LA PAZ, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales and a wide array of government officials, special guests and the public honored the memory of Ernesto "Che" Guevara on Monday.
At a commemoration for the 50th anniversary of the Latin American revolutionary's death, Morales called on the Bolivian people to uphold Che's legacy and maintain his anti-imperialist struggle.
"The best homage is to continue the anti-imperialist struggle. Today more than ever, Che is necessary, he is more alive, he is being projected strongly toward the future," said the Bolivian president.
With the presence of Che's family and former revolutionary comrades, Morales said that the popularity of Che's thoughts among social movements in the region had helped future generations to free the peoples of the world and build a better world.
"The youth has as a great legacy, the example of Che's coherent life, to forge new flags of unity and mobilization, a Che who was a model socialist revolutionary, disciplined and demanding, thoughtful and faithful to his task," said Morales.
In his speech, Morales said that those in attendance should strive to build a world, without invaders or the invaded, without weapons of mass destruction or imperial military bases.
He also hoped for a world with real, participative democracy where the government listened to people, without the existence of oligarchies or financial hierarchies.
Born in the Argentine city of Rosario in 1928 and trained as a doctor, Guevara joined Fidel Castro's insurgency in 1956 to overthrow Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista, and played a leading role in the rebel victory.
With Cuba under new leadership, he left the country to continue his struggle against oppression, first to Congo and then to Bolivia, where he was ambushed and killed by mercenaries.
