The first in my Strong Historical Woman of the Day Series:
Maria Eva Duarte de Peron,
First Lady of Argentina
(4 June 1946 - 26 July 1952)
7 May 1919 - 26 July 1952
Ask someone who Eva Peron was, and they'll most likely say, "Who?"
Ask that same person who Evita was, and- if they're a theater freak, or even if they aren't- they'll probably respond, "The lady that musical is based on."
Ask a true scholar or historian, and 9 times out of 10, they'll say, "Eva Peron, otherwise known as Evita to the world, was the First Lady of Argentina."
The only reason most people know who Evita was, is because of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1970s musical titled Evita, a two-act stage show that chronicles the political, personal- and short- life of Eva Duarte, the simple country girl from Los Toldos Provence of Buenos Aires, who would become the powerful woman known throughout Latin America- and the world- as Evita.
And while that is good, it also gives over most of the real life of Eva Peron to legend- a legend that has grown since the production of the film in '79, and the movie starring Madonna in '96. Countless books, documentaries, and movies have been made about or concerning Eva Peron, but most- if not all- feed a good majority of detail into the neverending legend that is the First Lady of Argentina.
Having studied and researched Eva Peron myself (as a Chautauquan, I have portrayed her for Spanish classes, as well as for the kids I mentor and countless other audiences), I've found that it's difficult to often seperate the mythology from the reality. I also find myself drawing scary parallels between not only Evita- but other persons I've portrayed- and myself. But that is beside the point.
The youngest of five children, the illegitimate child who would become the Argentine First Lady, was born on 7 May 1919 in Los Toldos. After her father, Juan Duarte, was killed in a car crash in '26, it is stated that Eva and her family were refused access to the church to pay their respects at the funeral, yet versions of this account differ.
In 1935, at age 16, Eva decided that she would become an actress, partially because she enjoyed being onstage. "Even as a little girl I wanted to recite. I was as though I wished to say something to others, something important which I felt in my deepest heart (pg. 21 of La Razon de Mi Vida, The Reason for My Life)." By this point, the family had since moved to Junin (in 1930), and not long after deciding this, Eva left Junin for Bueno Aires.
Eva started off as a model, doing small modeling gigs, before moving to radio and eventually becoming an actress in B-films. Over the next several years, she would continously bounce back and forth between radio, film and stage.
It wouldn't be until 1944, when a radio show brought on by a disaster, would bring her into the path of Colonel Juan Domingo Peron. At a charity event held to raise money for victims of the San Juan earthquake, Eva was one of the celebrities; Peron the one who organized the event. I imagine it was probably love at first sight- or maybe lust.
In 1945, after a year of being with him, Peron resigned from the positions he held in the militarian government, and was taken into custody to an island off the coast of Buenos Aires. A strike ensued, and he was finally returned to Buenos Aires, the people, and Eva. They married in December of that year, and Peron was handed the presidental ticket days later.
It was during that campaign and later election, that the woman formerly known as Eva Duarte would become Eva Duarted de Peron- although Argentina and the rest of the world would simply know her as Evita.
Peron won the election in 1945; this in turn not only gave Argentina a new look on life, but it also gave Eva a chance to become the person who would be the stuff of legends, operas, films, and countless books: Evita.
A girl from humble origins, she despised the oligarchs (the rich), and felt for the working man and his family because she had lived like them. She started foundations for children, gave women the right to vote, got rid of the upper class completely, and became a saint for her descamisados.
She became an icon- fashionably, internationally, locally- that others in the world despised and the Argentines loved. The iconic 'Rainbow Tour' that's shown within the stage production and film of Eva going from country to country in Europe in order to build and strengthen ties with other political leaders was not taken from myth; accounts of her visiting Spain, Italy and various other countries in the so-called 'Rainbow Tour' give insight into how one woman could capture the whole world.
Eva in Spain
She seemed to dazzle all leaders she came in contact with, except- and to use the lyrics from 'Rainbow Tour' from the musical- Italy, who "equate Peron with Mussolini. Can't think why." Even though, by this time, Benito Mussolini was dead- he'd been strung up by the end of World War II, along with his mistress and several allies.
And, in truth, Peron was not only a President, but also a dictator- not as bad as Hitler or Mussolini, but a dictator just the same. No one, however, used that term for the man who had changed Argentina for the better. Although some would say he was no better than either Mussolini or Hitler.
America and England were not on the Rainbow Tour, and Evita most likely would have been laughed at, had she actually gone to both countries. But by that time, her health was beginning to decline; she returned triumphant to Argentina.
But despite her charity work and foundations, she eventually became considered an icon of fascist dictatorship, when in 1950, over 3,000 railroad workers were fired for rioting. Peron saw no other choice but to bring the military into the situation when it got worse.
Dictatorship took control of Argentina in that time, with Peron as the head and, as some would say, Evita as the neck. The great country began to assert itself in the world, with the Peronist party at the forefront; the oligarchs were gone, and things seemed to be looking up for the people.
Eva Peron's Missing Jewels, Located in Italy
Yet, it was known that Eva would spend copious amounts of money on clothing and jewelry; she would squander away mass amounts of money into bank accounts across the world, all the while doing good deeds.
In '51, Peron decided to run for re-election, and Evita, now having reached the peak of her power as First Lady, considered and decided to run as Vice-President. It was also at this time, that Evita was diagnosed with cervical cancer. After a hysterectomy, and with her health rapidly declining, she eventually decided against running for VP, and in a formal statement given on the balcony of the Casa Rosada, she told the Argentine people that she was turning down the bid for VP.
At this point, her cancer had returned, weakening her further. By 1952, Peron had won his second term, and Evita was so weak she could no longer stand without help. She dropped to 36 pounds, and was unable to stand and deliver a speech without Peron holding her up.
The "Spiritual Leader of the Nation" was growing weaker and weaker with each passing day. She gave her last public appearance just days before taking to her bed. On 26 July 1952, at 8:25 p.m., Eva "Evita" Peron, passed away surrounded by her family at the young age of 33.
The whole country mourned the death of the First Lady. She was embalmed and put on display so that the people could see her, and later, placed in a public tomb.
It has been discovered, decades after Evita's death, that the dieing First Lady had a lobotomy to relieve pressure and pain. 'A prefrontal lobotomy is a procedure in which the fibers that connect the prefrontal and frontal lobes to the thalamus are severed. The thalamus is a mass of gray matter in the brain that sends sensory impulses to the cerebral cortex..... treatment of last resort for cases like Evita's, where someone was suffering from intractable pain (
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=eva+peron+lobotomy&view=detail&id=2578F295C0E195CC9C0558B6F841271B60EAA639&first=0&FORM=IDFRIR)'
Embalmers worked in order to preserve the precious corpse of the First Lady; great care was taken to make sure she was perfectly preserved. Even today, I'm sure, the Sleeping Beauty of Latin America looks just as youthful now as she did in 1952 when she passed away.
In '55, after being overthrown, Peron fled to Spain, and Evita's corpse was stolen. For 16 years, it was missing, only to be returned to the people of Argentina in '71. Peron and the corpse- which had resided in Italy for 16 straight years under an assumed name- returned to Argentina in '73. Peron again took office, but later died of a heart attack one year into his third term- '74.
Isabel Peron- Peron's third wife- had both Evita's and Peron's bodies displayed in Buenos Aires before Evita was buried in the Duarte family tomb, under a series of secret compartments. Peron was buried in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, but not before his hands were sawed off and held for ransom in '87.
Since her death, Evita has faded more and more into the category of legend than of actual person. She has become a symbol of hope, hatred, faith, love, lust, fear, and promise for her people. In actuality, she was a complex woman, hungry for power, desperate for control, and willing to stop at nothing and no one to get what she wanted.
She was the face of Fascism; took control of a country with promises and half-fulfilled deeds, worked the strings of the man she stood next to on the balcony, and whispered the rules within his ear. But she was also strong and resilient as she faced Death, putting on a brave front for her people as she faded away and her body gave out on her. And when she finally passed on, the whole country mourned her.
Her funeral and procession held an air of Diana's; loved by the people, she was from the people, for the people, much like Diana was. But the two women divirge dramatically there. Diana was 'The People's Princess'; Evita, 'The Spiritual Leader of the Nation.'
Although both Diana and Evita, were gone too soon.
"I have only one valuabe possession; it is held in my heart, it burns in my soul, it abides in my flesh, and aches in my nerves: it is the love that my people have for me." — Eva Peron
