31 Facts About Tamara Bunke

Haydee Tamara Bunke Bider was an Argentine-born East German revolutionary known for her involvement in feminism, leftist politics, and liberation movements.

Tamara Bunke was recruited as an interpreter for the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, where she met Che Guevara during his 1960 visit to Leipzig.

Tamara Bunke was recruited for Bolivian Campaign, Che Guevara's guerrilla expedition in Bolivia aimed at sparking revolution across Latin America.

Tamara Bunke was killed in 1967 during an ambush by Bolivian Army Rangers while attempting to escape with a leg injury and fever.

Nadia Bider Tamara Bunke, born in 1912, was a Russian communist who hailed from a Jewish family within the Russian Empire.

Tamara Bunke played multiple musical instruments, including the piano, guitar, and accordion, with special interest in Latin American's folk music.

Tamara Bunke commenced her studies in philosophy or political science, depending on the source, at Humboldt University in East Berlin, where she distinguished herself due to her linguistic skills; she was fluent in English, Spanish, French and German.

Tamara Bunke soon began working as a translator of several Latin American leaders during their visits to East Germany, particularly those associated with the FGY's International Relations Department.

Tamara Bunke first worked as an interpreter for the Cuban National Ballet.

Tamara Bunke involved herself in voluntary work, namely teaching and participating in the construction of homes and schools in rural areas.

Tamara Bunke worked in the Ministry of Education, the Cuban Institute for Friendship Among People, and the Federation of Cuban Women, where she made close ties with Vilma Espin.

Tamara Bunke worked for the Asociacion de Jovenes Rebeldes, later known as the Union of Young Communists.

Tamara Bunke assisted in organizing an international student union conference in Havana.

Tamara Bunke joined the People's Defense Militia and collaborated with various Latin American individuals who sought solidarity with their struggles, including Nicaraguan revolutionary Carlos Fonseca.

Tamara Bunke actively participated in the insurgency in Nicaragua, establishing connections with members of the Sandinista National Liberation Front.

Three candidates were considered, and Tamara Bunke was eventually chosen for training to participate in Che Guevara's guerrilla expedition.

In preparation, Guevara assigned Tamara Bunke to be trained by Dariel Alarcon Ramirez.

In October 1964, Tamara Bunke, using the alias Laura Gutierrez Bauer, arrived in Bolivia as an undercover agent in Che Guevara's final revolutionary campaign.

Tamara Bunke's mission was to infiltrate Bolivia's political and military elite to gather intelligence on the country's power structures.

Tamara Bunke befriended high-ranking officials, including General Alfredo Ovando Candia, head of the Bolivian Army, and ultimately won the admiration of President Rene Barrientos, even accompanying him on a holiday to Peru.

Tamara Bunke married a young Bolivian man in a marriage of convenience, securing citizenship and blending further into Bolivian society.

In late 1966, Tamara Bunke's role shifted as preparations began for the arrival of Guevara's guerrilla forces in Bolivia.

Tamara Bunke was tasked with organizing safe houses that could serve as storage sites for supplies and ammunition.

Originally, Tamara Bunke was meant to focus solely on intelligence gathering.

In one of her journeys to the Nancahuazu base, Tamara Bunke left her jeep parked at a safe house, where a captured Bolivian communist later revealed its location to authorities.

Tamara Bunke began suffering from a high fever, a leg injury, and painful effects from a Chigoe flea infestation.

Tamara Bunke's corpse was supposedly transferred by helicopter to Vallegrande.

Since her death, Tamara Bunke has been the subject of claims suggesting she was a triple agent for the Soviet KGB, East German Stasi, and Cuban intelligence, and that she had a romantic relationship with Che Guevara in Bolivia, possibly even carrying his child at the time of her death.

The book repeated a debunked rumor that Tamara Bunke had an affair with Guevara while training in Prague, though records show they were never there at the same time.

Tamara Bunke has been depicted in numerous films, songs, and theatrical productions, most notably, portrayed by Franka Potente in the film Che.

In fiction literature and games, Tamara Bunke's presence is equally notable.