Today we had the morning free, so a group of us decided to check out La Boca again to shop and look around. Since it is election day in Argentina, we expected many of the stores to be closed, although we were pleasantly surprised with how lively it was when we arrived. The sun was out, music was playing through the streets, and people were out shopping throughout the vibrantly colored local stores. This was definitely a highlight of my day. At 1:30 we returned to the hotel in time for a guided tour throughout Buenos Aires, where we walked around the Recoleta, visited a church, and toured a graveyard with many famous figures, including Eva Perón. Afer the tour we spent time walking around a market with many handmade items at the Recoleta. It was interesting learning more facts about the city, and we found some good spots we want to visit in the coming days. We’re now about to head out for a delicious dinner!
Juan Perón was first elected as the 29th president of Argentina in 1946, and is very well known for creating Peronism, his political philosophy, and for impacting the development of the country’s healthcare system. Peronism emphasizes the idea that every citizen should have a basic right of healthcare, and that the working class and marginilized communities should be given attention. Perón did many things to uphold this philosophy that we see in today’s healthcare system, including explanding public health infrastructure and the organization of the Obras Sociales. Under his leadership, the government built public hospitals, clinics, and care centers throughout the Argentina, emphasizing the more rural areas. This helped make healthcare more accessible to all, not just the wealthy who could afford to travel to get the care they needed. Perón also supported the development of the Obras Sociales, union-run health insurance plans and services funded by payroll taxes that companies provide for their employees. He strengthened labor unions and gave them the ability to manage their own healthcare coverage, in turn making workers feel empowered and stable. This made healthcare coverage a workplace benefit, and is a defining factor of Argentina’s healthcare system today.
Apart from Perón himself, his wife Eva Perón was an extremely impactful figure as First Lady. Eva backed up her husband’s policies by being a public advocate, connecting directly with poorer and marginalized groups. She founded the Eva Perón foundation, which built many hospitals, homes, and medical facilities all over the Argentina, and provided resources, medications, and equipment to those in need. She embodied the Peronism philosophy and helped make healthcare into a social movement, especially uplifting women, children, and people of a lower income.
