THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Revolution hasn’t ended yet. All the efforts we make to uplift the downtrodden are part of the Revolution,” said Aleida Guevara, daughter of legendary revolutionary Che Guevara, on the 60th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.
In an interview with Express, Aleida said that only Socialism and Communism can address the issues faced by the underprivileged.
Excerpts:
Q: Che Guevara is a trend among youngsters in Kerala. He has a huge fan following and people here still swear by his ideology. What do you believe is the reason for this?
A: Probably the youngsters here could answer that better. Maybe they love Che because they relate to and identify with his thoughts and actions. Che himself was heavily influenced by the ideals and life of Cuban leader Jose Marti. If one follows another person’s ideology, it means that he or she is able to understand the other person. I think people here are able to perceive and understand the words and deeds of Che, his independent views and thought processes.
Q: Kerala is one of the last posts where Communist and Marxist ideals are still being followed. Worldwide, however, the Communist ideology is on the decline. What’s your take on that?
A: Capitalism has dominated the world for the past 200 years. But it has still not solved any of the major issues faced by the people at the grassroot level. Only Socialism and Communism can solve the issues of the poor and the downtrodden. And this is essential for our survival.
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Q: It’s been 22 years since you first came to Kerala. What are your memories of that trip?
A: I have been here just once and that too for a very short period of time. Only if I stay here for a longer duration will I be able to speak about my experiences as such. But one thing I can say is that the people of Kerala love me more than before. And that is primarily because of their love towards my father.
Q: Being a doctor and someone actively working in the medical sector, how do you assess Kerala with its high health indices?
A: I have been here only a few days now. I did meet the Health Minister though. I have very little knowledge about the health sector here. However, as per the statistics and information available, the progress made is good. This should reach the masses and thus further boost the public health sector.
Q: It’s the 60th anniversary of the Cuban revolution. You are here to attend the solidarity meetings to be held in its commemoration.
A: Revolution hasn’t ended yet. What has been done so far is not wholly satisfactory. There are so many more important things to do. Even as we remember the old revolution, we keep moving forward to accomplish the tasks first identified by the original revolutionaries. Our focus should be to attain these goals.