Today we began our day by having a walking tour around Recoleta. We visited various attractions and buildings that held historical significance in Argentine culture. The tour lasted approximately 3 hours. Our final destination was the cemetery. At first, it seemed a bit strange to visit a cemetery that housed deceased individuals. However, it was a bit more than that. The tombs were structured very beautifully and varied in sizes. Some had sculptures of the individuals and others had angels. In these tombs laid well-renowned individuals across Argentina including politicians, presidents, and military commanders. It was very interesting to see the different tombs and hear about their stories. One specific story that stood out to me was how one female individual was pronounced dead and buried. However, the following day there were scratch marks all over the tombstone indicating that she was buried alive. That was a little scary to think about. The tour guide even added how his perception of the story was different and he believes that her mother killed her due to their love rivalry over the same man. This cementery also housed Eva Peron, a national symbol and icon recognized for her contributions in the passage for women’s suffrage and more. Her tomb was filled with fresh flowers which showed how influential she was and continues to be.

After our tour, we stopped by for a quick lunch and visited Eva Peron’s museum. It had many clothes that she wore in the past and many historical facts about her lifetime. The tour guide’s enthusiasm about Eva Peron demonstrates how she played a big role in Argentinian History and how highly she was respected. As the second wife of President Juan Peron, she became a powerful political leader, even though it was unofficial. Alongside her husband, she played a major role in Peronism, the political ideology centered around promoting social welfare, worker’s rights, and economic development. Under Peron’s presidency, the establishment of a universal healthcare system that aimed to provide universal coverage regardless of socioeconomic status was made possible. Peronism is closely associated with Obras Sociales considering the government’s establishment of Trade Unions. Even now, Obras Sociales continues to be used among the public and is one of the major healthcare sectors. Under Peronism, a nursing school was also established which played a pivotal role in women’s involvement in healthcare. Today, she continues to live in the hearts of the Argentine people.