Gary Prado is more than the capture of Che

I apologize to my kind readers if today I will comment on something that is close to my heart but that I think is of interest to the entire country: General Gary Prado Salmón has left us, a notable and multifaceted figure who was prominent in many activities beyond his military career. .
Gary Prado is known for having been the officer who captured Che Guevara and handed him over to the authorities. It was undoubtedly a military action of national and international relevance, but the figure of Gary Prado goes far beyond that military action.

Gary Prado was also a valuable intellectual, a researcher, a historian, a politician, a diplomat, a role model, and a renowned university professor.
His intellectual output includes a book on the history of the Armed Forces, and another on the MNR and the Armed Forces.

His work on the guerrilla, called The immolated guerrilla, published in many languages ​​and in several countries, is the best text on Che’s guerrilla. Another very important work is the story about the kidnapping of President Siles, a topic unknown to many. He was preparing his autobiography, which unfortunately will remain incomplete.

Gary Prado was part of that group of young institutionalist officers who in 1974 demanded immediate national elections from the military. The Government accepted the proposal, but within a few hours the main leaders, including him, were in prison or in exile.

The opportunity arose again in 1978 when the young institutionalists with General Padilla installed a new government with the sole objective of calling elections in six months, and so it was, a unique case of clean elections without an official candidate.

Gary Prado was Minister of Planning of that Government and from that portfolio he supported and promoted the creation of the Development Corporation in Santa Cruz, handing over control of the process to a group of young professionals who had already been working on the issue with a specialized consultant. It was the team that, led by Oscar Serrate, consolidated the Santa Cruz development model from the public sector, with broad participation from civil society. It is within this framework of collaboration with the Ministry of Planning that the construction of the Viru Viru airport is consolidated.

Gary Prado was politically in the center, away from all kinds of extremism.

As commander of the Eighth Army Division, he reassured the region, with his ability to negotiate and arrange, rather than use force. He was the guarantee for peaceful coexistence, intervening in conflicts always with great intelligence and knowledge of the issues. His word had credibility.

Being a soldier with an impeccable career, he had to endure ten years of a process of terrorism with which he had nothing to do. Why did they include it? According to some sources, it was an imposition by Cuba, but also because the crude scheme invented needed a person with military and strategic capabilities to be credible and he met that profile, but as expected, that trial could not even take 10 years. stay standing.

It is worth noting the important support that Gary had in these ten years: that of his son Gary, who as a lawyer with great capacity defended him and several other defendants who had no resources, and that of his wife María del Carmen, who accompanied him with great love and supported with the ferocity of a lioness. The inevitable presence of the journalist Harold Olmos should also be highlighted, who later published a detailed and precise book of more than 500 pages about the trial, denouncing the arbitrary acts.

He was a highly appreciated teacher by Utepsa students, because with his enormous capacity and culture, he opened the eyes of young people to the complexity of the world in which we live.

Finally, he was president of the Cedure board of directors, always accompanying our activities.

I want to close this comment with a phrase that a friend sent me and that summarizes some of the feelings towards him: “The general was a loved and admired man.” Great life achievement.