Today we toured the area we’re staying in, Retiro. We saw many famous landmark buildings and the famous cemetery where wealthy aristocratic families as well as Eva Perón are buried. 

While learning about Evita, we also learned some more about the president Perón and how he had an impact on the Argentine healthcare system.  General Juan Perón played a major role in transforming Argentina’s healthcare system during the late 1940’s. Before Perón, healthcare in Argentina was fragmented and not equal, with wealthier citizens having far better access to medical care than the working class. During his presidency that started in 1946, Perón expanded the role of the state in healthcare and tied health services closely to work unions. He believed that workers deserved social protections as part of his broader idea of “social justice” under Peronism. Through cooperation with unions, healthcare coverage expanded significantly for industrial workers and their families. Labor unions helped administer healthcare benefits and social insurance programs, creating what later became the foundation for Argentina’s union based healthcare structure known as the obras sociales (social works) system. 

Perón also strengthened the public healthcare system by increasing government investment in hospitals, sanitation, and medical infrastructure. Argentina built hospitals, expanded vaccination campaigns, and increased the number of hospital beds across the country. Public health became a national priority rather than only a local responsibility. 

Eva Perón was equally important in shaping healthcare and social welfare. After visiting the Evita Perón Museum, it is especially clear how deeply she connected with the poor and working classes. Through the Eva Perón Foundation, she funded hospitals, clinics, orphanages, nursing homes, and aid programs for disadvantaged Argentinians. She also worked closely with unions and supported workers’ access to healthcare and social services. Evita became a symbolic bridge between the Peronist government and ordinary people, especially women, children, and the poor. Her charitable work and advocacy for social welfare made her one of the most beloved figures in Argentine history. Together, Juan and Evita Perón helped create a healthcare system that emphasized public access, worker protections, and state involvement in social welfare