WI: Eva Péron Lives, Even Becomes President?

The famed Eva Péron was considering standing for vice-president, although she later signed a renunciation of the post, due to the cancer that would later kill her. What if she had lived? And perhaps, even eventually become President of Argentina?

NOTE: I don't know much about Eva besides the Lloyd-Weber musical (which I saw over the weekend), so I apologize if this seems unlikely/impossible.
 

Geon

Donor
I doubt she would have run for President. What research I did indicates that the real Eva Peron was more devoted to her husband Juan than the one in the movies was. She practically considered him a demi-god. I think she would have been content to be on the sidelines as it were. She had ambition yes. But not I think from my very limited study to that portrayed in the films.
 
The more conservative sectors of 1950s Argentine society would never tolerate a bastard born in poverty who married into wealth and power as a president. So, even if we assume the 1955 coup against Peron doesn't happen, Eva isn't running for president in the next elections.

What I could see, however, is an older Eva Peron running as Juan Peron's VP in 1973, just like OTL Peron's third wife did, and she would replace him as president when Juan Peron dies in 1974. An Eva Peron who lives decades longer than in OTL would naturally be far different at an ATL age of 55 than how she was at the age of 33. But I don't think she'd become more knowledgeable of economics nor more open to political compromises. That means her presidency would be very similar to Isabel Peron's tenure, although backed up by a prestige and myth Isabel Peron didn't have. Congress would not send her away and wouldn't dare to consider impeaching her. This ATL Eva Peron would, due the butterfly effect, surround herself with different people than Isabel Peron. But I think her tenure would be marked by economic mismanagement and State sponsored right wing terrorism just like Isabel Peron tenure was, and the military would either coup her, like they did to Isabel, or if her prestige remains strong despite the spiraling down economy, they'd carry out their plan to fight the political left wing with her as a president.

EDIT: And come to think of it, a democratically elected widowed Eva Peron serving as Videla's public face can make for a chilling TL
 
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I wonder about Evita. She seems to have done a lot of good for the lower classes but her whole background - illegitimate, poor, actress, uneducated - put a lot of military and bourgeois noses out of joint. And to make her more willing to play the wallflower would be to rewrite her whole personality (although she wouldn't be the first brain surgery patient to wake up with a changed personality). I wonder how her term as First Lady for Perón's second term would go? Maybe she's less visible while she's undergoing chemo? But she might recover and devote herself fanatically to the treatment of cancer in Argentina...
 
. . . But I don't think she'd become more knowledgeable of economics . . .
The Peronistas had some union support. Eva can certainly become more knowledgeable about economics.

Just like people who believe in trickle down and tax cuts for the rich always and ever being good for the economy can do so.

As a reasonably high trajectory . . . Eva realizes the banking establishment and the upper class generally will sabotage her efforts if they can. She goes with several clear-cut, medium-sized reforms to the economy, and these are successful. She then moves on to the environment, education and/or other relatively neglected issues.

But as a second chapter, Argentines like the method of medium step on the economy, feedback, another medium step, etc. And this serves the country very well in the coming decades.
 
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