Evita Mural

You’re now standing at the heart of the world’s widest avenue, in front of the statue of the famous Don Quixote, a gift from Spain to Argentina in 1980. And look across the street – that’s the iconic Evita Mural. You’ve surely heard of her before. This actress, who rose to become Argentina’s First Lady in 1946, was so captivating that she inspired an album and then a film adaptation starring Madonna. But beyond her pop culture fame, what do you really know about Evita Perón? Let me tell you a little bit about the woman who so quickly won the hearts of Argentinians. She came from a humble background and dreamed of being an actress. At just 15, she left her hometown and chased her dream in Buenos Aires. And she managed quite well! She made a name for herself and built a successful career in theater, radio, and even the movies. Then, in 1944, she met Juan Perón: the man who would change her life forever. Two years later, he became president – the first one elected by universal suffrage in Argentina, and the only one to have served as president three times. He was also the one who started Peronism, a major political movement in the country. But back to Evita, our beautiful and talented actress who was to become one of the most influential figures in the history of Argentina. But Evita refused to just be a trophy wife. She championed the rights of women and the underprivileged in society, and she did it with unmatched passion. In fact, she’s the reason women in Argentina got the right to vote in 1947! Fun fact: New Zealand was the first country in the world to grant its female citizens the right to vote back in 1893, followed by France in 1944. Saudi Arabia was the last to join the party in 2015. But Evita didn’t stop there: she founded the Peronist Women’s Party, which she led until her passing, and the Eva Perón Foundation to help the underprivileged. No woman had ever held such sway in Argentine politics! In 1951, with the first-ever presidential election open to both men and women, she was asked to run for vice president! She was honored but too gravely ill, and she thus withdrew her candidacy on August 31. She passed away from cervical cancer in July of the following year, at the young age of 33. The outpouring of grief for Evita was massive, both from government officials and from the people. They laid her to rest at the Congress, then embalmed her body and brought it to the CGT headquarters, where she fought all her battles. This kind of tribute shows the immense impact Evita had. You see, people loved her, but her opponents clearly feared her influence. When the government was overthrown, they even kidnapped her body, desecrated it, and hid it for 16 whole years! Today, she finally rests in peace at the Recoleta cemetery, which you can visit on our second city tour. Evita left an undeniable mark on this country. She received many awards, including Argentina’s highest honor: the Order of the Liberator San Martin necklace. And you can definitely tell her legacy lives on in the hearts of Argentinians. Just look at that giant 31-meter mural of her on both sides of the building before you!