Forensic identification of skeletal remains from members of Ernesto Che Guevara's guerrilas in

Boliva based on DNA typing [1]

Richard WolfePBIO 427

Che Guevara

Argentine doctor 1956 helped Fidel

Castro invade Cuba [2] 1965 left Cuba for

revolution in Congo-Kinshasa [3]

1966 Bolivia led 50 guerrillas

1967 captured and executed

Bolivia

1995 created commission to find remains of Che's guerrilla members

Buried in countryside Found 2 burial sites Canada del Arroyo site Florida Provence site

Suspected Remains

Canada del Arroyo site

Jaime Arana Campero (Bolivia)

Francisco Huanca Flores (Bolivia)

Lucio Edilberto Galvan (Peru)

Octavio de la Concepcion (Cuba) Florida Provence site

Carlos Coello (Cuba)

Short Tandem Repeats (STRs)

Relatively new process in 1995 Considered imperative for 2 Cubans and Peruvian Both Cubans had wife and a child Peruvian only had a brother so mitochondrial DNA analysis At certain loci there are short (2-7bp) segments of DNA that

repeat a variable of times There are two copies of these areas, from father and

mother The number of repeats is inherited, one from each parent The more loci compared gives a higher probability of

identification

DNA Extraction

Bones buried 30 years in poor condition Femoral (thigh) in all cases used Samples sent to 2 laboratories in Cuba For each bone sample DNA extracted twice plus a blank DNA extracted using a detergent, protease, organic

extraction, and spin dialysis

Amplification

STRs were amplified by PCR Primer sets for 9 loci were used After amplification STRs run on polyacrylamide gel using

electrophoresis Each sample was visually compared to a known ladder PCR used to amplify mtDNA from Peruvian bone sample

STRs for Carlos Coello (Cuba)

STRs for Octavia de la Concepcion (Cuba)

Conclusion

No exclusion pattern for both Cuban remains Both Cuban remains identified using STRs The Peruvian could not be identified using paternity

analysis because only a brother was available When mtDNA was compared they were different, neither a

positive id nor an exclusion Historical and anthropological evidence and a positive

identification of the two Cubans conclude the identities of the other three remains

The positive identification of members of the Ernesto “Che” Guevara guerrilla is important for both historical and humanitarian reasons.

References

1. Lioenart R, et al; Forensic identification of skeletal remains from members of Ernesto Che Guevara's guerrillas in Bolivia based on DNA typing. Int J Legal Med. 2000, 113:98-101.

2. www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,991268,00.html

3. Che picture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CheHigh.jpg

4. Bolivia map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolivia

5. Nadella V; Lecture 7.pdf. PBIO428. 2011.