In 1966, Che Guevara underwent a carefully planned disguise to conceal his identity before traveling from Cuba to Bolivia. The transformation was so convincing that, according to accounts of his final visit home, even his own children failed to recognize him.
With his face known around the world, Che could no longer travel unnoticed. Cuban intelligence helped him adopt the identity of Adolfo Mena González, a Uruguayan businessman. His beard disappeared, his hair was altered to create the appearance of natural baldness, and dental prosthetics changed the shape of his face. Thick glasses, body padding, and shoe lifts completed his new appearance.
The disguise allowed Che Guevara to enter Bolivia in November 1966, where he intended to establish a guerrilla movement. Less than a year later, he was captured by Bolivian soldiers and executed on October 9, 1967.
This Historium video examines Che Guevara's remarkable physical transformation, the methods used to conceal his identity, and the family encounter that revealed just how effective his disguise had become. Original photographs from 1966 show the striking difference between the familiar revolutionary and the man who traveled under the name Adolfo Mena González.
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