MEXICAN STUDENTS SAY FAREWELL TO CHE
Mexico City
Revolutionary students at the National University of Mexico paid homage October 19 to the revolutionary socialist hero, Che Guevara, who fell in battle in Bolivia.
More than 1,500 students met in the auditorium of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters. The leaders of all the different revolutionary groups were on the platform (with the notable exception of the Communist Youth, the organization of the Mexican Communist party).
Behind the presidium, an enormous banner stretched across the stage, bearing the portrait of Che, a Cuban flag, and black crepe.
After an opening speech in which the main events in the life of the unforgettable and valiant revolutionist were recounted, two groups of students sang songs and recited poems related to the world revolutionary struggle for which Che died. Various poems were recited about the death of Guevara.
The songs ranged from ballads of the Argentine gauchos to the fighting song of the American blacks, "We shall overcome"; songs of the Peruvian Incas; and the famous Cuban song "Guantanamora," to which a student added some verses about Che Guevara's death.
Afterward, at a meeting on the main esplanade of the university, the huge portrait of Che was raised and the flag was lowered to half mast.
The speakers dwelt on the principles and teachings of Che and all of them concluded with the words, "Che is the example."
The various spokesmen of the student groups stressed repeatedly that it should not be thought for one moment that Che's death signified the end of Che and his political position.
On the contrary, his blood provided the revolutionary youth of Latin America and, in fact, the entire world with supreme proof of the urgency of the situation faced by all of humanity in view of the fact that "its main enemy," U.S. imperialism,can in a moment of madness bring on a nuclear catastrophe.
Che was pictured as the most conplete and outstanding revolutionary fighter yet produced by the people of Latin America.
The meeting sent greetings to the demonstrators in the United States scheduled to go to Washington October 21 to protest in front of the Pentagon against the criminal war in Vietnam.
During the evening vigil, a recording was played of Fidel reading the farewell letter sent to him by Che.
REVOLUTIONARY YOUTH IN PARIS MOURN CHE