Eva Perón: The 20th Century Cinderella Story of Argentina

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Eva Perón, the 20th century Cinderella story of Argentina, was one of the most hated, loved and powerful woman of her time. Her rise to power was spectacular and her use of that ruthless power supported her husband’s regime. While some think of her as an angelic woman who sought to uplift women and the poor, others viewed her as a self-serving, egotistical woman who used sex to rise up on Argentina’s social and political ladder, all the while seeking vengeance on the upper class. Because of this power and influence, Eva Perón will not only be remembered as a dictators wife but also as someone who crushed democratic institutions to satisfy her personal agenda. Eva Perón was a fierce feminist who gave Argentinian women suffrage. María Eva Duarte was born on May 7, 1919 in Los Toldos, Argentina. She was the youngest illegitimate child of Juan Duarte and his mistress Juana Ibarguen. Eva’s father came from a wealthy family and he already had a wife and children in the nearby town of Chivilcoy. Her father passed away when she was seven years old from a car accident. There was a bit of a scandal when Juana Ibarguen and her children showed up for Juan Duarte‘s funeral. Juan Duarte’s legal wife did not want his illegitimate children or mistress to pay their respects. With her father deceased, Eva’s family was left in destitute, as he was their sole means of financial support. To survive, Eva’s mother and sisters worked as cooks for the rich and powerful. It was there that Eva was able to see how the wealthy controlled Argentina. “I remember very well how sad I was for many days when I first realized that there were poor and rich in the world; and the strange thing is that the fact of the existence of the poor did not hur... ... middle of paper ... ...ty with little or no money, just as she had done when she was their age. Eva Perón was one of the most powerful women of our time. From being an illegitimate child, growing up in poverty, to becoming the First Lady of Argentina, Eva Perón traveled a long road in such a short life. She loved passionately and hated to see the social injustice being done to “her people.” It is easy to see that Eva Perón accomplished a lot for her people. She introduced the descamisados to a better style of living. She gave them health care and an opportunity for a good education. She gave Argentine women the right to vote and a place to go while beginning their career. She gave the orphans a home and the elderly a place to retire. All of these things she did without expecting anything in return. The only thing she desired was the love of her people and of Juan Perón.

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