Eva Perón, wife of Argentine president Juan Perón, became one of the most influential political figures in Latin America. A symbol of the descamisados (shirtless ones), she fought for workers' and women's rights, notably securing women's suffrage in Argentina in 1947.
Eva Perón(1919 — 1952)
Eva Perón
Argentine
8 min read
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« I prefer to be known as Evita rather than Eva Perón, because Evita is the name the humble people gave me.»
« I only ask that those who know the suffering of the people always stand by their side.»
Key Facts
- Born in 1919 in Los Toldos into a modest family, she left the province for Buenos Aires at 15 to pursue an acting career
- She met Juan Perón in 1944 at a charity gala and became his companion, then married him in 1945
- In 1947, she secured the passage of a law granting Argentine women the right to vote
- She founded the Eva Perón Foundation in 1948, which funded schools, hospitals, and social housing for the most destitute
- She died of cancer at just 33 years old in 1952, causing immense national mourning in Argentina
Works & Achievements
Eva was the primary architect of the law granting Argentine women the right to vote. She conducted two years of intense lobbying in Congress, permanently transforming the Argentine political landscape.
Social foundation managing thousands of schools, hospitals, and shelters for single women and children. It redistributed resources directly to the poorest by bypassing traditional bureaucracy, reaching millions of Argentines.
Feminine branch of the Peronist movement founded and personally led by Eva. This party mobilized newly enfranchised women voters and secured a massive female electoral base for Peronism in the 1951 elections.
An autobiographical and ideological work describing her vision of Peronism, the condition of women, and social justice. Made compulsory in Argentine schools, it served as a major instrument of Peronist propaganda.
Diplomatic tour of Europe (Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Switzerland) aimed at improving the international image of Peronist Argentina. She met with Franco, Pope Pius XII, and various European heads of state.
Manuscript written by Eva shortly before her death, more radical than 'La razón de mi vida', calling for social revolution. Suppressed by orthodox Peronists, it was not published until 1987.
Anecdotes
Eva Perón was born María Eva Duarte on May 7, 1919, in Los Toldos, the illegitimate daughter of an estanciero. This humble and stigmatized origin profoundly shaped her personality: throughout her life, she fought class prejudice with an intensity that her supporters attributed to her own experience of poverty and social exclusion.
At 15, Eva left her province for Buenos Aires with the ambition of becoming an actress. She started in minor theater productions and radio serials, gradually gaining recognition. It was at a charity gala for victims of an earthquake in January 1944 that she met Colonel Juan Perón — an encounter that would change the course of her life and Argentine history.
October 17, 1945, is a mythic date in Peronist history: when Perón was imprisoned by his military rivals, thousands of workers (the descamisados, 'shirtless ones') converged on the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires. Eva played an essential role in mobilizing this popular support. Perón was released, and the event became the Peronist national holiday.
During her 1947 European tour (the 'Rainbow Tour'), Eva received a triumphant welcome in Spain, where Franco awarded her the Grand Cross of Isabella the Catholic. She also met Pope Pius XII in Rome. However, in France and England the reception was cooler, as some governments looked unfavorably upon Argentina's ties to the Axis during the war.
Diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1952, Eva Perón long refused to acknowledge the severity of her illness. When she died on July 26, 1952, at just 33 years old, the national mourning lasted weeks. Her embalmed body, prepared by Dr. Pedro Ara, then had a remarkable odyssey: seized by the military junta in 1955, it was hidden in Europe for seventeen years before being returned to Perón in 1971.
Primary Sources
I prefer to be Evita, rather than the wife of the President, if this 'Evita' serves to make the nickname a bridge of love between the shirtless ones and Perón.
Mi decisión definitiva e irrevocable es y será la que considere corresponde a los intereses del general Perón y a los de la Patria, y esto lo resolveré yo misma, según mi conciencia.
Argentine women have won the right to citizenship. We are equal before the law. Equal before the Homeland. But we are not equal in action.
Quiero vivir eternamente con Perón y con mi pueblo. Ésta es mi absoluta voluntad y éste es mi deseo más profundo.
Key Places
Eva Duarte's birthplace, in the Argentine pampas. Her illegitimate birth in this poor village forged her identification with the working classes.
The iconic square facing the Casa Rosada where Eva delivered her great speeches to the descamisados. October 17, 1945 marked the birth of Peronism as a mass movement.
Headquarters of the social foundation created in 1948, which managed hospitals, schools, homes for young women, and the distribution of aid. It embodied the social arm of the Peronist government.
Buenos Aires' grand opera house where Eva attended official performances as Primera Dama, a symbol of her spectacular social ascent.
The affluent neighborhood of Buenos Aires home to the famous cemetery where Eva is ultimately interred. The historical irony is that the woman of the people rests in the cemetery of the Argentine aristocracy.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
Suffrage féminin en Argentine (Loi 13.010)
1947
Fundación Eva Perón
1948
Partido Peronista Femenino
1949
La razón de mi vida (autobiographie)
1951
Gira del Arco Iris (tournée européenne)
1947
Mi mensaje (œuvre posthume)
1952 (publié 1987)
