During the event, the publisher announced that proceeds from the book’s sales would be used to purchase medical supplies for the Ernesto Guevara Teaching Polyclinic in the town of Niquero, located in the eastern Cuban province of Granma.
During the discussion, the work of the legendary Argentine-Cuban guerrilla fighter and revolutionary leader sparked a conversation about the relevance of his human values in understanding the principles that—more than six decades later—still underpin the social process launched on the Caribbean island on January 1, 1959.
Nando Simeone, author of the introductory essay accompanying this Italian edition, urged the audience to consider the book’s importance in the current climate, as the “fascist” U.S. government tightens the screws of the blockade against Cuba.
“Why a book by Che? Because the Cuban Revolution stands today as an alternative to capitalism, and because, despite Trump’s criminal measures, Cuba endures,” he said.
Simeone noted that *Pasajes de la guerra revolucionaria* is not merely an account of the years Che spent in Mexico—where he met Fidel Castro—or of the *Granma* yacht expedition and the Sierra Maestra campaign; it is also a book about the transformation of a capitalist society, which champions individualism, into a better project.
He noted that Che introduced the concept of the “New Man” into Marxism—and put it into practice through his own example—referring to the person who helps those in need, fosters altruism, and seeks to build a different kind of society based on values of solidarity and cooperation.
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