Chile

Near the end of the section, Che talks about the importance of the man Valdivia. He says " Valdivia's actions symbolize man's indefatigable thirst to take control of a place where he can exercise total authority. That phrase, attributed to Caesar, proclaiming he would rather be first-in-command in some humble Alpine village than second-in-command in Rome" (85).



This revelation about Valdivia really shaped Che in later life. At first, Che seemed okay with being second to Fidel, but soon, he craved that total authority. At the end of the page, he also says, He belonged to that special class of men the species produces every so often, in whom a craving for limitless power is so extreme that any suffering to achieve seems natural." I think Che really internalized Valdivia's character, and tried to be that "special class". I think the fact of this omnipotent ruler shaped Che's political ideals, and caused Che to want to be that man.Valdivia was a conquistador that ended up becoming the first governor of Chile. It is kind of ironic how Che begins as an adventurer and later becomes a political symbol.