Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Well-qualified Leadership

Juan Peron married his second wife, Eva, or Evita as she was known, after being a widower for seven years. Evita was an extremely popular figure in Argentina, and indeed she captured the imagination of the world. But she died at age 33.

Juan Peron married yet again in 1961. His third wife, Isabel Martinez de Peron is a piece of work. Dropping out of school as a fifth-grader, she became an exotic dancer and met Senor Peron in Panama during his exile from his country. She tied her wagon, so to speak, to a star whose political power overcame his exile and returned him to the halls of Casa Rosada.

As Vice President, Senora Peron was sworn in as interim president upon the incapacitation of her husband on June 29, 1974. He died on July 1, and her presidency became full and official. She was Argentina's first woman president. During this time, extremely interesting, nay, terrifying things were going on in Argentina. While we in the US were consumed with the politics of breaking-and-entering, a resigning president and such trivial matters, in Argentina people were dying left and right, and many others were "disappeared."


In January of 2007, Isabel Peron was arrested at her home in Spain on the order of an Argentine judge in the matter of the disappearance of a political activist during her tenure as President. Spain refused to extradite her.

From 1973 through the balance of her term ending in 1976, it is documented that there were over a thousand political assassinations and disappearances.

At age 80, Isabel Peron still resides in Spain.

Caveat: This is not a term paper. There are no annotations or attributions. Mrs. Peron is an interesting, if evil, person and should you have a true interest in learning more about the subject, do your own research. Sourced from old news articles and the internet.

Image: BBC News

930

4 comments:

Secondary Roads said...

From 1973 through 1975 Sylvia and I were living in Quito, Ecuador. The daily newspaper carried the stories of happening in Argentina. There was also turmoil in Argentina's neighbor, Chile. Very interesting times.

Leah C. Dancel said...

Wow! Perhaps in my time, I lost track about current affairs as my own country was also consumed by political turmoils. Not only disappearances of prominent or non-prominent figures but also the disappearance of properties due to the mining industry of Imelda Marcos, who brought her thousands of shoes to the attention of the world! Oh well ... The devil was busy stirring at that time indeed! It was dooms day all over the world!

Lin said...

That Juan sure knew how to pick 'em, didn't he?? He must have been some guy to hook up with such strong women.

Oh, I feel a song coming on.....

Evita is one of my favorite shows--seen it a few times.

vanilla said...

Chuck, living in close proximity to Argentina, I daresay you got more news than we did.

Inday Leah, the devil's work never seems to cease. Imelda not only was noted for her shoes, she was quite the real estate magnate, owning several buildings in Manhattan. But she drew the line at buying the Empire State Building-- too ostentatious, she said. She did know how to live large.

Lin, I sensed that you were "going to the show." I've not seen it.