Read Online Latin America Diaries by Ernesto «Che» Guevara - Free Book Online

and continued north. It was very slow going because the number of punctures we’d had left us with some rotten spare tires. We reached San Salvador and set about wrangling free visas—which proved possible with the help of the Argentine embassy.
    We continued on to the [Guatemalan] border, 29 where we paid the surcharge with a few pounds of coffee. On the other side it cost us a torch, but we were on our way, albeit with only $3 in our pockets. Domingo was tired, so we stopped to sleep in the car.
Guatemala
    After a few minor incidents, we made it in time for breakfast at Óscar and Luzmila’s boarding house, only to find that they had somehow fallen out with the landlady. We had to find another boarding house where we wouldn’t have to pay upfront. That evening, December 24, we went to celebrate at the house of Juan Rothe, an agronomist married to an Argentine girl, who greeted us like old friends. I slept a lot, drank too much and fell sick immediately.
    For the next few days I had a terrible asthma attack, so I was immobile because of my asthma and also the festivities. By December 31 I was well again, but was careful what I ate during the celebrations.
    I’ve met no interesting people worth mentioning. One evening I had a long session with [Ricardo] Temoche, a former APRA 30 deputy. According to him, APRA’s principal enemy is the Communist Party—for him neither imperialism nor the oligarchy has any significance; the Bolsheviks are the irreconcilable enemy. At the same party was a noted economist, Carlos D’Ascolli, but he was too drunk to speak to me. After my attack, and at the end of the festivities, we witnessed the end of what had seemed to be a serious romance between Domingo Beberaggi and a girl called Julia. On Sunday he sold the car and flew to Costa Rica.
    Juan Rothe is going to Honduras as a technician, so he threw a farewell barbecue. It was formidable in every sense. The only person not drunk was me because of my diet. I visited Peñalver, 31 a supporter of Acción Democrática and a specialist in malaria,who has got a few things moving for me. Now I am close to the minister, but he doesn’t have much weight.
    Another contact I’ve made is a strange gringo 32 who writes bits and pieces about Marxism and has it translated into Spanish. The intermediary is Hilda Gadea, 33 while Luzmila and I put in the hard yards. So far we’ve made $25. I’m giving the gringo Spanish lessons.
    Another find has been the Valerini couple. She is very pretty; he’s very drunk, but a decent guy. They agreed to introduce us to an éminence grise within the government: Mario Sosa Navarro. We’ll see what comes of it.
    The days pass with no resolution. In the afternoons I work with Peñalver for a while, but he pays me nothing. In the mornings I go out to sell paintings of my Black Christ of Esquipulas, who is adored by people here, but that also earns me nothing as no sales are made. Among the interesting people I’ve met is Alfonso Bawer Pais, 34 a lawyer and president of the Banco Agrario, a man with good intentions. Edelberto Torres is a young communist student and son of Professor Torres 35 who wrote a biography of Rubén Darío. He seems like a decent guy. No news from the é minence grise . I had an intense political discussion with Fatty Rojo and Gualo, in the home of an engineer named Méndez. 36
    Nothing new in terms of finding work. The administrativeefforts at the Ministry of Public Health have failed. For now the only game in town appears to be a radio contract; although nothing’s come of it yet, it looks promising. We’ve met no one interesting these last few days. I put on the ACTH from 8 a.m. until 2 or so in the afternoon. I’m fine.
    No prospects in the near future. The é minence grise did not keep the appointment we made with him.
    A Saturday without trouble or glory. The only good thing was a serious chat with Sra.