Alberto Granado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alberto Granado
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2007 photo in Mérida, Venezuela
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| Born | August 8, 1922 Hernando, Argentina
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| Died | March 5, 2011 (aged 88) Havana, Cuba
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| Occupation | Pharmacist-chemist and writer |
| Known for | Traveling companion and close friend of Che Guevara |
Alberto Granado Jiménez (born August 8, 1922 – died March 5, 2011) was an Argentine-Cuban scientist and writer. He was a biochemist and doctor. He is best known as the close friend and travel partner of Che Guevara. They went on a famous motorcycle trip across Latin America in 1952. Later, Granado helped start the School of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Cuba. He wrote a book called Traveling with Che Guevara. This book was used to make the 2004 movie The Motorcycle Diaries. In the movie, Alberto Granado was played by Rodrigo de la Serna. The real Alberto Granado even appeared briefly at the end of the film.
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Early Life of Alberto Granado
Alberto Granado was born on August 8, 1922, in Hernando, Córdoba, Argentina. His father worked for a railway company. In 1930, his family moved to Villa Constitución. This was because his father was involved in a workers' union.
In 1931, Alberto went to live with his grandparents in Córdoba. In 1940, he started studying at the National University of Córdoba. He studied chemistry, pharmacy, and biochemistry.
A writer named Jon Lee Anderson described Granado as a strong person with a good sense of humor. He enjoyed reading, rugby, and spending time with friends.
In 1943, Granado took part in some student protests. He was put in jail for one year. During this time, he met Ernesto Guevara. Ernesto's family had moved to Córdoba hoping the mountain air would help his asthma. Ernesto visited Granado in jail with Granado's brother. Soon after, Ernesto joined a rugby team that Granado had started.
Even though Granado was six years older, they became very close friends. They both loved books, had similar ideas about the world, and dreamed of traveling. They shared a strong desire to explore their continent. Granado later said they got along well and often agreed on topics like politics and health.
In 1946, Granado finished his degree in biochemistry. He became a medical assistant at the National University of Córdoba. He became very interested in Hansen's bacillus, which causes leprosy. The next year, he became the director of pharmacology at a leprosarium (a hospital for people with leprosy). From 1947 to 1951, he worked and studied there. Ernesto Guevara often visited him at the leprosarium. Granado then won a scholarship to study in Buenos Aires.
Amazing Travels in South America
When he was 29, Alberto Granado decided to go on a big adventure. From December 1951 to July 1952, he traveled across South America. He rode his Norton 500cc motorcycle, which he called Poderosa II. His friend Che Guevara joined him. Both friends kept diaries during their journey. They stayed at a leprosarium in San Pablo, Peru at the end of their trip.
During their travels, they saw a lot of poverty. They met many native people who did not have access to basic medical care. In Chile, they visited a copper mine called Chuquicamata. They saw workers who were paid very little and suffered from lung diseases. Granado felt sad that all the wealth from the mine only benefited large companies.
These experiences deeply affected both men. For Granado, it showed him there was a bigger world to help. For Guevara, it made him want to fight against the causes of such hardship. These travels helped both men decide what they wanted to do with their lives. Guevara became a revolutionary, and Granado focused on science.
Granado's journey ended in Caracas, Venezuela. He stayed there to work at a leprosarium. Guevara continued his trip to Miami before returning to Buenos Aires to finish his medical degree. They did not see each other for eight years. By then, Guevara was a hero of the Cuban Revolution.
A few years later, in 1955, Granado received a scholarship to study in Rome. While in Europe, he visited France, Spain, and Switzerland. When he returned, he married Delia María Duque Duque.
Career in Cuba
After the Cuban Revolution succeeded in 1959, Che Guevara invited Granado to Havana. In 1960, Granado visited Cuba for the first time. A year later, he moved there with his family. He became a professor of biochemistry at the University of Havana.
In 1962, he helped start the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Santiago de Cuba. This was the second medical school in Cuba. He taught there until 1974. Granado played a big part in Cuba having many well-trained doctors. This is seen as a great success of the Cuban government.
From 1975 to 1986, Granado earned his doctorate in biological sciences. He also attended important science conferences in Moscow and Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg). He worked on developing special Holstein Tropical cattle breeds. In 1978, he published his book about his trip with Guevara. It was called Con el Che por Sudamerica.
From 1986 to 1990, he helped create the Cuban Genetics Society and became its president.
He retired in 1994. In 1997, he joined a group that promoted Che Guevara's ideas.
From 2002 to 2003, he was an advisor for the film The Motorcycle Diaries. The movie was based on his book and Guevara's own diary. Granado appeared briefly in the film's ending. His book was published in English in 2003 as Travelling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary.
On Che Guevara
Before Che Guevara left Cuba in 1965, he left books for his close friends. One book for Granado had a special message. It said: "My dreams shall know no bounds, at least until bullets decide otherwise. I'll be expecting you, sedentary gypsy, when the smell of gunpowder subsides. A hug for all of you, Che." This message seemed to predict Che's future.
Che Trusted Me (book)
In February 2010, a new Spanish book about Granado was announced. It was called El Che Confía En Mí (Che Trusted Me). The book was written by Rosa María Fernández Sofía. It was based on many interviews with Alberto Granado.
Death
Alberto Granado passed away peacefully on March 5, 2011. He was 88 years old. Cuban television reported that Granado wanted his body to be cremated. He asked for his ashes to be spread in Cuba, Argentina, and Venezuela.
His death happened on the same day, March 5, that Che's famous Guerrillero Heroico photograph was taken by Alberto Korda, 51 years earlier.
Family
Alberto Granado married Delia Maria Duque Duque in 1955. She was from Venezuela. They had three children: Alberto, Delita, and Roxana. One of his sons, also named Alberto Granado, leads Cuba's Africa House. This center in Havana celebrates African culture.
Film and Popular Culture
Granado was in the 2006 documentary film Che: Rise & Fall. He was played by Rodrigo de la Serna in the 2004 movie The Motorcycle Diaries. This film was about his and Guevara's trip around South America. Granado himself made a short appearance at the end of the movie.
Images for kids
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2007 photo in Mérida, Venezuela
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Map of Granado's trip with Che Guevara. The red arrows correspond to trips by airplane.
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Alberto Granado (left) with Guevara (right) aboard their "Mambo-Tango" wooden raft on the Amazon River in June 1952. The raft was a gift from the lepers whom they had treated.
See also
In Spanish: Alberto Granado para niños
