Page 68 - WDT INTERACTIVE

RECOLETA

CEMETERY

& the very creepy 20-year
journey of Eva Peron’s body

The last stop on our walking tour was Recoleta
Cemetery, located only a couple of blocks from our
apartment. This surreal city of the dead was Buenos
Aires first official public burial place in 1822. It’s like a
creepy subdivision with well over 6,000 graves housed
in elaborately decorated stone mini-temples and
Baroque cathedrals. It’s the final home for Argentina’s
most famous citizens, including Eva Peron. Oddly
enough, and we found this at most tourist attractions,
there were no printed guides or guided tours in English.
I think the powers that be in Argentina are still smarting
over the Falkland Islands debacle.

In front of her crypt, our guide took on a “Twilight
Zone” Rod Serling-like persona to tell our group about
the bizarre travels of Eva Peron’s body – a story that
remained a mystery for almost 20 years.
Eva Peron, born as Eva María Duarte and married
to Juan Domingo Perón was idolized by many who
called her Evita. As the first lady of Argentina during
Peron’s presidency, she was a symbol of hope who
championed the rights of the las descamisados, “the
shirtless ones” as the working and poor classes were
known.
For others who favored the military coup that top-
pled her husband, she was despised. Argentina under
Juan Peron was not by any means a democratic
nation. Significantly influenced by Hitler and other
dictators, he dissolved opposition parties and silenced
the press.
In 1952, at age 33, Eva Peron succumbed to cervical
cancer. When her death appeared imminent, Juan
Peron summoned Spanish pathologist Pedro Ara, a
young doctor famous for his impeccable embalming,

68 WDT MAGAZINE WINTER 2018