Gary Prado Salmon: Bolivian general who captured Che Guevara dies
Mr Salmon led his forces to capture the Argentinian, who had been a
central figure in Cuba's communist revolution and tried to spread
communism to Bolivia. The general handed Guevara over to his superiors
who, a day later, had him executed at gunpoint.
Ernesto "Che" Guevara's captor, a former Bolivian general, has died at the age of 84.
Gary Prado Salmon was named a national hero in Bolivia after he led the military operation to capture and execute the revolutionary in the country in 1967.
Alongside Fidel Castro, Guevara was a major leader in the Cuban
communist movement and was shot dead a day after his capture by order of
the then right-wing military Bolivian government.
Mr Salmon's
team, known as the Bolivian Rangers, were trained by the US Green
Berets, who were told to prepare locals for a fight against guerrilla
tactics in the region.
Since 1981, Mr Salmon had been in a wheelchair, after being accidentally shot in the spine by another officer
Writing on social media, Mr Salmon's son Gary Prado Arauz, wrote: "He was accompanied by his wife and children.
"He left us a legacy of love, honesty and mettle. He was an amazing person."
He
added: "For him capturing Che was not the most important thing he did
in his life - rather, it was to contribute to making the armed forces a
democratic institution that would respect the constitution and laws."
The former general had been in hospital since April suffering from health complications and was receiving treatment.
