As a result of the 1961 U.S. ban on Cuban travel and trade, many American artists and intellectuals had to seek alternative means to maintain communication and cultural exchange with the island. The Center for Cuban Studies opened in New York City in 1972 to provide accurate information about social, cultural and political events in Cuba.
Ernesto 'Che' Guevara was an Argentine doctor who assisted in Fidel Castro's overthrow of the Cuban government. After ousting Batista, Guevara held several prominent political positions in Cuba, where he remained from 1956-1965. He continued to fight against imperialist regimes, travelling to Africa and to South America, where he was killed in Bolivia in 1967. The original photograph of Che's most famous portrait was taken in 1960 by Alberto Korda, though infrequently credited. The global circulation of this image transformed Che into a cult figure, representing the ultimate freedom fighter and heroic guerrilla warrior.