Once in power, Che Guevara assumed the role of sole jury and executioner under Fidel Castro’s regime, in 1950's Cuba.
The body count is hard to pin down with accuracy, but Che himself admitted to ordering hundreds of executions at La Cabaña during the first year alone.
Many individuals imprisoned at La Cabaña, including human rights activist Armando Valladares, testify that Guevara took a personal interest in the interrogation, torture, and the execution of countless of political prisoners.
Those who managed to survive say he frequently delivered the killing blow himself in the side of the victim’s head with his own pistol.
In a speech in front of the United Nations in 1964, Guevara proudly admitted that “yes, we have executed, we are executing, we will continue to execute.”
On the whole, between 15,000 and 17,000 people were executed by Che, Castro and the Cuban Communist regime.