Maria Eva Duarte Peron, commonly known as Eva Peron and affectionately known as Evita, is a prominant fixture in Argentina’s history. This woman had power in an age when women were relatively powerless. She devoted her life to her husband’s political career, social reform, and to tending the needs of the poor and the working class. She understood the needs of the people because she grew up as and among the lower class.
Eva Peron was born to Juana Ibarguren in Los Toldos on May 17, 1919. She was one of five illegitimate children of ranch owner Juan Duarte. She and her siblings were accepted and supported by her father until his death in January of 1920. “Life was rough for the family after Juan Duarte’s death. He was Juana’s only means of support. All that he left her was a legal declaration that the children were his and an order for them to be able to bear his name. To keep her house and put food on the table Juana and her daughters hired themselves out as cooks in homes of the local rich. This is where Eva got her first close look at the rich, powerful families who controlled Argentina” (Wangemann 1).
At the age of ten Eva moved to a nearby town of Junin with her family after a new man came into the life of her mother.
Eva knew as an adolescent that she wanted more than she could get if she stayed in her hometown and continued to live as her mothers and sisters did. When she was fifteen years old Eva went to see a tango singer, Augustin Magaldi, at a local theater. “She traveled to Buenos Aires with the traveling musician where she became a radio and film actress, acting in B-grade movie melodramas and Radio El Mundo soap operas. She eventually came to co-own the radio company and was considered to be a talented radio actress” (Wikipedia 1).
In 1944 an earthquake devistated San Juan, a town just five hundred miles east if Buenos Aires. This disaster was what brought actress Eva Duarte and Colonial Jaun Peron together. He was backstage at a national radio show in which Eva was asked to appear as part of a benefit charity for San Jaun’s victims. Their meeting began a relationship that would change Argentina.
“She and Peron married on October 21, 1945. Her impoverished roots and inclinations led her to assume the role of her husband’s liason with labor, becoming a co-leader of the descamisados (the ‘shirtless’), the foundation for her husband’s political support” (Wikipedia 1).
Peron became vice-president in 1945 but faced trials in this position because he had become an ally of Nazi Germany before realizing how dangerous and evil this country was. He was forced to resign after a friend whom he had placed in a position of power turned out to be a betrayer. When the news was broadcast throughout Argentina Eva was fired from the radio station. Always a fighter, Eva used her anger, fear, and humiliation to push forward to save her husband.
“Eva immediately got on the phone and contacted every officer, and every man in the service that had been promoted by Peron. Eva had calculated taht with the army divided in its loyalties and with the chain of military command hopelessly confused at the top it was the junior officers, the men who actually controlled the troops, who counted. They owed their careers to Peron, she reminded them, and now it was time for them to show their loyalty, not only to Peron but to the ordinary working people of Argentina who had finally found someone willing to work to lift them from their poverty and misery” (Wangemann 4).
Eva also told union officials that Peron was fired as vice-president because he had done so much for the workers. She set up a meeting at the Labor and Welfare Ministry where Peron was to give a retirement speech. Upon his arrival and speaking over 30,000 people raised their voices in declaration of their desire to have Peron back in leadership. During this gathering Juan Peron announced, “Before leaving this office, he had signed a decree granting Argentine workers salary increases and a share of the profits of the companies they worked for” (Wangemann 4). He promised to defend the workers if the decree was challenged. After hearing this, the people shouted “Peron for President!”. What Peron did not know was this meeting was being broadcast all over Argentina. His wife had place microphones on the ministry steps and these microphones had a nationwide hook-up.
Because of the broadcast Juan Peron was arrested, but Eva came to the rescue by taking actions that would change the rest of Argentina’s history. In her own words Eva Peron exclaimed, “I flung myself into the streets searching for those friends who might still be of help to him…As I descended from the neighborhoods of the proud and rich to those of the poor and humble, doors were opened to me more generously and with more warmth. Above I found only cold and calculating hearts, the ‘prudent’ hearts of ‘ordinary’ men incapable of thinking or doing anything extraordinary, whose hearts nauseated, shamed and disgusted one” (Wangemann 5).
Eva got the workers to make enough noise throughout the area to disturb those who counted and Peron was released and his arrest denied. Claims were even made that he was in protective custody for his own safety. Peron regained his position as vice-president with over 200,000 civilians joyfully present.
Peron won the 1946 presidential election with Eva at his side. “On first taking office he continued to build support. He nationalized the British owned railroads and utilities. He raised wages so the workers were receiving the highest standard of living workers had ever known” (Wangemann 6).
After becoming first lady of Argentina, Eva Peron’s real work began. Initially she settled some old scores by blacklisting actresses who made fun of her and tolde her she was not good enough. After that the majority of her work was done to help underprivileged Argentines. “She created the Eva Peron Foundation, an institution to assist the poor. It was incredibly popular and made valuable contributions to Argentine life. The hospitals and orphanages that the Foundation established endured long after Eva’s own premature death. The Foundation also increased Eva’s political power within Argentina and soon she organized the woman’s branch of the Jusicialist Party. By 1949, Eva was the most influential figure in Argentina” (Wikipedia 1).
Through the foundation Evita City was created. Built in 1948, the housing project not only provided homes to the poor, but beds, tables and clothes as well. Eva even personally came and handed out bundles of money to those living in Evita City. The foundation was so large and important it was similar to a government department. Eva helped raise money by requiring every worker to donate one days pay a year to the foundation. She also made sure that all of her acts were covered by the press and her deeds were known nationwide. “The poor adored her. The poor were given the opportunity to go to school, wear shoes, and most important have a new life because of Eva” (Wangemann 8).
Eva stood by her husband in his quest for re-election in 1951. The economy in Argentina was failing and inflation had skyrocketed, but Eva was able to use her eloquent speaking skills and her influence on the people to keep, encourage, and promote support for her husband. She even tried to run for vice-president but the fact she was a woman caused such an uproar she pulled out of the race. It was also in this time that uterine cancer began to weaken a woman who had seemed invincible.
Eva stood by her husband through the elections, and continued to make public appearances as long as she could. She voted from her hospital bed and took large doses of pain medication to stand next to her husband at his inauguration.
On July 26, 1952 Eva Peron succumbed to cancer at the age of thirty-three. Her death left a void in the hearts of many Argentines. She was a great woman who played a large role in the election of her husband and influenced his leadership. She improved the lives of the poor and the working class. She set an example as one who had risen out of the lower class, yet kept her care for others. She left an eternal legacy in Argentina that changed the country and the people forever.
Works Cited
Wangemann, Garth. Evita the Woman. 1996. 5 October 2005. http://my.execpc.com/~reva/html7g.htm
Wikipedia. Eva Peron. 2005. 5 October 2005. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eva_Peron
