Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argentina
Encyclopedia
Spiritual Leader of the Nation was a position created by the Argentine Congress
in the early 1950s and only ever held by Eva Perón
(a prominent political leader, revolutionary
, businesswoman, and philanthropist
.). Eva Perón was elected Spiritual Leader/Chief of the Nation on May 7, 1952 and died on July 26 of that year. The title of Spiritual Chief or Leader of the Nation would never again be bestowed on any Argentine, preserved in history as a special position for Evita.
, Eva Perón was the wife, top adviser, and political partner of President of the Argentine Nation
Juan Perón
. Her power was such that she was referred to as "La Presidenta", Spanish
for "The (female) President" and in the Casa Rosada
museum
where almost every president's statue stands alone, a statue of Evita
stands with her husband, the same as any President. It is widely speculated by historians that she would have (officially) become the first female President in Argentina had it not been for her early death.
head of many ministries. Most notably, she was the de facto Secretary of Labour and Minister for Education. She was also the de facto head of the General Confederation of Labour
. She was officially the president of the large and powerful state-controlled institute of social welfare which she founded and ran, the Eva Perón Foundation
, as well as the official president of the Female Peronist Party
. The Justicialist Party
also recognized Eva as its national head, a position she shared equally with Juan. Over the years she had been given many unofficial titles in addition to "La Presidenta", such as the Lady of Hope, First Samaritan, Lady of the Descamisado
s, the Rainbow of Argentina, and Santa (Saint
) Evita. As the wife of the President, Eva, of course, held the title of First Lady
.
nominated Evita to run for the office of Vice President and Senate President of the Argentine Nation
, however many issues such as military opposition, Perón's personal fear of political opposition to his wife, and, above all, Eva's illness, contributed to Eva withdrawing her candidacy. Should it not have been for her uterine cancer
, it seems likely she would have fought the opposing forces whose political powers were considerably weaker than hers, but by the 17 October Eva's condition would so deteriorate, that she would not be able to stand without assistance from Perón. She would never hold national elective political office.
was ordered to be used as a textbook
in all schools, and members of Congress constantly held tributes for their ailing leader. On May 7, 1952 Eva was elected Spiritual Leader/Chief of the Nation by the Peronista majority.
s (37 kg) and forced her to wear a plaster and wire frame to be able to stand, Eva would likely have been inaugurated as Latin America
's first woman Vice President. Instead, she attended in her role as Argentina's Spiritual Chief and took the ceremonial place of the Vice President, occupying his official seat next to the President and taking on his ceremonial duties. The Peróns' Vice President, Dr. Juan Hortensio Quijano
, was in worse health than Evita by the time she begged him to join the ticket (following her withdrawal) and he accepted only reluctantly. He died in early April 1952 and was not replaced by anyone by inauguration time, thus Evita took his place. The inauguration was Maria Eva's last public appearance. After she returned home, she would not leave the palace
alive again. She died on July 26 of that year, triggering tremendous mourning.
The title of Spiritual Chief or Leader of the Nation would never again be bestowed on any Argentine, preserved in history as a special position for Evita.
Argentine National Congress
The Congress of the Argentine Nation is the legislative branch of the government of Argentina. Its composition is bicameral, constituted by a 72-seat Senate and a 257-seat Chamber of Deputies....
in the early 1950s and only ever held by Eva Perón
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
(a prominent political leader, revolutionary
Revolutionary
A revolutionary is a person who either actively participates in, or advocates revolution. Also, when used as an adjective, the term revolutionary refers to something that has a major, sudden impact on society or on some aspect of human endeavor.-Definition:...
, businesswoman, and philanthropist
Philanthropy
Philanthropy etymologically means "the love of humanity"—love in the sense of caring for, nourishing, developing, or enhancing; humanity in the sense of "what it is to be human," or "human potential." In modern practical terms, it is "private initiatives for public good, focusing on quality of...
.). Eva Perón was elected Spiritual Leader/Chief of the Nation on May 7, 1952 and died on July 26 of that year. The title of Spiritual Chief or Leader of the Nation would never again be bestowed on any Argentine, preserved in history as a special position for Evita.
Power of Evita
The First LadyFirst Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
, Eva Perón was the wife, top adviser, and political partner of President of the Argentine Nation
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
Juan Perón
Juan Perón
Juan Domingo Perón was an Argentine military officer, and politician. Perón was three times elected as President of Argentina though he only managed to serve one full term, after serving in several government positions, including the Secretary of Labor and the Vice Presidency...
. Her power was such that she was referred to as "La Presidenta", Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for "The (female) President" and in the Casa Rosada
Casa Rosada
La Casa Rosada is the official seat of the executive branch of the government of Argentina, and of the offices of the President. The President normally lives at the Quinta de Olivos, a compound in Olivos, Buenos Aires Province. Its characteristic color is pink, and is considered one of the most...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
where almost every president's statue stands alone, a statue of Evita
Eva Perón
María Eva Duarte de Perón was the second wife of President Juan Perón and served as the First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. She is often referred to as simply Eva Perón, or by the affectionate Spanish language diminutive Evita.She was born in the village of Los Toldos in...
stands with her husband, the same as any President. It is widely speculated by historians that she would have (officially) become the first female President in Argentina had it not been for her early death.
De facto and official offices and titles
Evita held many de facto posts in government. Evita never held a cabinet position, though she was the de factoDe facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
head of many ministries. Most notably, she was the de facto Secretary of Labour and Minister for Education. She was also the de facto head of the General Confederation of Labour
General Confederation of Labour (Argentina)
The General Confederation of Labour of the Argentine Republic is a national trade union centre of Argentina founded on September 27, 1930, as the result of the merge of the USA and the COA trade union centres...
. She was officially the president of the large and powerful state-controlled institute of social welfare which she founded and ran, the Eva Perón Foundation
Eva Perón Foundation
The Eva Perón Foundation was a charitable foundation begun by Eva Perón, a prominent Argentine political leader, when she was the First Lady and Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argentina. It operated from 1948 to 1955...
, as well as the official president of the Female Peronist Party
Female Peronist Party
The Female Peronist Party, also known as the Feminist Peronist Party and the Peronist Feminist Party, was the women's wing of the Peronist Justicialist Party of Argentina. It was founded by Eva Peron in the late 1940s. After the Peronist Feminist Party was founded, twice the amount of women were...
. The Justicialist Party
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
also recognized Eva as its national head, a position she shared equally with Juan. Over the years she had been given many unofficial titles in addition to "La Presidenta", such as the Lady of Hope, First Samaritan, Lady of the Descamisado
Descamisado
Descamisado is a Spanish word that literally means "without shirt" or "shirtless." The term was originally used as an insult by the elite of Argentina to describe the followers of Juan Perón, who served as president of Argentina from 1946 until 1955, and then again briefly from 1973 to 1974...
s, the Rainbow of Argentina, and Santa (Saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
) Evita. As the wife of the President, Eva, of course, held the title of First Lady
First Lady
First Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state.It is not normally used to refer to the spouse or partner of a prime minister; the husband or wife of the British Prime Minister is usually informally referred to as prime...
.
Eva and the Vice Presidency
In 1951 the Peronist PartyPeronism
Peronism , or Justicialism , is an Argentine political movement based on the programmes associated with former President Juan Perón and his second wife, Eva Perón...
nominated Evita to run for the office of Vice President and Senate President of the Argentine Nation
President of Argentina
The President of the Argentine Nation , usually known as the President of Argentina, is the head of state of Argentina. Under the national Constitution, the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.Through Argentine history, the...
, however many issues such as military opposition, Perón's personal fear of political opposition to his wife, and, above all, Eva's illness, contributed to Eva withdrawing her candidacy. Should it not have been for her uterine cancer
Uterine cancer
The term uterine cancer may refer to any of several different types of cancer which occur in the uterus, namely:*Uterine sarcomas: sarcomas of the myometrium, or muscular layer of the uterus, are most commonly leiomyosarcomas.*Endometrial cancer:...
, it seems likely she would have fought the opposing forces whose political powers were considerably weaker than hers, but by the 17 October Eva's condition would so deteriorate, that she would not be able to stand without assistance from Perón. She would never hold national elective political office.
Spiritual Leader of the Nation
Denied the Vice Presidency and swiftly heading towards the end of her life the nation went into a frenzy as Congress hurried to force every honor they could onto the First Lady. Vigils were constantly held, 508 hospitals were ordered by the Minister of Health to hold prayers for her recovery, her autobiography La Razon de mi VidaLa Razón de mi Vida
La Razón de Mi Vida is the autobiography of Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina from 1946 until her death in 1952. Published in 1952 shortly before Eva Perón's death, it became one of the fastest selling books in Argentine history. Written in a conversational tone, it is largely a compilation of...
was ordered to be used as a textbook
Textbook
A textbook or coursebook is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions...
in all schools, and members of Congress constantly held tributes for their ailing leader. On May 7, 1952 Eva was elected Spiritual Leader/Chief of the Nation by the Peronista majority.
Vice President for a day
On June 4 Juan Perón was re-inaugurated for a second term as President. On this day, had it not been for the illness that had reduced her to a mere 81 poundPound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
s (37 kg) and forced her to wear a plaster and wire frame to be able to stand, Eva would likely have been inaugurated as Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
's first woman Vice President. Instead, she attended in her role as Argentina's Spiritual Chief and took the ceremonial place of the Vice President, occupying his official seat next to the President and taking on his ceremonial duties. The Peróns' Vice President, Dr. Juan Hortensio Quijano
Hortensio Quijano
Dr. Juan Hortensio Quijano was the Vice President of Argentina under President Juan Perón from 1946 until his 1952 death in Buenos Aires.Quijano was born in Corrientes Province in 1884, and enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires, where he graduated in 1908 and received a juris doctor in 1919...
, was in worse health than Evita by the time she begged him to join the ticket (following her withdrawal) and he accepted only reluctantly. He died in early April 1952 and was not replaced by anyone by inauguration time, thus Evita took his place. The inauguration was Maria Eva's last public appearance. After she returned home, she would not leave the palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
alive again. She died on July 26 of that year, triggering tremendous mourning.
The title of Spiritual Chief or Leader of the Nation would never again be bestowed on any Argentine, preserved in history as a special position for Evita.