped from one house and the mule was requisitioned there; in the other there was very little collaboration and it was necessary to resort to threats. The information they gave was that until now they had not seen any guerrillas except for the group that went to Perez' house before the carnival (us). Thev returned by dav and waited antit have left some footprints that could be tracked down, the cattle do not wipe them out, along with a few things fallen by the roadside. The spirit of the men changed at once. The radio reports that the dead guerrillas could not be identified but that there would be news at any moment. A message received was entirely deciphered. It said that OLAS was a triumph but that the Bolivian delegation was a pile of shit; Aldo Flores of the B.C.P. pretended to be the representative of the E.L.N., but he was proven to be a liar. They have asked that one of Kolle's men go for discussion. Lozano's house was raided and he is underground; he thinks that they could exchange Debray. That is all. Evidently, they did not receive our last message.
[6] BENIGNO Benigno's birthday looked promising; in the early morning we made corn meal with what was brought and drank some mate with sugar. Then Miguel, commanding eight men went into ambush while Leon caught one more yearling to take along. Since it was rather late, a little past 10 and they had not returned, I sent Urbano to warn them that at 12 they should suspend the ambush. A few minutes later a shot was heard, then a short burst of gunfire and one shot was heard in our direction. When we were taking positions, Urbano came running; he had clashed with a patrol which was bringing dogs. With nine men on the other side, and not knowing their exact location, I was desperate: the path was improved without reaching the border of the river and in this way it was possible to send Moro, Pombo and Camba with Coco.
I intended to transfer the knapsacks and to keep contact with the rearguard, if they allowed me, until they were reincorporated in the group, which, on the other hand, faced the possibility of falling into ambush. However, cutting through the woods Miguel returned with all his men. What happened was this: Miguel advanced without leaving any sentry on our path and dedicated himself to look for cattle. Leon heard the barking of a dog and Miguel decided to go back just in case; at that moment they heard the shots and noticed that a patrol had passed by a trail between them and the woods, and that they already were ahead of them; then they cut through the woods. We withdrew with ease, with the three mules and the three heads of cattle and crossed four fords, two of them of strong current, then made camp about seven kilometers from the former. We slaughtered a cow, eating sumptuously. The rearguard reported that prolonged shooting was heard in the direction of the camp, with heavy machine gun fire. h=640 [7] SHORT TRAIL. Only one ford was crossed and then we encountered difficulties due to the cliffs, so Miguel decided to make camp and wait for us. Tomorrow we will make better explorations. The situation is the following: the aviation is not looking for us around here, despite having reached the camp, and the radio reported that I am the chief of the group. The question is: Are they afraid? It is not very probable. Do they consider the ascent impossible? With the experience of what we have done and what they know, I don't think so. Do they want to let us advance and wait for us at some strategic point? It is possible. Do they believe that we will insist on the zone of Masicuri to obtain our supplies? This is also possible. El Medico is much better, but I had a relapse and I could not sleep all night long.
The radio gives the news about the valuable information given by Jose Carrillo (Paco); it is necessary to punish him as an example. Debray refers to the imputations of Paco against him, saying that he was seen with a rifle because he went hunting at times. Radio Cruz del Sur announces finding the corpse of Tania, the guerrilla fighter, on the shores of the Rio Grande; it is news that does not have the aspects of veracity as does the report about Negro. According to this broadcasting station, her corpse was taken to Santa Cruz, but not according to Altiplano's. h=720 I talked to Julio; he is very well but he feels the lack of contact and of the lack of incorporation of the people.
[8] A QUIET DAY. From morning till night ambushes of eight men were set under the command of Antonio and Pombo.
The animals ate well in a chuchial and the mule is recovering from her blows. Aniceto and Chapaco went to explore up-river and came back with the news that the road was relatively good for the animals; Coco and Camba crossed the river with the water up to their chests and climbed up a hill in front, but without acquiring any new information. I sent Miguel out with Aniceto and the result of a longer exploration is that, according to Miguel, it will be very difficult to get the animals through. Tomorrow we shall insist on this side, since the possibility always exists that the animals could pass unloaded through the water.
The radio gave the information that Barrientos had been present at the burying of the remains of Tania, the guerrilla fighter, who was given a "Christian burial," and then he went to Puerto Mauricio, where Honorato's house is.
He made a proposal to the deceived Bolivians who had not been paid the promised salaries, saying that if they go with their hands upon their foreheads to the army posts A Budapest daily criticizes Che Guevara, a pathetic and apparently irresponsible figure. It hails the Marxist attitude of the Chilean Party which assumes practical attitudes in the face of practice. How I would like to take power if only to unmask cowards and lackeys of every kind and rub their noses in their own dirty tricks.
[9] MIGUEL AND ÑAto went out to explore, coming back with the news that it is possible to pass but that the animals will have to cross swimming; the men have fords. There is a rather large creek on the left shore where we will make the camp. The ambushes were still made up of eight men with Antonio and Pombo in charge. There was nothing new. I talked with Aniceto; he seems to be very firm, although he thinks that there are several Bolivians who are weakening. He complains of the lack of political work on the part of Coco and Inti. We finished the cow, of which only the four legs remain for broth in the morning. The only news on the radio is the suspension of the trial of Debray until the 17th of September, at least.
[10] A BAD DAY. It began under good signs, but then the animals got balky because the road was so bad. Finally the mule remained because he would not walk, and we had to leave him on the other side. The decision was taken by Coco due to a quick rise of the river, but four weapons, among them those of Moro and three anti-tank shells for Benigno's arm, remained on the other side. I crossed the river swimming with the mule but I lost my shoes and now I have only brogues, a thing that does not make me happy at all. Nato made a bundle with his clothes and weapons wrapped in an oil cloth, and jumped in when the rising waters were wild, losing everything in the crossing. The other mule got stuck and jumped in to cross by herself, but it was necessary to bring her back because there was no passage, and on attempting a new crossing with Leon, he and the mule were almost drowned for the rushing waters had arrived. Finally all of us reached our goal which was the creek, but El Medico was in very bad shape, complaining later about the neuralgia in his limbs all night. Up to now our plan had been to make the animals swim to the other side, but with the rising waters that plan has to be interrupted at least until the river has gone down. Besides, airplanes and helicopters have been flying over the zone; I do not like the helicopters at all, for they could be leaving ambushes on the river. Tomorrow explorations will be sent out up-river and up-creek to try to find out our exact posi tion. h=780 meters. Road=3-4 kilometers.
1 almost forgot to emphasize the fact that today, after something like six months, 1 bathed. It constitutes a record that several are already reaching 111] A QUIET DAY. The explorers went up-river and up-creek; those up-river returned at dusk with the news that very probably it can be crossed when it goes down, and there are beaches on which the animals can walk. Benigno and Julio went to make an exploration of the creek, but it was very superficial and by 12 they had returned. Nato and Coco, supported by the rearguard, went to look for the things left behind, crossing the mule and leaving only a bundle with the belts for the machine gun bullets.
There was a disagreeable incident in which Chino came to tell me that Nato had roasted and eaten a whole fillet in front of him; I was mad as hell at Chino for he should have prevented it, and after investigation, the matter became more complicated for it could not be determined whether or not Chino had permitted him to do it. Chino asked to be substituted and I again appointed Pombo to the position. Even so, for Chino it was a bitter pill.
The radio gave the news in the morning that Barrientos asserted that I had been dead for a long time and everything was propaganda. At night they spoke of an offering of $50,000 ($4200 U.S.) for data that could facilitate my capture dead or alive. It looks like the armed forces gave him a sorepate. Probably they threw leaflets over the area describing me. Requeteran says that Barrientos' offer may be considered psychological since the tenacity of the guerrillas is well-known as is the fact that they are preparing for a prolonged war.
I talked a long time with Pablito. As is everyone, he is worried by the lack of contact, and he considers that our main task is to reestablish it with the city. However, he proved to be firm in his decision of Patria o Muerte till the end.
[12] THE DAY BEGAN WITH A TRAGIC-COMIC episode: just at 6 the hour of reveille, Eustaquio came to announce that people were coming along the creek. He called us to arms and everybody was mobilized. Antonio had seen them, and when I asked him how many there were, he showed his five fingers. At the end, it turned out to be an hallucination, dangerous for the morale of the troop, for right away they began to talk about psychosis. Then I talked with Antonio and, evidently, he is not normal; tears welled up in his eyes but he denied that he was worried and said that only the lack of sleep was affecting him, because he hac hod avtro Anty for dir Jove due to the foot that he
cata duty. At night he asked me to change him to the vanguard for, according to him, he is not congenial with Antonio but I refused to do it. Inti, Leon and Eustaquie left to explore the creek to see if it were possible to cross over to the other side of a great range that can be seen far away. Coco, Aniceto, and Julio went up-river to try to explore the fords and find a way to take the animals in case we go through there.
It appears that Barrientos' offer has provoked some sensation. In any case, a merciful newspaperman was of the opinion that $4200 U.S. was little money considering my being so dangerous. Radio Habaña reported that OLAS had received a message of support from the E.L.N.; my achievements in telepathy.
[13] THE EXPLORERS RETURNED: Inti and his group spent all day up-creek; they slept at a rather high altitude and it was quite cold. The creek apparently springs from a range that is in front and runs due north; it does not offer passage for the animals. Coco and his comrades tried unsuccessfully to cross the river; they skirted 11 cliffs before reaching the canyon of what must be La Pesca River, where there were signs of life; burned chacos and an ox; the animals must cross to the other side, unless all of us can make it on the raft together, which is what we shall try to do.
I have talked to Dario, raising the question of his leaving, if he so desires. First he answered that to leave was very dangerous but I warned him that this is not a refuge and if he decides to stay it is for once and for all. He said yes and that he would correct his defect. We shall see.
The only news on the radio was that Debray's father had been shot at, and that from his son they had abducted all the documents preparatory to his defense, using the pretext that they do not want it to be turned into a political pamphlet. ( [14] A DAY OF FATIGUE. At 7 Miguel went out with the entire vanguard and Nato. They carried instructions to walk as far as possible on that side and then to build a raft where it became difficult to pass; Antonio remained ambushed with the entire rearguard. A pair of M-l's left in a little cave that Nato nothing having They could beginnings of for Leon orders to start the order. At approximately that t ime, Pablino arrived with the news that the ox was in front of the crossing and that the raft was being built one kilometer farther up. I waited for the animals to come and they finally did so at 18:15 after the men were sent to help them. At that time, the TWO les crossed (the ox had done so before) and we continued at our tiring pace up to where the raft was, finding that 12 men were still on this side; only ten had crossed. There we spent the night, in separate places, finishing the last ration of half-putrified ox. h=720. March=two to three kilometers.
[15] THIs TIMe we traveled a little farther: five to six kilometers, but we did not reach the La Pesca River, for we had to cross the animals twice, and one of the mules refused to cross. There is still one more and we must explore to see if the mules can make it.
The radio brings the news of Loyola's arrest. The photos must be to blame. Our only remaining bull died at the hand of the executioner, naturally. h=780 [16] THE DAY WAS SPENT BUILDING the raft and crossing the river. We walked some 500 meters up to the camp where there is a little spring. The crossing was carried out uneventfully on a good raft which was pulled with ropes from both shores. Later, when they were left alone, Antonio and Chapaco had another run-in and Antonio gave six days' punishment to Chapaco for insulting him. I respected the decision, although I am not sure it is just. That night there was another incident about an accusation of Eustaquio concerning an extra meal that Nato had eaten.
It turned out to be some suet from the hides. Another painful situation had been caused by food. El Medico brought up another little problen to me, about his sickness and the opinion the men hav_of it, due to some comments made by Julio, the whole of which seems unimportant.
h=820 [17] PABLITO Dentist's day. I pulled Arturo and Chapaco's teeth. Miguel made an exploration as far as the river and Benigno explored the trail; they say that the mules can make it, but before that they must swim, crossing and recrossing the river. Some rice was made for Pablito because he is twenty.
[18] THE MARCH WAS STARTED AT 7, but soon Miguel came with the news that three peasants had been seen around the bend. We did not know if they had seen us so it was ordered to detain them. Chapaco staged the unavoidable scene, by accusing Arturo of having stolen 15 bullets from his magazine. He's sinister, and the only good thing is that, although his run-ins are with the Cubans, none of the Bolivians pay any attention to him. The mules went all the way without swimming, but when crossing a gorge, the black mule escaped from us and got hurt, for she rolled down some 50 meters. Four peasants were taken prisoner when they were going with their little donkeys to Piraypandi, a river located one league away up-stream. They reported that Aladino Gutierrez was hunting and fishing with his people on the shore of the Rio Grande. Benigno committed the grave error of letting himself be seen and allowed him, his wife and another peasant to leave. When I learned of this, my blood boiled and I called this an act of treason, which provoked a crisis of crying on Benigno's part. All the peasants have been warned that tomorrow they will have to leave with us to Zitano, the ranch where they live, six to eight leagues from here. Aladino and his wife are rather slippery and it cost a lot to have them sell us food. Now the radio brings the news that Loyola attempted suicide twice "for fear of reprisals on the part of the guerrillas," and the detention of several teachers who, if they are not involved, at least sympathize with us. It seems that they took many things from Loyola's house and it would not be strange if this all leads from the taking of the photos from the cave.
At dusk a small plane and the mustang flew over the zone suspiciously. h=800 [19] WE DID NOT LEAVE VERY EARLY because the peasants could not find their animals. At last, after giving a good lecture, we left with the caravan of prisoners. We walked slowly with Moro and when we arrived at the stopover on the river we got the news that three more prisoners had been taken and the vanguard had just left and was extwo leagues away. They seemed to be urned out to I past 21. me of his weakme very vexed make a public self-criticism when we were among ourselves, but he did deny accusations. We passed heights of 1440 meters and now we are at 1000. It takes three hours to go from here to Lucitano, perhaps four, according to the pessimists. At last we ate pork and the ones that liked sweets were able to fill themselves with chankaka.
The radio kept repeating the Loyola case and that the teachers are out on full strike. The pupils of the high school where Higueras, one of the arrested, worked, are on a hunger strike, and the oil workers are about to strike because of the establishment of the oil enterprise. A sign of the times, I have run out of ink.
I DECIDED TO LEAVE AT 15 in order to reach Lucitano's ranch by dusk, because they said it could easily be reached in three hours, but many problems delayed the trip until 17, and complete darkness caught up with us on the hill. Despite the fact that we lit a storm lamp, we didn't reach Aladino Gutierrez' house until 23. It was not much of a We got some cigarettes and other small items . At 3, after drowsing a little, we started for Alto Seco which they claim is four leagues away. We took the mayor's telephone, but found it hasn't worked for years, and besides the line had fallen. The mayor is called Vargas and he's only had this position a short time.
not say anything of importance; climbed heights of 1800 meters and Lucitano is at 1400 About two leagues were walked to get to the ranch.
[21] At 3 wE LeFt by the light of a good moon on a trail that we had found out about beforehand, and we walked until almost 9 without coming across anybody, having crossed heights of 2040 meters, the highest reached. At that time we ran into a couple of muleteers who showed us the way to Alto Seco, still two leagues away. Part of the night and part of the morning was used to walk only two leagues. On reaching the first houses on the way down, we bought some food and we went to make a meal at the house of the mayor. Later we went to a corn mill run by hydraulic power on the shore of the Piraymini (1400 meters high). The people are scared and try to avoid us and we have lost much time due to our limited mobility. The two leagues to Alto Seco took us from 12:15 to 5.
[22] WHEN WE, THE CENTERGUARD, arrived at Alto Seco, we found that the mavor had annarently done out vesterdaw were received with a mixture of fear and curiosity. The provision machinery began to function, and soon we had a respectable amount of supplies in our camp, which was an abandoned house near the watering place. The small truck which should have come from Valle Grande did not arrive, seeming to confirm the version that the mayor went to inform on us. I had to stand the crying of his wife who, in the name of God and his children, asked for payment, a thing I did not consent to. At night Inti gave a short lecture at the local school (1st and 2nd grades) to a group of 15 amazed and silent peasants, explaining to them the scope of our revolution. The teacher was the only one who intervened, asking if we would fight in the towns. He was a mixture of a foxy peasant and a lawyer with boyish candor; he asked a lot of things on socialism. A big boy offered to be our guide, but warned against the teacher whom they say is a fox. We left at 1:30 for Santa Elena which we reached at 10. h=1300 Barrientos and Ovando gave a press conference where they offered all the data from the documents and considered Joaquin's group liquidated.
[23] THE PLACE WAS A MOST BEAUTIFUL orange grove which still has much fruit. The day was spent resting and sleep. ing, but it was necessary to keep close watch. At 1, we arose and left at 2, heading towards Loma Larga, which we reached at dawn. We passed over heights of 1800 meters The men were heavily laden and the march was slow. I got indigestion from Benigno's cooking.
[24] WE ARRIVED AT THE RANCH called Loma Larga, I myself with a liver attack and vomiting and the men very exhausted by the long walks which have had few results. I decided to spend the night at the junction on the way to Pujio. A pig was killed, sold by Sostenes Vargas, the only peasant who stayed in his house. The others flee when they see us. h=1400 [25] WE ARRIVED EARLY AT PuJIO, but there were people who had seen us below the day before. It must be that we are being announced by word of mouth. Pujio is a little ranch located on a height, and the people who ran away when they first saw us later came closer and treated us well. Early in the morning a carabineer left. He had come from Serrano in Chuquisaca to arrest a debtor. We are at a zone where the three departments converge at a point. Walking with mules is becoming dangerous, but I try to let El Medico continue as much as possible, for he is still weak. The peasants say that they know nothing about the army in this entire zone. We walked over stretches until we reached (TEXT MUTILATED) where we slept by the side of the road. since Miguel did not take the precautions which I had demanded he take. The mayor of Higueras is in the area, and we gave the order to the sentry to arrest him. h=1800 Inti and I talked with Camba, and he agreed to accompany us to Higuera, a point located near Pucara and to try to leave for Santa Cruz from there.
[26] DEFEAT. At daybreak we arrived at Picacho, where everybody was celebrating (the highest point we have ever reached, 2280 meters). The peasants treated us very well and we continued without undue concern in spite of the fact that Ovando had asserted that my capture could take place at any moment.
On reaching Higuera, everything had changed: the men had disappeared and there were only a few women. Coco went to the telegraph house, for there was a telephone, and brought a communication made on the 22nd in which the sub-prefect of Valle Grande had communicated to the mayor that there was news about the presence of guerrillas in the zone and any news should be sent to Valle Grande where they would pay the expenses. The man had run away, but his wife asserted that they had not talked today because in Jaguey, the next town, there was a celebration At 13, the vanguard left to try to reach Jaguey and there make a decision about El Medico and the mules; a little later I was talking with the only man in the town, who was very frightened, when a merchant in coca arrived, saying he had come from Valle Grande and Pucara and had not seen anything. He was also very nervous, but attributed it to our presence and I let the two go despite the lies they had told us. When I went out towards the summit of the hill at approximately 13:30, the shots from all over the firme announced that our men had fallen into ambush. I organized the defense in the little town, waiting for the survivors and decided to give a road leading to the Rio Grande as a way out. A few moments later Benigno arrived wounded and then Aniceto and Pablito, the latter with his foot in bad shape. Miguel, Coco and Julio had fallen and Camba had disappeared, leaving his knapsack.
Rapidly the rearguard picked up the trail and I followed it, still leading the two mules; those in the rear were fired on from very near and were delayed, and Inti lost contact. After waiting for him half an hour in a small ambush, and after having rarpived mora fira from the hill we de.
haugh which we bad to get away. who was walking • the canyon and dres the conchnion that it was be. In order to mislead them, we let the mules go down the canyon and we followed another little canyon later, which had bitter water, sleeping at 12, for it was impossible to advance.
[27] AT 21 HOURS WE RESTARTED the march, trying to find a place to ascend, which we achieved at 7, but on the opposite side of the one we wanted. There was a barren hill in front that looked harmless. We climbed a little more to some sparse woods in order to be safe from the aircraft, and there we discovered that the hill had a trail, although nobody had traveled on it all day long. At dusk, a peasant and a soldier climbed up the hill as far as the middle and played there for a while, without seeing us. Aniceto had just made an exploration and saw a good-sized group of soldiers in a house nearby. This was the easiest trail for us, and now it was cut. In the morning, we saw a column of soldiers shining in the sun as they climbed a nearby hill. Later, at midday, isolated shots were heard and there were a few shell bursts and later the shout of: "There he is;" "Come out of there;" "Aré you coming out or not," accompanied by more shots. We do not know the fate of the man and we assumed that it could have been Camba.
We left at dusk to try to get down to the water on the other side and we stayed in a thicket a little more dense than the former; it was necessary to look for the water in the same canyon because a cliff does not permit us to do it here.
The radio brought the news that I had clashed with the Galindo Company leaving three dead. They were being transferred to Valle Grande for their identification. It seems that Camba and Leon have not been aprehended. Our losses have been very great this time; the most grievous loss is Coco, but Miguel and Julio were magnificent fighters and the human value of the three is beyond all praise. Leon looked promising. h=1400 [28] A DAY OF ANXIETY which at one moment seemed to be our last one. In the early morning, water was brought in, and almost right away Inti and Willi went out to explore another possible descent to the canyon. But they came back right away because the whole hill in front was marked by a trail, and a peasant on horseback was traveling it. In front of us, 46 soldiers with their knapsacks on left at 10, taking centuries to go afar. At 12 another group appeared. This time with 77 men—and to top it all off a shot was heard at that moment and the soldiers took positions. The officer ordered going down the ravine which surely looked like ours. But, finally, they communicated by radio and, seemingly satisfied, reinitiated the march. Our refuge has no defense against an attack from above and the possibilities of escaping would have been remote if they had discovered us.
A soldier who had fallen behind passed with a tired dog, for they were pulling him to make him walk, and later a peasant returned after a while, and then nothing else happened. But the anguish of the shot at the moment had been great. All the soldiers left with their knapsacks, which gave the impression that they were withdrawing, no fires were seen in the little house at night and no shots were heard with which they habitually greet the dusk. Tomorrow we shall explore all day at the ranch. There was a light rain but it seemed to me it was not enough to wipe out our tracks.
The radio gave the identification of Coco and confusing news about Julio. They confuse Miguel with Antonio, whose position in Manila was given. At the beginning they spread the news about my death, later they retracted it.
[29] ANOTHER TENSE DAY. The exploration: Inti and Aniceto went out early to guard the house all day. Early in the morning there was movement on the road, and by midmorning there were soldiers without knapsacks traveling in both directions, plus others leading empty donkeys from below, which later returned loaded. Inti arrived at 18:15, reporting that the 16 soldiers that came down went into the chaco and could not be seen anymore and that the donkeys seemed to have been loaded there. According to his news, it was difficult to decide to use this road, the easiest and most logical one, since it is possible for the soldiers to be ambushed, and anyway, there are dogs in the house which would reveal our presence. Tomorrow two explorers will leave; one for the same place and the other one to try to walk up the firme as far as possible to see if there is a way out, probably crossing the trail the soldiers use.
The radio did not give any news.
[30] ANOTHER DAY OF TENSION. In the morning, Radio Balmaseda of Chile announced that high army sources said that they had corraled Che Guevara in a wild jungle canyon.
The local broadcasting stations were silent. It seems like treason, or else the certainty of our presence in the zone.
In a while the movement of soldiers began from one side with the news that the Rio Grande was about two k straight ahead and that there are three houses up the canyon and camp could be pitched in places where we would not be seen from any side. Water was obtained, and at 22 we started a tiresome nocturnal march delayed by Chino who walks very badly in the darkness. Benigno is very well, but El Medico still hasn't recovered.
MONTHLY ANALYSIs: It should have been a month of recuperation and it was on the point of being so when the ambush into which Miguel, Coco and Julio fell spoiled everything, and put us in a dangerous position, besides losing Leon. As to Camba it is a net gain.
We had small clashes in which we killed a horse, killed and wounded a soldier and Urbano exchanged shots with a patrol, plus there was the ominous ambush in la Higuera. We left the mules behind ,and I believe that for a long time we shall not have any more animals of that type, unless I should relapse into an asthmatic condition.
On the other hand the news about the other group seems to be true, and it should be considered the end, although it is possible that a little group is roaming, avoiding contact with the army, because the news of the joint death of the seven may be false, or at least exaggerated.
The characteristics are the same as those of last month, except that now the army is showing more effectiveness in action, and the mass of peasants does not help us at all and have become informers.
The most important tasks are to escape and look for more propitious zones and to reestablish contacts, despite the fact that the whole apparatus is badly disjointed in La Paz where they have also given us hard blows. The morale of the rest of the men has been sustained fairly well. My only doubts are about Willi, who may take advantage of some clash to try to escape by himself unless I have a talk with him.
OCTUBRE, 1967 [1] THIS FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH went by without anything The 40 men went down a canyon which we thought we would take by firing a few shots. At 14 hours the last shots were heard; nobody seemed to be in the little houses, although Urbano saw five soldiers come down who weren't following any particular trail. I decided to remain here one more day because the place is good and has the withdrawal guaranteed, since all of the movements of the enemy troops can be seen. Pacho, with Nato, Dario and Eustaquio went out to look for water and returned at 21. Chapaco made fritters and we divided up some charqui which assuaged our hunger somewhat. There was no news. h=1600 [2] ANTONIO The day passed without any sign of soldiers but some little goats led by shepherd dogs passed by our positions, and the animals barked. We decided to try to pass by one of the chacos that is nearer to the canyon and started the descent at 18 hours, with plenty of time to arrive comfortably and cook before crossing except that Nato got lost and was obsessed to go on. When we decided to return. we got lost and had to spend the night on the top, without being able to cook or to drink water. The radio gave the explanation for the deployment of the soldiers on the 30th; according to the news from La Cruz del Sur, the Army communicated having had a clash in Abra del Quiñol with one small group of ours, without losses on either side, although they said they had found traces of blood from our retreat. There were six men in the group according to the same dispatch.
[3] A LONG DAY, unnecessarily intense: while mobilizing to reach our camp base, Urbano arrived with the news that he had heard some peasants who were passing by comment:
"Those are the ones who were talking last night," while we were on the road. It appears that the report is inaccurate, but I decided to proceed as if it were perfectly real, and without quenching our thirst we again climbed up to a firme that overlooks the road of the soldiers. The rest of the day was perfectly calm, and at dusk all of us went down and made coffee, which tasted like heaven despite the bitter water and greasy kettle in which it had been made. Then we cooked corn meal to eat here and rice with elk meat to take with us. At three we started the march, after a previous exploration, and we eluded the chaco with great ease at sled which has no water but va At daws we artived at a scant th against the army; the former says he surrendered, trusting the presidential word. Both gave abundant news about Fernando, his illness and everything else, not to mention what they said which has not been published. Thus ends the story of two heroic guerrillas. h=1300 An interview with Debray was heard, very courageous when faced by a student provocator.
[4] AFTER RESTING IN THE RAVINE, We followed it for half an hour downwards, until we came to another one that joins it, which we climbed up, resting until 15 to keep away from the sun. At that time we began the march again for a little more than half an hour. There we reached the explorers who had arrived at the end of the small canyons without finding any water. At 18 we abandoned the ravine and followed a cattle trail until 19:30, at an hour when nothing could be seen, and so we stopped until 3.
The radio announced the change of the Advanced Post of the General Staff of the 4th Division from Lagunillas to Padilla, to take better care of the Serrano zone where it is assumed that the guerrillas could attempt to flee. Also there is commentary that should I be captured by forces of the 4th Division they will judge me in Camiri, and if the ones of the 8th do it, in Santa Cruz h=1650 [5] ON RESTARTING THE MARCH we walked with great difficulty until 5:15 hours, when we left the cattle trail and went into a thin woods which was tall enough to protect us from indiscreet onlookers. Benigno and Pacho made several explorations to look for water and they completely covered the house nearby without finding any, Lut probably there is a little well by the side of it. On finishing the exploration, they saw six soldiers arriving at the house, apparently on their way off. We left at dawn, the men exhausted due to the lack of water and Eustaquio made a scene crying for a mouthful of water. After a very bad march with many stopovers, by early morning we had reached some woods where the dogs could be heard barking nearby. There is a high and barren firme close by.
We cured Benigno who has a little pus on his wound and I injected El Medico. As a result of the cure, Benigno complained of pains during the night. The radio reported that our two Cambas were transferred to Camiri to serve as witnesses at Debray's trial. h=2000 THE EXPLORATION SHOWED THAT we had a house nearby but 13o showed that there was w ter in a ravine farther away. We went there and cooked der a big ledge which served as a roof, despite the fact that I did not spend the day very calmly because we had gone near somewhat populated places by full daylight, and we were in a hollow. Since the supper was delayed until 6, we decided to leave in the early morning for a tributary near this little creek and from there make a more exhaustive exploration to determine its future course.
La Cruz del Sur reported an interview with the Cambas; Orlando was a little less crafty. The Chilean radio reported censored news that shows that there are 1800 men in the zone looking for us. h=1750 [7] ELEVEN MONTHS since our inauguration as guerrilla; the day was being spent without complications, even bucolicly, until 12:30 when an old woman shepherding her goats came into the canyon where we had camped and it was necessary to apprehend her. The woman gave no truthful news about the soldiers, saying that she didn't know anything, as it was a long time since she had gone there. She only gave information about the roads; and according to her report, it shows that we are approximately one league from Higueras and another from Jaguey and about two from Pucara. At 17:30, Inti, Aniceto and Pablito went to the old woman's house where she has two daughters, one crippled and the other half-dwarfed. 50 pesos were given to her with the request that she not say a word, but with little hope that she would keep her promises.
The 17 of us left under a waning moon, the march was very tiresome and we left many traces in the canyon where we were. There are no houses nearby, but there are some potato fields irrigated from the same creek. At 2 we stopped to rest, since it was useless to continue advancing. Chino becomes a real load when it is necessary to walk at night.
The army gave strange information about the presence of 250 men in Serrano to prevent the passage of those encircled, saying there were 37, and giving our refuge as being between the river Acero and the Oro. The news seems to be diversionary. h=2000
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AGOSTO, 1967 [1] A only advanced a title over one kilometer due to the