Cuba’s Great Hero Che Guevara and a Very Unusual Show

Che Guevara was an Argentine revolutionary and committed leftist who, through guerrilla warfare tactics, helped overthrow the Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 — ultimately replacing him with the Castro regime (or, more precisely, the rule of the Castro brothers). Santa Clara is the city where Guevara achieved one of the decisive victories of the revolution.

Here, together with his small guerrilla unit, he famously derailed an armored train carrying hundreds of Batista’s government soldiers. By attacking the train and forcing the soldiers to surrender — reportedly using Molotov cocktails — Guevara secured a symbolic and strategic victory. After that, many other government units surrendered, and Batista soon fled the country.

When Guevara’s remains were exhumed in Bolivia in 1997 — where he had been buried after being executed in 1967 — they were reburied here in Santa Clara. Today, the city holds several monuments and memorials dedicated to him.

After visiting a few of these Che-related landmarks, we buy tickets for the next leg of our journey. The following day we plan to travel from Santa Clara to Cuba’s most famous resort destination: Varadero.

In the evening, however, we decide to check out a show at a local cultural center.

What kind of show?

A drag performance.

Rather than attempting to describe it in detail, it’s probably best to say that the photos speak louder than words — and perhaps one day I’ll also upload a video.

After the show — which includes something resembling a talent competition — we once again meet the Dutch girls Sanne and Eline, who have befriended a few locals during the evening. Together we head toward a nearby bar.

However, the evening ends sooner than expected. The locals we are with are not allowed inside because they do not have passport copies — something tourists in Cuba are occasionally required to show when entering certain venues. (Not because of age, but for identification reasons.)

So by around 1 a.m., the night winds down.