One week into the trip already, which is absolutely insane because of how fast it has gone by! Today focused on the culture and history of Buenos Aires and Argentina itself. We started the day by taking a walking tour around the city. The tour was super interesting because we were able to walk throughout the city and learn about important historical events and the history behind many of the buildings and infrastructures. We also visited a train station in Buenos Aires, where our tour guide told us about the war with Paraguay and how it began over iron resources. In the end, around 90% of Paraguay’s male population died as a result of the war.
After the train station, we headed north to the famous cemetery in Buenos Aires. There, we got to see large tombs belonging to wealthy families buried there. Each tomb was unique and beautifully designed, and the cemetery was filled with countless mausoleums, which I found really fascinating. We ended the tour by visiting the tomb of Eva Perón, a very important historical figure in Argentine history.
After lunch, we visited a museum dedicated to the history of Eva Perón, the wife of Juan Perón and a central figure in Peronism. We learned a lot about both Evita and Perón. For example, Evita was an actress before marrying Juan and later started a foundation dedicated to helping the working class by providing food, medicine, housing, and financial support to families in need. Juan Domingo Perón also played a major role in shaping Argentina’s healthcare system because he believed healthcare should be a right for all people, not just those who could afford it. During his presidency, the government invested heavily in public hospitals, clinics, and disease prevention programs to make healthcare more accessible across the country. Another major part of his impact on healthcare was through labor unions. He worked closely with unions and helped create worker health plans called “obras sociales,” which gave employees and their families access to medical care through their jobs. These union-based healthcare programs are still an important part of Argentina’s healthcare system today. Through both public hospitals and union healthcare systems, Perón and Evita greatly improved healthcare access and support for the working class in Argentina.
