Argentina's Most Notable First Lady: Santa Evita

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Countries have had courageous and world changing leaders over the course of history. Most of these well-known leaders have come from countries that are global superpowers. A rare exception is Eva Duarte Peron. Eva was born into a poor family, and against all odds rose up and became prominent in Argentine politics. Well before becoming First Lady, Eva was passionate about helping the poor. Tragically, her work was cut short when she died young. Through her experience, influence, and prominence as Argentina’s most notable First Lady, Eva Peron, long after her death is still considered a champion of the poor.
Maria Eva Ibarguren, called Eva or Evita later in her life, was born on May 7, 1919 in Los Toldos, Argentina. Eva was born with her mother’s surname due to the fact that her parents were not married. Her father was married to another woman, and Eva’s mother was his mistress, making Eva’s family his second, illegitimate family. Despite this, Eva and her siblings preferred to use their father’s last name, Duarte.
Eva’s father left her family to return to his first family when she was very young, and he died soon thereafter in 1926 leaving Eva’s family with nothing. Her older siblings had to work to help the family (Fraser 3). Four years later, the Duarte family moved to Junin.
From a young age, Eva had aspirations of becoming a famous actress. She enjoyed the theatre, and often put on small performances with her sister Erminda. When Eva was fifteen, she moved to Buenos Aires to pursue her interest in theater, a risky pursuit, because finding work and achieving success were not guaranteed. Fortunately, she was successful in finding work. She performed small, low-paying jobs until she captured her fir...

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...believed in their causes, and she knew first hand what it was like to be one of them. Eva was a unique First Lady who worked for what she believed in, and will be forever remembered in her country and others around the world.

Works Cited

"Eva Duarte De Peron." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 12. Detriot:
Gale, 2004. 225-26. Gale Virtual Reference Library. 2004. Web. 6 Mar. 2014. .

"Eva Peron." The Biography Channel website. A+E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 01 Apr. 2014. .

Fraser, Nicholas, and Marysa Navarro. Eva Perón. New York: W.W. Norton, 1981. Print.

Pettinger, Tejvan. Eva Peron Biography. Digital image. Biography Online. N.p.,
1 Jan. 2008. Web. 25 Mar. 2014. .

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