Che Guevara's killer dies in Bolivia

The Bolivian officer, Mario Terran Salazar, who confirmed that he had killed the Argentine-Cuban revolutionary leader, Ernesto Che Guevara, in 1967, died Thursday at the age of 80 in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in eastern Bolivia, according to what one of his close associates announced.

"Salazar died, he was sick and there was nothing that could be done," said Gary Prado, the officer who caught Che in the Bolivian jungle 54 years ago.

Prado learned of the death of Salazar, who was his student in the officers' college, saying: "I was notified of the matter by his family and comrades in the armed forces because he was in a military hospital."

The hospital refused to confirm the cause of death, in accordance with the "medical privacy" principle.

On October 8, 1967, the Bolivian army arrested Guevara, a symbol of armed revolutionary action during the Cold War, with the support of two Cuban-American agents from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Che commanded a handful of fighters who withstood battles, hunger and disease in the Bolivian mountains.

After being wounded in the fighting, he was taken to an abandoned school in the village of La Higuera.

In this village, Che Guevara spent his last night before he was killed the next day by Teran Salazar in an operation that took place with the approval of President René Barrientos (1964-1969), who was known for his fierce opposition to communism.

"It was the worst moment of my life," Teran Salazar recounted at the time. "At that time Che looked big and gigantic. His eyes were shining brightly."

He added, "He told me to keep calm and aim well, you are going to kill a man. Then I went back to the door, closed my eyes and fired."

After three decades of service, Teran Salazar retired and kept a low profile, avoiding contact with the press.

At one point, he even said that it was not him who killed Guevara, but another soldier with the same name and fame.

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