Eva Peron - who is she?

Hi Tim, second question we have answered for you today, on your way to Buenos Aires Stay? http://www.buenosairesstay.com/ - your answer:

Eva Duarte de Perón, born 7 May 1919 in Los Toldos, Argentina and

died 26July1952 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, known affectionately as Evita, she was the second wife of Argentine president Juan Perón. Juan Domingo Perón is one of Argentina’s most revered presidents. Evita currently rests in Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, for good, one would hope.

There is much written about Evita and much is disputed about both her birth and the formative years of her life – but who cares? This iconic lady won the hearts of the people. She was a catalyst for social reform, a campaigner of women’s rights and the champion of the needy in Argentine society. Successive military junta’s would later fear her legacy.

Lloyd Weber would later romanticise her story in the hit show Evita and Julie Covington’s ‘don’t cry for me Argentina’ would be a number one hit throughout the world. The name Evita and ‘don’t cry for me Argentina’ are very popular search terms on the internet showing the widespread appeal of this most engaging character and her endearing story.

It is worth touching briefly on Juan Perón, who outside Argentina is often overshadowed by Evita and the calamity of his return to Argentine politics in 1973.

Juan Perón was a boy soldier (16) who rose quickly through the officer ranks becoming the military attaché to Chile and then Italy, where he was witness to the Nazi Germany’s expansionism and the distasteful grip of fascism in Europe. Along with Eva Perón’s influence, the latter period of his military career are thought to have changed Perón’s conservative politics.

Juan Perón returned to Argentina in 1941, during the next two years he was made a full colonel, and joined the United Officers Group (Grupo de Oficiales Unidos, GOU, P2), a secret military lodge that engineered the 1943 coup that overthrew an ineffective and corrupt civilian government.

The military regimes of the following three years came increasingly under the influence of Perón. Perón was a shrewd political operator and initially took the minor post of secretary of labour and social welfare, but could see that this role would be pivotal in him influencing policy that would affect the masses and win him popular appeal. Perón won the support of the underprivileged labourers (the descamisados, or “shirtless ones” as they would later be known).

In 1944, however, as a protégé of Pres. Gen. Edelmiro J. Farrell (1944–46), Perón became minister of war and then vice president.

However, the direction of government and Perón’s ‘socialism’ had few fans in the ultra-conservative armed forces. The tide of socialism sweeping Europe and the America’s was of great concern and Argentina’s pending free elections worried both the military and business leaders.

In October 1945, Perón was ousted from his position by rival army and navy officers in Argentina’s shortest coup, which resulted in the labour unions rallying the workers of greater Buenos Aires - Perón was released from custody on 17 October 1945. That night, from the balcony of the presidential palace (Casa Rosada), he addressed 300,000 people. He promised social justice and reform, and to lead the Argentine people to victory in the pending presidential election.

A few days later, Perón, who was a widower, married Eva Duarte, who had been an undistinguished stage and radio actress. Perón’s politics and his meteoric rise have often been attributed to this powerful lady. Eva Duarte de Perón participated in her husband's 1945–46 presidential campaign, winning the adulation of the working-class masses, which she addressed as los descamisados.

Evita was to become a powerful political ally of her husband, revered by the lower economic classes.

Evita never held an official government post but acted as her husband’s de facto minister of health and labour, and was successful in influencing wage increases to the unions, who responded with greater political support for Perón. These sweeping reforms alienated him from both the Argentine ruling elite and military classes in Argentina.

Perón cut off government subsidies to the traditional and corrupt Sociedad de Beneficencia (Aid Society) and replaced it with Eva Perón Foundation, which was supported by “voluntary” union and business contributions, plus a substantial cut of the national lottery.

These resources were better used to establish hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes for the elderly. Evita was also largely responsible for the passage of the woman suffrage law and she formed the Perónista Feminist Party in 1949. In 1951, although dying of cancer, she obtained the nomination for vice president, but the army forced her to withdraw her candidacy. It should be realised that Argentina’s political system was often subject to military control until 1983.

Even after her death, Evita is still a formidable influence in Argentina’s society and a great iconic figure of Argentine history. Christina Kirchner’s recent presidential campaign had more than just a mention and flavour of Eva Duarte de Perón.

Evita’s working-class followers tried unsuccessfully to have her canonised, and her enemies in the military, in an effort to exorcise her as a national symbol of Perónism, exported Eva Duarte de Perón’s embalmed body in 1955 after Juan Perón was overthrown and secreted it in Italy for 16 years.

In 1971, the military government, bowing to Perónist demands, turned over her remains to her exiled widower in Madrid. After Juan Perón died in office in 1974, his third wife and vice-president, Isabel Perón, hoping to gain favour among the populace, repatriated the remains and installed them next to the deceased leader in a crypt in the presidential palace.

Two years later a new military junta hostile to Perónism removed their bodies and it is sometimes claimed that their remains are still missing.

Evita’s remains were finally interred in the Duarte family crypt in Recoleta Cemetery. Eva Duarte Perón’s story and her memory are held very close to Argentina’s heart and a pilgrimage to Evita’s resting place in Recoleta Cemetery is a must on your list of things to do in Buenos Aires.

Andrew Rae McCance - raemac@bastay.com

Eva Peron was one of the most powerful women of our time. From a poverty stricken, illegitimate child to the First Lady of Argentina, Evita traveled a long road. Loved passionately and hated equally as strongly, there are many myths and legends surrounding this woman. From the power she wielded during her life to her legacy that is still living , Eva was indeed a remarkable woman. Described as the ÒCinderella of ArgentinaÓ, Eva did indeed make all her dreams come true. hope ur interested cos i had to look that up==== copy and paste it!!

Eva Peron was the wife of Juan Peron , the leader of Argentina . She was the second wife of Juan Peron and was the first lady of Argentina from 1946-1952. She was known as the spiritual leader of the nation and some consider the backbone and foundation of Peron's presidency . Before she died she was made aware of her incurable cancer the song"Dont cry Argentina" was a theme for her in the waning days of her life. (song later credited in the movies)

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Wife of Juan Peron dictator of Argentina in 1950s.

Evita is a dimiutive of her name.

Don't cry etc. is a song from the stage show about her life.

Evita is a nickname for Eva Duarte, famous for her role in Argentine politics during the late 40's through her marriage with Juan D Peron. Before meeting Juan Peron, she was famous in her own right for being an actress, although with little talent and a reputation for being a "gold digger", though many would disagree to this day as she's basically revered in Argentina for bringing oportunities to the poor and working class. People there will sometimes refer to her as "santa evita" (saint evita).

In Argentina, one uses diminutives for names as a form of familiarity and affection for friends or relatives. She worked so closely with the poor that they nicknamed her Evita.

Dont cry Argentina...you mean Don't cry for me Argentina? It's a song from the musical EVITA which is based on her life. By "Don't cry for me"... she sings to a mass of people who gathered outside the casa rosada, (Argentina's then place of residence for the president) during the evening of the elections that made her husband Juan Peron the president of the nation. In the musical, the crowds of supporters gathered outside the casa rosada are listening to a speech by Juan Peron who is standing on the main balcony. It's at this moment that he mentions his wife, Eva Duarte de Peron ...and the crowds go wild and begin to call for her to come out to the balcony too. They call out "evita! evita! evita!" and as she comes out to the balcony, she then sings to the people..."Don't cry for me Argentina". In the song, she doesn't mean cry as in tears...rather cry as in screaming for her name, calling out to her. She's trying to say: don't call for me...I've always been here, never left you...always on the side of the working class. Juan and Eva's political views still play a strong role in Argentine politics, though they have changed with the times. Peronists tend to govern in favor of the working class.

She was the first lady of Argentina from 1946 until 1952. She was the first female to become involved in Argentine politics, and founded the first women's political party in Argentina. She also did a lot of charitable works and good things for women's groups during that period.

That woman who played Madonna in the film!