Mercedes-Benz has issued an apology for the use of a photograph of Che guevara. Guevara was a communist rebel who was killed in the Bolivian forests in 1967. His photo appeared in a presentation given by Benz boss Dieter Zetsche at the CES Show in Las Vegas. The photograph was in a presentation of a car sharing program app and showed Guevara, wearing his signature beret with a Mercedes-Benz three pointed star logo Photoshopped-in. The photograph hurt the feelings of anti-Castro Cuban activists and conservative Americans.

Cuban-American activist Ernesto Ariel Suarez launched a Facebook page that reads: "Tell Mercedes-Benz that it is NOT OK to use the image of a mass murderer." The Heritage Foundation, a conservative political group, wrote a post entitled 'Mercedes-Benz Uses Communist Madmen Che Guevara to Sell Luxury Cars.' In a post by Mike Gonzalez, he wrote: "Che Guevara, not to put too fine a point on it, was a psychopath whose sadistic lust for blood was not easily quenched. He killed for pleasure."

"Daimler was not condoning the life or actions of this historical figure or the political philosophy he espoused. We sincerely apologize to those who took offense," Daimler, the Mercedes-Benz's parent company said in a statement. No protests were registered from the Guevara family or from the Cuban authorities for the use of his photographs or the artwork on the beret to promote a Mercedes app.