LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) - Army veterans who fought against the Cuban-Argentine guerrilla leader Ernesto "Che'' Guevara asked the Bolivian government to oppose acts to commemorate the slain guerrilla.
Antonio Zapata, president of an organization of soldiers who fought against Guevara, said Monday the guerrilla leader and his men should not be honored since they "invaded national territory and killed Bolivian soldiers.''
Zapata presented a formal protest to Interior Minister Guido Nayar a few days before the start of a series of tributes, scheduled for the week of Oct. 5.
Active and retired Bolivian military last week also expressed their opposition to the tributes, scheduled to coincide with the 30th anniversary of his death in Bolivia.
The Argentine-born Guevara fought alongside Fidel Castro in Cuba, then moved to Bolivia to try to spread the revolution to South America. Bolivian forces seized him and other rebels on Oct. 8, 1967, and then executed them.
AP-NY-09-29-97 2048EDT