[2][3] Burri was a member of Magnum Photos and photographed major political, historical and cultural events and key figures of the second half of the 20th century.

From 1956 to 1959 he traveled extensively to places including Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, Brazil, and Japan, which led to publications in Life, Look, Stern, Paris-Match, Réalités, Epoca, and New York Times, as well as a photographic essay "El Gaucho" which appeared in Du.

[8] Describing a situation where an angry Che was pacing his tiny office like "a caged tiger", while being interviewed by an American woman from Look.

[8] While "hectoring" the reporter and "chomping on his cigar", Che suddenly looked Burri straight in the eye and told him "if I catch up with your friend Andy, I'll cut his throat" (while slowly drawing his finger across his neck).

Andy was Andrew St. George, a fellow Magnum photographer, who had travelled with Che in the Sierra Maestra, and then later filed reports for American intelligence.