Alberto Granado

Alberto Granado (born on August 8, 1922 in Hernando, Córdoba, Argentina) was the travelling companion of Che Guevara during their trip around Latin America, and founder of the Santiago School of Medicine in Cuba.

He has written at least one book, Traveling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary. The book also served as reference for the 2004 film, The Motorcycle Diaries, in which he was played by Rodrigo de la Serna, while Che Guevara was played by Gael Garcia Bernal.

Timeline
8 August 1922: Born in Hernando, province of Córboba, Argentina to Dionisio T. Granado (Spanish clerical employee of Argentine railway company) and Adelina Jiménez Romero.

1930: After General Uriburu topples nationalist government of Hipólito Irigoyen, the family relocates to Villa Constitución, province of Santa Fé due to Dionisio T. Granado's position as a militant trade unionist.

1931: Sent to live with his grandparents in Córdoba.

1940: Attends University of Córdoba and studies chemistry and biochemistry.

1942: Meets Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara de la Serna after Guevara’s family moves to Córdoba

1943: Takes part in political protests against General Juan Perón and is jailed for one year.

1947-51: Now Director of Pharmacology and Clinical Laboratory and San Franscico del Chañar Leprosarium, earns MSc in biochemistry and wins scholarship to Instituto Malbrán, Buenos Aires.

29 December 1951-July 1952: Embarks on tour of South America on his beloved Norton 500cc motorcycle &mdash; Poderosa II &mdash; with Guevara. Both keep diaries. Includes stay at leprosarium in San Pablo, Peru. They witness first hand the poverty of disenfranchised native peoples and their frequent lack of access to otherwise cheap and basic medical care. These experiences galvanise both men in realising their future vocations &mdash; Guevara towards revolutionary politics and Granado to the pursuit of honest and practical science. Tour ends in Caracas, Venezuela. Granado stays in Venezuela to work at the Cabo Blanco leprosarium in Maiquetía. Guevara continues to Miami before returning home to Buenos Aires to complete his medical degree.

1955: Wins scholarship to Instituto Superiore di Sanità in Rome; whilst in Europe visits France, Spain and Switzerland. Marries Delia María Duque Duque upon return.

1960: Visits Cuba for first time on Guevara’s invitation.

1961: Moves family to Cuba and takes up post as professor of biochemistry at the School of Medicine of the University of Havana. Later in the year is one of the founders of the Institute for Basic and Pre-Clinical Sciences.

1962: Founds Faculty of Medicine at the University of Santiago with group of colleagues, the second in Cuba.

1970-4: Appointed senior professor 1975-86: Obtains doctorate in biological sciences. Attends World Congress on Genetics in Moscow, Congress on Polymorphism in Leningrad and becomes centrally involved in development of Holstein Tropical cattle breeds. In 1978, publishes his account of his and Guevara’s ‘51-’52 tour of South America, named Con el Che por Sudamerica, in Spanish, Italian and French.

1986-90: Takes part in creation of Cuban Genetics Society and is appointed its president.

1991-4: Devotes remainder of career to validation and methodology of his previous research in universities in Venezuela and Spain before retirement in ’94.

1997: Joins campaign for solidarity with Cuba and promotion of Guevara’s ideas at home and abroad.

2002-3: Is on-set advisor to Walter Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries, based upon Granado’s Con el Che por Sudamerica and Guevara’s own account, published posthumously in 1967. The first English-language edition of Granado’s account is published in 2003, entitled Travelling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary.