The following is the complete text of the letter from Ernesto 'Che! Guevara to Fidel Castro s«xplaining why he was leaving Cuba. Castro told the Cuban people the letter had been delivered to him last April to be made public at a time of his choosing. He indicated that it had not been made public until now for reasons of Guevara's personal security and that his present whereabouts would not be disclosed for the same reason. He said Guevara had written other letters to his family and various of his comrades and that they would be asked "to donnte them to the revolution because we consider that they are documents worthy of being part of history." "Fidel, At this moment I. remember many things - when I met you in Maria Antonia's house,when you suggested my coming, all the tensions involved in the preparations, One day they asked who should be notified in case of death, and the real possibility of that fact affected us all. Later we knew that it was true, that in revolution one wins or dies (if it is a real one). Meny comrades fell on the way to victory. Today everything is less dramatic because we are more mature. But the fact is repeated. I feel that I have fulfilled the part of my duty thot tied me to the Cuban revolution in its territory, and I say good-bye to you, the comrades, your people, who are already mine. I formally renounce my positions in the national leadership of the party, my post as minister, my rank of major, and my Cuban citizenship. Nothing legal binds me to Cuba, The only ties are of another n-ture; those which cannot be broken as appointments can. Recalling my past life, I believe I have worked with sufficient honour and dedication to consolidate the revolutionary triumph. My only serious failing was not having confided more in you from the first moments in the Sierra Maestra, and not having understood quickly enough your qualities as a leader and a revolutionary, I have lived magnificent days and I felt at your side the pride of belonging to our people in the brilliant yet sad days of the Caritbean crisis. Few times has a statesman been more brilliant than you in those days. I am also proud of having followed you without hesitation, identified with your way of thinking and of seeing and of appraising dengers snd principles. Other nations of the world call for my modest efforts.. I con do thst which is denied you because of your responsibility as the head of Cuba and the time has come for us to part. I want it known that I do it with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow: I leave here the purest of my hopes as a builder, and the dearest of those I love. And I leave a people thst received me 2s a son, That wounds me deeply. I carry to new battle fronts the frith that you taught me, the revolutionary spirit of: people, the feeling of fulfilling the most sacred of duties: to fight/ihperialisn wherever it may be, This conforts and heals the deepest wounds. I state once more that.I free Cuba from any responsibility, except that which stems from its example. If my final hour finds me under other skies, my last thought will )8¢ th=s people and especially of yous I am thankful for your teaching, your example, and I will try to be faithful to the final consequences of ny acts.
of I have always been identified with the foreign policy /our revolution and I will continue to be. Wherever I am, I will feel the responsibility of being a Cuban revolutionary, and as such I shall behave. I am not sorry that I leave my wife and my children nothing material. I am happy it is that way. I ask nothing for them as I know thé state will provide enough for their expenses and education. I would like to say much to you and to our people, but I feel it is not necessary. Words cannot express what I would want to, and I don't think its worth while to banter phrases, Ever onwards to victory! Homeland or death! I embrace you with all my revolutionary fervour,"