And today marks the 40th anniversary of the death of Latin American revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. Born in Argentina in 1928, Che rose to international prominence as one of the key leaders of the 1959 Cuban revolution that overthrew dictator Fulgencio Batista. Che later aimed to spark revolutionary activity internationally. In 1965, he led a secret Cuban operation aiding and training rebels in the Congo. One year later, Che was in Bolivia, helping to lead an uprising against the U.S.-backed government. On October 8, 1967, Che was captured by Bolivian troops working with the CIA. He was executed one day later. Commemorations are being held across the Americas today. On Monday, Bolivian President Evo Morales paid tribute to Che.

Evo Morales: “Who could ever consider themselves to be his successor? It is impossible to eclipse the life of Che. Nobody could do that. One could consider themselves the successor of Che only if they give their life for humanity. While we are still alive, we could never consider ourselves the successors of Che.”