How was the life of Argentine Cinderella who had a dictator instead of a prince

Eva Perón is one of the most controversial characters in 20th century history. The wife of a dictator who became more popular than he was; a failed actress about whom musicals and movies were made; an Argentine ecclesiastical leader who, even after her death, has great political influence; a country girl with a questionable reputation, always ready to run people over for her interests.

O awesome.club could not remain indifferent to Eva’s tragic and moving story and tried to write openly about her.

Eva was the bastard daughter of Juan Duarte, owner of a small cattle ranch, and his maid, Juana Ibarguren. When the girl was a year old, Duarte returned to live with his legitimate wife, leaving Juana and their five children in poverty. The humble family’s situation worsened when he died in a car accident and his illegitimate children could not even claim the inheritance. With a long delay, Eva got a primary education, but further studies did not attract her: she dreamed of becoming an actress.

At the age of 15, Eva, along with a well-known musician, ran away from her home to Buenos Aires. There are many rumors about how she earned her money. They say she was a prostitute, but there’s no proof. There is also a version that says that she was kept by wealthy suitors, including one from whom she became pregnant and had an abortion in a clandestine clinic, which later may have been the cause of a terrible illness and her premature death.

Eva, however, managed to become an actress. She took her father’s distinctive surname as a pseudonym and debuted on the stage of La Comedia theater in Buenos Aires, although her role was quite small. The girl had not studied acting and, apparently, did not have great talent, so she did not last long on stage. However, she began a successful career in radio theater. An important step in his career was the radio series Great women of all timein which he played renowned women such as Josephine, Catherine II and Elizabeth II, among others.

At the same time, Argentina was undergoing a coup d’état by a group of officials. Among them, Colonel Juan Perón, who held the position of Secretary of Labor. For him, it was necessary to publicize his social policy and, for that, he decided to use the media. So he began to frequent the radio station where Eva worked.

The 48-year-old officer and the 25-year-old actress ended up meeting at a fundraiser for earthquake victims in San Juan. As they say, Eva said to Perón “Thank you, Colonel, for existing”, something that captivated him. Then the girl’s professional career went to the top. She became host of the political talk radio show For a better future, in which he actively promoted Perón. He also headed the radio workers’ union and even played a prominent character in the film. The Circus Ride🇧🇷

The colonel did not hide his relationship with Eva: he often took her to public events, and she spoke in support of him. His poor life experience and eloquence contributed to Peron’s growing popularity among workers. And Eva, at the same time, began to influence the colonel’s political decisions more. Thanks to her, for example, a colleague on the program Great women of all time held an important position in the propaganda department.

All this began to bother Perón’s teammates. In October 1945, the colonel was removed from his post and arrested. On October 17, in support of him, thousands of Argentines took to the streets and the government found it necessary to release the soldier. Perón himself later wrote that the revolt was led by Eva. This version is the basis of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Prevents, of which a film was later made with Madonna as the protagonist. However, in real life, at that time Eva did not have such influence among workers.

In prison, Perón realized that he loved Eva. In the letters, he promised to marry her as soon as he gained his freedom and kept her word. The wedding took place during the run-up to the elections, and the colonel decided to run for president. And in this regard, his wife helped him a lot. Eva, or, as she called herself, companion Evita, became very dear to the people. Perón was about to give women the right to vote, in anticipation of which his wife exposed herself to workers by conquering this segment of the electorate.

In 1946, the colonel won the elections, and his wife was given unrestricted power. At her request, a series of posts were filled by family members: for example, her brother became Perón’s secretary and, his brothers-in-law, senator, president of the Supreme Court and director of Customs.

Evita ended up becoming the mediator between the people and the president. She organized a charitable fund through which she generously helped the poor. With the money collected, it was possible to build hospitals and schools, give Christmas gifts to children, organize sports competitions, grant scholarships and even donate houses and apartments. On one occasion, mothers who had just given birth were given an apartment furnished with everything needed for the baby.

Where did the money for the Eva Fund come from? Among other things, contributions from unions, workers themselves, government aid and donations that were not always voluntary. For example, it was proposed that private companies pay contributions under the threat of nationalism. A candy factory closed after it refused to give gifts to children from needy families. There were rumors that the fund’s money went to Juan Perón and Eva, who wore furs and diamonds. But the people forgave their favorite for her controversial luxury, literally considering her a saint.

But Argentina’s high society didn’t like the first lady. Many called her “cheap”, scoured her past trying to find sordid details and could not forgive that she, a country girl, had more money and power than the local aristocrats. Eva took revenge elegantly. For example, she bought land next to a refined club where the rich congregated and sold it cheaply to a fishmonger.

The height of her popularity came in 1951, when the unions decided to nominate her as vice president. However, the military forces, from which the Perón government and also the Catholic Church benefited, opposed. Eva withdrew, but the main cause was a health discomfort. The First Lady was hospitalized for severe anemia and at the hospital she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. As some believe, the disease was a consequence of the abortion in the clandestine clinic.

Eva embracing Perón after a public declaration that she would not run for Vice President, October 17, 1952.

She could not hide the disease for a long time. Soon, all of Argentina found out about it. People prayed for their beloved, they made portraits of Eva on the street to “breathe” the fresh air, a tango dancer danced 127 hours straight begging for the health of Perón’s wife, but none of this helped, Evita was still in bad condition.

On June 4, 1952, she appeared for the last time in public, in her husband’s inaugural parade. She was so weak that she could barely stand on her own. Beneath her clothes was a plaster and wire frame. Before the show, she took 3 doses of painkillers. On July 26, she died.

After his death, Eva became more popular than she was in life. Her body was embalmed and laid out for all to see. People from various parts of the country went to say goodbye and those who could not attend sent letters to the presidential palace and received a reply with the phrase: “A kiss from heaven”.

Without Eva, Perón’s government lasted 3 years. In 1955, as a result of a military coup, the colonel was overthrown and fled to Spain. The new government decided to get rid of the body of the first lady, who was a symbol of the deposed regime. Secretly he was taken to Italy and buried under a foreign name.

In 1971, Evita’s remains were handed over to Perón, who at the time was living in Spain. In 1973, he returned to power in Argentina and, a year after his death, the presidential chair was occupied by his third wife, María Estela Martínez de Perón. She wanted to return Eva’s body to the country to bury it next to her husband, but she couldn’t. She was arrested during another military coup. Nevertheless, the beloved of the Argentines found her last refuge in her homeland, in her father’s family crypt.

Argentine unions continue to try to convince the Catholic Church to canonize Evita. They have the Buenos Aires-born Pope Francis to help them with the task, but so far there is no rush in the Vatican to give a positive response.

And you, have you seen any of the movies or read novels dedicated to Evita Perón?