 French intellectual Régis Debray , who was captured in April 1967 while with Guevara in Bolivia , gave an interview from prison in August 1968 , in which he enlarged on the circumstances of Guevara 's capture . Debray , who had lived with Guevara 's band of guerrillas for a short time , said that in his view they were " victims of the forest " and thus " eaten by the jungle " . Debray described a destitute situation where Guevara 's men suffered malnutrition , lack of water , absence of shoes , and only possessed six blankets for 22 men . Debray recounts that Guevara and the others had been suffering an " illness " which caused their hands and feet to swell into " mounds of flesh " to the point where you could not discern the fingers on their hands . Debray described Guevara as " optimistic about the future of Latin America " despite the futile situation , and remarked that Guevara was " resigned to die in the knowledge that his death would be a sort of renaissance " , noting that Guevara perceived death " as a promise of rebirth " and " ritual of renewal " . 
