The Bolivian Diary

by Неизвестный

  I set out my conditions to Guevara: the dissolution of the group, no ranks for anyone, no political organization at this point, and the avoidance of polemics over differences on international and national policy. He accepted everything with great humility, and so after a frosty start, relations with the Bolivians have become friendly.

  Loyola made a very good impression on me; she is very young and softly spoken, but one can tell she is very determined. She is about to be expelled from the [Communist Party] youth group, but they are trying to get her to resign first. I gave her the instructions for the [urban] cadres and another document, and I repaid the money we had already spent, which was almost 70,000 pesos. We are going to be short of money soon.

  Dr. Pareja13 was named head of the urban network, and Rodolfo14 will come to join us within two weeks.

  I sent a letter with instructions to Iván (D. VI).

  I ordered Coco to sell the jeep, but to stay in contact with the farm.

  At around 7:00, as night was falling, we said good-bye. They will leave tomorrow night and Guevara will come again with the first group between the 4th and the 14th of February; he said that he could not come sooner because of communication problems and because the men are taking time off to enjoy the carnivals.

  More powerful radio transmitters are on the way.

  January 27

  A strong góndola was sent that brought back nearly everything, but there is still a load left. At night, Coco and the visitors left; they will stay in Camiri, and Coco will go on to Santa Cruz to arrange the sale of the jeep, some time after the 15th.

  We are still working on the cave. A tatú15 was caught in the traps. We are finishing preparing the supplies for the trip; the plan is to leave when Coco returns.

  January 28

  The góndola has cleaned out the old camp and brought the news that the Vallegrandino had been caught hanging around the cornfield, but he escaped. Everything indicates it is time for a decision about the farm.

  Now the supplies are ready for a 10-day march, and we have settled on a date: one or two days after Coco returns on February 2.

  January 29

  A day of absolute idleness, except for the cooks, hunters, and sentries.

  Coco came back in the afternoon, having gone to Camiri and not Santa Cruz. He dropped off Loyola, who will continue on to La Paz by plane, and Moisés, who will go to Sucre by góndola. They set Sunday as the day to make contact.

  February 1 will be our departure date.

  January 30

  The góndola of 12 men carried the majority of the supplies; there is still a load for five men. The hunters returned empty-handed.

  The cave for our personal items is finished; it did not turn out so well.

  January 31

  Last day at camp. The góndola cleaned out the old camp and the sentries were withdrawn. Antonio, Ñato, Camba, and Arturo will remain; their instructions are: to make contact at least every three days; as long as there are four of them, two will be armed; sentry duty must not be neglected at any time; the new recruits will be instructed in our general rules, but should not know more than is absolutely necessary; all the personal items will be removed from the camp and the weapons hidden in the woods, covered by a tarp. The cash reserve will remain in the camp permanently, on someone’s person. They will keep watch over the paths already made and the neighboring creeks. In case they have to withdraw suddenly, two will go to Arturo’s cave: Antonio and Arturo himself; Ñato and Camba will withdraw to the creek and one of them will run to leave a warning at a site we will choose tomorrow. If there are more than four men, one group will take care of the supply cave.

  I spoke to the troops, giving them final instructions for the march. I also gave final instructions to Coco (D. VII).

  Analysis of the month

  As I expected, Monje’s position was at first evasive and then treacherous.

  The party has taken up arms against us and I do not know where this will lead, but it will not stop us and maybe, in the end, it will be to our advantage (I am almost certain of this). The most honest and militant people will be with us, although they are going through a more or less severe crisis of conscience.

  Up to now, Guevara has responded well; we will see how he and his people act in the future.

  Tania departed, but the Argentines have shown no sign of life and neither has she. Now the real guerrilla phase begins and we will test the troops; time will tell what they can do and what the prospects for the Bolivian revolution are.

  Of everything that was envisioned, the slowest has been the incorporation of Bolivian combatants.

  1.Vicenta Guzmán Lara.

  2.This refers to a member of the Bolivian Communist Party.

  3.A Peruvian revolutionary whose identity has not been revealed.

  4.Olga Vaca Marchetti, Carlos’s sister.

  5.The term góndola is often used in Bolivia for buses and other means of public transportation. The guerrilla movement used the term to refer to trips on which provisions were brought back to the camps.

  6.Humberto Rhea Clavijo, a Bolivian doctor who collaborated with the guerrillas.

  7.Quechua is the native language widely spoken in Bolivia, especially in the territory of the ancient Inca empire.

  8.A fly that deposits its larva under the skin when it bites.

  9.Choclos are baby corn.

  10.Carlos Fernández González, a Bolivian police officer.

  11.The gringo was Cristian Reese, a Bolivian of German descent who lived in Lagunillas.

  12.“Instructions to Urban Cadres.” See Appendices.

  13.Wálter Pareja Fernández. In practice, Pareja did not head the urban network, but he did collaborate with it.

  14.Rodolfo Saldaña was never able to join the guerrilla movement.

  15.Tatú is an armadillo.

  FEBRUARY 1967

  February 1

  The first phase was carried out. The men arrived somewhat tired, but in general, did well. Antonio and Ñato came up to work out the passwords and to bring my backpack and that of Moro, who is recovering from malaria.

  We established a system to alert each other by putting messages in a bottle under a bush close to the path.

  Joaquín, in the rear guard, is struggling with his load, and this is holding up the whole group.

  February 2

  A slow, arduous day. El Médico [Moro] delayed the march a bit, but in general the pace is slow. At 4:00 we came to the last site with water and camped there. The vanguard was ordered to march to the river (presumably the Frías) but they too failed to maintain a good pace.

  It rained during the night.

  February 3

  It was raining at daybreak, so our departure was delayed until 8:00. Just as we were heading off, Aniceto arrived with some rope to help us through the difficult passes; shortly afterwards, the rain started again. We reached the creek at 10:00, drenched, and decided not to continue any further today. The creek cannot be the Frías; it is simply not indicated on the map.

  Tomorrow the vanguard will set out, led by Pacho, and we will communicate every hour.

  February 4

  We walked from the morning until 4:00 in the afternoon, with a two-hour break at noon to eat some soup. The path follows the Ñacahuazú; it is relatively good but so rough on our shoes that several compañeros are already almost barefoot.

  The troops are fatigued but they have responded very well. I was relieved of nearly 15 pounds and can walk with ease, although the pain in my shoulders becomes unbearable at times.

  We have not encountered any recent signs of people along the river, but we should come across populated areas any time now, according to the map.

  February 5

  Unexpectedly, after walking five hours in the morning (12 to 14 kilometers), the vanguard notified us that they had encountered animals (a mare and her foal). We halted and ordered a scouting expedition so we could avoid an area that might be populated. We debated over whether we had r
eached the Iripití1 or at the junction with the Saladillo, marked on the map. Pacho returned with the news that there was a river many times larger than the Ñacahuazú and that it was impassable. We went there and found ourselves facing the real Río Grande; moreover, it was overflowing. There are signs of life but they are rather old and the tracks lead to dense undergrowth where there are no signs of traffic.

  We camped in a bad spot, close to the Ñacahuazú, to make use of its water; tomorrow we will explore both sides of the river (east and west) to become familiar with the area and the other group will try to cross it.

  February 6

  A calm day to restore our strength. Joaquín left with Wálter and El Médico [Moro] to explore along the course of the Río Grande; they walked eight kilometers without discovering a way across and found only a creek with salt water. Marcos walked a little upstream and did not reach the Frías; Aniceto and Loro went with him. Alejandro, Inti, and Pacho tried unsuccessfully to swim across the river. We moved about a kilometer back, looking for a better campsite. Pombo is rather sick.

  Tomorrow we will begin building a raft to try to cross the river.

  February 7

  The raft was made under Marcos’s direction; it turned out very large and difficult to maneuver. At 1:30 we went to the spot from which we could cross, and at 2:30 we began to do so. The vanguard made it in two trips and the third trip took half the center group, along with my clothes, but not my backpack. When they went back again to take the rest of the center group across, Rubio miscalculated and the river took the raft way downstream—it could not be saved, and fell apart. Joaquín began to build another that was ready by 9:00, but it was not necessary to cross at night because it had not rained and the water level was still dropping. Of the center group, Tuma, Urbano, Inti, Alejandro, and I remain here. Tuma and I slept on the ground.

  February 8

  At 6:30 the rest of the center group began the crossing. The first section of the vanguard went at 6:00 and when the center group made it, everyone crossed; once the entire rear guard made it over, the center group left at 8:30. The rear guard was instructed to hide the raft and then follow behind. The path became rough and we had to clear it with machetes. At 6:00, thirsty and hungry, we came to a creek with a little pond, where we decided to camp; there are many pig tracks here.

  Braulio, Aniceto, and Benigno walked about three kilometers to the river and came back with the news that they had seen tracks made by abarcas2 and by three animals, one with horseshoes; all are recent.

  February 9

  When we had walked more than half an hour, it occurred to me to leave the path, which was heading uphill, and to follow the creek, and in a while we came across a cornfield; I sent Inti and Ricardo to investigate, and then pandemonium broke out. The marker we had left for those behind us was missed, and they thought I was lost; groups went in all directions. The vanguard found a house and waited there for me. Inti and Ricardo ran into some small boys and went to the house of a young peasant3 with six children, who received them very well and gave them a lot of information. During the second conversation, Inti told him that he was the head of the guerrillas and he bought two pigs to make huminta.4

  We stayed in the same place eating corn and pork. We made ponche5 in the early morning, but left it for the following day.

  February 10

  Posing as one of Inti’s assistants, I went to talk to the peasant. The performance was not particularly effective because Inti was so shy.

  The peasant is true to type—unable to help us, but also incapable of seeing the harm he can cause us, and for this reason, potentially dangerous. He told us about other peasants, but we could not be entirely confident about his information because he was not very specific.

  El Médico [Moro] treated the children who had worms and a mare had kicked one of them; then we headed off.

  We spent the afternoon and evening making huminta (it is not very good). At night we gathered everyone together and I made a few observations about the next 10 days. First, I am thinking of a hike of 10 days or more toward Masicuri, so that all the compañeros can actually see the soldiers for themselves; and then we would try to return along the Frías to be able to explore another trail.

  (The peasant’s name is Rojas.)

  February 11

  The old man’s birthday: 67.6

  We continued down a clearly marked path along the riverbank, until it became rather difficult to get through, and every now and again we would lose the trail as it seemed nobody had passed through this area in a while. At midday we got to a point where it disappeared completely, next to a large river that suddenly made us doubt again whether it was the Masicuri or not. We stopped at a creek while Marcos and Miguel went upstream to explore. Inti, with Carlos and Pedro, did the same downstream, trying to find the mouth. They found it, and confirmed that it was the Masicuri, whose nearest ford seemed to be farther downstream, where they had seen several peasants loading horses in the distance. They have probably seen our tracks, so from now on we will have to take greater care. We are one or two leagues from Arenales, according to what the peasant told us.

  Altitude = 760 meters.

  February 12

  We walked the two kilometers rapidly on the path made by the vanguard yesterday. From here, the trail took a while to clear. At 4:00 in the afternoon, we hit a main road that seems to be the one we have been looking for. There was a house on the other side of the river, ahead of us, but we decided not to go there, and instead we looked for another house on this side that should belong to Montaño, whom Rojas recommended. Inti and Loro went there but they found no one, although there were signs that it was the right place.

  At 7:30 we set off on a night march that served to show how much there is to learn. At around 10:00, Inti and Loro returned to the house, bringing not so good news: the man was drunk and not very welcoming; he had nothing but corn. He had got drunk at Caballero’s7 house on the other side of the river, where the ford is. We decided to sleep in the little patch of trees nearby. I was completely exhausted; the humintas had not agreed with me and I had not eaten anything all day.

  February 13

  The dawn let loose a downpour that lasted all morning, flooding the river. The news is better: Montaño is the owner’s son—about 16 years old. His father was not there and will be away for a week; he gave us a lot of specific information about the ford, which he says is a league away. A section of the road follows the left bank, but only for a short distance. The only house on this side is that belonging to Pérez’s brother, a small farmer whose daughter is the girlfriend of a member of the army.

  We moved on to a new camp, beside the creek and a cornfield. Marcos and Miguel made a shortcut to the main road.

  Altitude = 650 meters. (Stormy weather.)

  February 14

  A quiet day, spent at the same camp. The lad from the house came by three times: once to tell us that some people had crossed from the other side of the river looking for some pigs, but would not come our way. We paid him extra money for the damage we had done to his cornfield.

  The macheteros spent the entire day slashing without coming across a single house; they estimate they completed about six kilometers, which is half of our work for tomorrow.

  We decoded a long message from Havana, the main news being about the meeting with Kolle, who claimed he had not been informed our undertaking was on a continental scale and, if this was the case, they were ready to collaborate in a plan and wanted to discuss details with me; Kolle himself, Simón Rodríguez, and Ramírez8 will come here. The message also stated that Simón had declared his decision to help us independently of what the party decides.

  Besides this, there is news that the Frenchman,9 traveling with his own passport, will arrive in La Paz on the 23rd, and will stay with either Pareja or Rhea. Part of the message has yet to be decoded. We will see how to deal with this new conciliatory offensive. Other news is that Merci turned up with no money, claiming it was stolen; mi
sappropriation is suspected, although something more serious cannot be ruled out. Lechín10 is going to ask for money and training.

  February 15

  Hildita’s birthday: 11.11

  A peaceful day on the march. At 10:00 in the morning we caught up to where the macheteros had stopped; it was a slow hike after that. At 5:00 in the afternoon, we were informed that a cultivated field was ahead and at 6:00 this was confirmed. We sent Inti, Loro, and Aniceto to talk with the peasant, who turned out to be Miguel Pérez, the brother of Nicolás, who is a rich peasant. But Miguel is poor and exploited by his brother, so much so that he seems ready to collaborate with us. We did not eat because it was so late.

  February 16

  We walked a few meters to avoid the brother’s curiosity and we camped on high ground overlooking the river 50 meters below. The position is good as far as protecting us from surprise attacks is concerned, but it is rather uncomfortable. We began preparing a large quantity of food for the journey across the mountain range toward the Rosita.

  The afternoon brought strong and persistent rain that fell all night, delaying our plans. It flooded the river and left us isolated once again. We will lend the peasant $1,000 so he can buy and fatten some pigs; he has capitalist ambitions.

  February 17