Background and position
Guevara combined a senior economic role as Minister of Industries with influence as a revolutionary leader. His diplomatic activity reflected Cuba’s search for support against the United States. The published 1962 conversations place him within debates over how reliable Soviet backing would be in a confrontation.
Sources for this passage: [1]Role in October 1962
Guevara travelled to Moscow in 1962 and discussed the Soviet commitment to Cuba. A published conversation with the Chinese ambassador records his concern about what support would mean in an American invasion. He was influential within the Cuban leadership, but did not negotiate the Kennedy–Khrushchev settlement or command the Soviet missiles.
His discussions about an American invasion concerned the survival of the revolution, not simply the technical merits of particular missiles. That perspective helps explain why Cuban leaders could judge the eventual compromise differently from the governments in Washington and Moscow.
Sources for this passage: [1]Why their role matters
His prominence can make it tempting to give him a larger operational role than the records support. He was not the commander of the Soviet missile force and was not a party to the private Kennedy–Dobrynin exchange. His contribution is best understood through Cuban diplomacy and the revolution’s political expectations.
Sources for this passage: [1] [2]