Biography of Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina

Eva Perà ³n (May 7, 1919–July 26, 1952) was the wife of Argentine President Juan Perà ³n and the First Lady of Argentina. Fondly known as Evita, she played a major role in her husbands administration. She is widely remembered for her efforts to help the poor and for her role in helping women win the right to vote. Fast Facts: Eva Perà ³n Known For: As the First Lady of Argentina, Eva became a hero of women and the working class.Also Known As: Marà ­a Eva Duarte, EvitaBorn: May 7, 1919 in Los Toldos, ArgentinaParents: Juan Duarte and Juana IbargurenDied: July 26, 1952 in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaSpouse: Juan Perà ³n (m. 1945-1952) Early Life Maria Eva Duarte was born in Los Toldos, Argentina, on May 7, 1919, to Juan Duarte and Juana Ibarguren, an unmarried couple. The youngest of five children, Eva (as she came to be known) had three older sisters and one older brother. Juan Duarte worked as the estate manager of a large, successful farm, and the family lived in a house on the main street of their small town. However, Juana and the children shared Juan Duartes income with his first family, a wife and three daughters who lived in the nearby town of Chivilcoy. Not long after Evas birth, the central government, which had previously been run by wealthy and corrupt landowners, came under the control of the Radical Party, made up of middle-class citizens who favored reform. Juan Duarte, who had benefited greatly from his friendships with those landowners, soon found himself without a job. He returned to his hometown of Chivilcoy to join his other family. When he left, Juan turned his back on Juana and their five children. Eva was not yet a year old. Juana and her children were forced to leave their home and move into a tiny house near the railroad tracks, where Juana made a meager living from sewing clothes for the townspeople. Eva and her siblings had few friends; they were ostracized because their illegitimacy was considered scandalous. In 1926, when Eva was 6 years old, her father was killed in a car accident. Juana and the children traveled to Chivilcoy for his funeral and were treated as outcasts by Juans first family. Dreams of Being a Star Juana moved her family to a larger town, Junin, in 1930, to seek more opportunities for her children. The older siblings found jobs and Eva and her sister enrolled in school. As a teenager, young Eva became fascinated with the world of movies; in particular, she loved American movie stars. Eva made it her mission to one day leave her small town and life of poverty and move to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, to become a famous actress. Against her mothers wishes, Eva made the move to Buenos Aires in 1935 when she was only 15 years old. The actual details of her departure remain cloaked in mystery. In one version of the story, Eva traveled to the capital on a train with her mother, ostensibly to audition for a radio station. When Eva succeeded in finding a job in radio, her angry mother then returned to Junin without her. In the other version, Eva met a popular male singer in Junin and convinced him to take her with him to Buenos Aires. In either case, Evas move to Buenos Aires was permanent. She only returned to Junin for short visits to her family. Older brother Juan, who had already moved to the capital city, was charged with keeping an eye on his sister. Life in Buenos Aires Eva arrived in Buenos Aires at a time of great political change. The Radical Party had fallen out of power by 1935, replaced by a coalition of conservatives and wealthy landowners known as the Concordancia. This group removed reformists from government positions and gave jobs to their own friends and followers. Those who resisted or complained were often sent to prison. Poor people and the working class felt powerless against the wealthy minority. With few material possessions and little money, Eva found herself among the poor, but she never lost her determination to succeed. After her job at the radio station ended, she found work as an actress in a troupe that traveled to small towns throughout Argentina. Although she earned little, Eva made certain that she sent money to her mother and siblings. After gaining some acting experience on the road, Eva worked as a radio soap opera actress and even secured a few small film roles. In 1939, she and a business partner started their own business, the Company of the Theater of the Air, which produced radio soap operas and a series of biographies about famous women. By 1943, although she could not claim movie star status, 24-year-old Eva had become successful and fairly well-off. She lived in an apartment in an upscale neighborhood, having escaped the shame of her impoverished childhood. By sheer will and determination, Eva had made her adolescent dream something of a reality. Meeting Juan Perà ³n On January 15, 1944, a massive earthquake struck western Argentina, killing 6,000 people. Argentines across the country wanted to help their fellow countrymen. In Buenos Aires, the effort was led by 48-year-old Army Colonel Juan Domingo Perà ³n, the head of the nations labor department. Perà ³n asked Argentinas performers to use their fame to promote his cause. Actors, singers, and others (including Eva Duarte) walked the streets of Buenos Aires to collect money for earthquake victims. The fundraising effort culminated in a benefit held at a local stadium. There, on January 22, 1944, Eva met Colonel Juan Perà ³n. Perà ³n, a widower whose wife had died of cancer in 1938, was immediately drawn to her. The two became inseparable and very soon Eva proved herself Perà ³ns most ardent supporter. She used her position at the radio station to feature broadcasts that praised Perà ³n as a benevolent government figure. The Arrest of Juan Perà ³n Perà ³n enjoyed the support of many of the poor and those living in rural areas. Wealthy landowners, however, did not trust him and feared he wielded too much power. By 1945, Perà ³n had achieved the lofty positions of minister of war and vice president and was, in fact, more powerful than President Edelmiro Farrell. Several groups—including the Radical Party, the Communist Party, and conservative factions—opposed Perà ³n. They accused him of dictatorial behaviors, such as censorship of the media and brutality against university students during a peaceful demonstration. The final straw came when Perà ³n appointed a friend of Evas as secretary of communications, enraging those in government who believed Eva had become too involved in affairs of state. Perà ³n was forced by a group of army officers to resign on October 8, 1945, and taken into custody. President Farrell—under pressure from the military—ordered that Perà ³n be held on an island off the coast of Buenos Aires. Eva unsuccessfully appealed to a judge to have Perà ³n released. Perà ³n himself wrote a letter to the president demanding his release and the letter was leaked to newspapers. Members of the working class, Perà ³ns staunchest supporters, came together to protest Perà ³ns incarceration. On the morning of October 17, workers all over Buenos Aires refused to go to work. Shops, factories, and restaurants stayed closed, as employees took to the streets chanting Perà ³n! The protestors brought business to a grinding halt, forcing the government to release Perà ³n. Four days later, on October 21, 1945, 50-year-old Juan Perà ³n married 26-year-old Eva Duarte in a simple civil ceremony. President and First Lady Encouraged by the strong show of support, Perà ³n announced that he would run for president in the 1946 election. As the wife of a presidential candidate, Eva came under close scrutiny. Ashamed of her illegitimacy and childhood poverty, Eva was not always forthcoming with her answers when questioned by the press. Her secrecy contributed to her legacy: the white myth and the black myth of Eva Perà ³n. In the white myth, Eva was a saint-like, compassionate woman who helped the poor and disadvantaged. In the black myth, she was depicted as ruthless and ambitious, willing to do anything to advance her husbands career. Eva quit her radio job and joined her husband on the campaign trail. Perà ³n did not affiliate himself with a particular political party; instead, he formed a coalition of supporters from different parties, made up primarily of workers and union leaders. Perà ³n won the election and was sworn in on June 5, 1946. Evita Perà ³n inherited a country with a strong economy. Following World War II, many European nations, in dire financial circumstances, borrowed money from Argentina and some were forced to import wheat and beef from Argentina as well. Perà ³ns government profited from the arrangement, charging interest on the loans and fees on the exports from ranchers and farmers. Eva, who preferred to be called Evita (Little Eva) by the working class, embraced her role as the first lady. She installed members of her family in high government positions in areas such as the postal service, education, and customs. Eva visited workers and union leaders at factories, questioning them about their needs and inviting their suggestions. She also used these visits to give speeches in support of her husband. Eva Perà ³n saw herself as a dual persona; as Eva, she performed her ceremonial duties in the role of the first lady; as Evita, champion of the working class, she served her people face-to-face, working to fill their needs. She opened offices in the Ministry of Labor and sat at a desk, greeting working-class people in need of help. She used her position to get help for those who came in with urgent requests. If a mother could not find adequate medical care for her child, Eva saw to it that the child was taken care of. If a family lived in squalor, she arranged for better living quarters. European Tour Despite her good deeds, Eva Perà ³n had many critics. They accused her of overstepping boundaries and interfering in government affairs. This skepticism toward the first lady was reflected in negative reports about her in the press. In an effort to better control her image, Eva purchased her own newspaper, the Democracia. The newspaper gave heavy coverage to Eva, publishing favorable stories about her and printing glamorous photos of her attending galas. Newspaper sales soared. In June 1947, Eva traveled to Spain at the invitation of fascist dictator Francisco Franco. Argentina was the only nation that maintained a diplomatic relationship with Spain following World War II and had given financial aid to the struggling country. But Perà ³n would not consider making the trip, lest he be perceived as fascist; he did, however, allow his wife to go. It was Evas first trip on an airplane. Upon her arrival in Madrid, Eva was welcomed by more than three million people. After 15 days in Spain, Eva went on to tour Italy, Portugal, France, and Switzerland. After becoming well-known in Europe, Eva was also featured on the cover of Time magazine in July 1947. Perà ³n Is Reelected Perà ³ns policies became known as Perà ³nism, a system that promoted social justice and patriotism. The government took control of many businesses and industries, ostensibly to improve their production. Eva played a major role in helping to keep her husband in power. She spoke at large gatherings and on the radio, singing the praises of President Perà ³n and citing all of the things he had done to help the working class. Eva also rallied working women of Argentina after the Argentine Congress gave women the right to vote in 1947. She created the Perà ³nist Womens Party in 1949. The efforts of the newly formed party paid off for Perà ³n during the 1951 election. Nearly four million women voted for the first time, many for Perà ³n. But much had changed since Perà ³ns first election five years earlier. Perà ³n had become increasingly authoritarian, placing restrictions upon what the press could print, and firing—even imprisoning—those who opposed his policies. Foundation By early 1948, Eva was receiving thousands of letters a day from needy people requesting food, clothing, and other necessities. In order to manage so many requests, Eva knew she needed a more formalized organization. She created the Eva Perà ³n Foundation in July 1948 and acted as its sole leader and decision-maker. The foundation received donations from businesses, unions, and workers, but these donations were often coerced. People and organizations faced fines and even jail time if they did not contribute. Eva kept no written record of her expenditures, claiming that she was too busy giving the money away to the poor to stop and count it. Many people, having seen newspaper photos of Eva dressed in expensive dresses and jewels, suspected her of keeping some of the money for herself, but these charges could not be proven. Despite suspicions about Eva, the foundation did accomplish many important goals, awarding scholarships and building houses, schools, and hospitals. Death Eva worked tirelessly for her foundation and therefore was not surprised that she was feeling exhausted in early 1951. She also had aspirations to run for vice president alongside her husband in the upcoming November election. Eva attended a rally supporting her candidacy on August 22, 1951. The following day, she collapsed. For weeks thereafter, Eva suffered abdominal pain. She eventually agreed to exploratory surgery and was diagnosed with inoperable uterine cancer. Eva was forced to withdraw from the election. On election day in November, a ballot was brought to her hospital bed and Eva voted for the first time. Perà ³n won the election. Eva appeared only once more in public, very thin and obviously ill, at her husbands inaugural parade. Eva Perà ³n died on July 26, 1952, at the age of 33. Following the funeral, Juan Perà ³n had Evas body preserved and was planning to put it on display. However, Perà ³n was forced into exile when the army staged a coup in 1955. Amidst the chaos, Evas body disappeared. Not until 1970 was it learned that soldiers in the new government, fearing that Eva could remain a symbolic figure for the poor—even in death—had removed her body and buried her in Italy. Evas body was eventually returned and re-buried in her family’s crypt in Buenos Aires in 1976. Legacy Eva remains an enduring cultural icon in Argentina and Latin America, and in many places people still honor the anniversary of her death. Among some groups, she has attained an almost saint-like status. In 2012, her image was printed on 20 million Argentine 100-peso notes. Sources Barnes, John.  Evita First Lady: a Biography of Eva Perà ³n. Grove/Atlantic, 1996.Taylor, Julie. Eva Perà ³n: The Myths of a Woman. University of Chicago Press, 1996.