Evita Peron, Saint or Devil?

Maria Eva Duarte de Peron (Evita) is possibly the most famous woman to come out of Latin America. Looking at Evita's life, it is clear that she was a woman driven by the desire to increase her wealth and power. She also became very interested in her wish to improve the position of the "descamisados"(the shirtless ones), who were the poor workers of Argentina. To do this she would have to damage the position of the oligarchs whom she had long detested. She was portrayed as an illegitimate child born out of wedlock, uneducated, and used her looks to make a living. Photos that would seem harmless today were scandalous to the Argentinean elite then. She had a determined personality and took advantage of what life gave her. ''There are some oligarchs who make me want to bite them just as one crunches into a carrot or a radish,'' Evita said. Many Argentineans worship her as a saint, while others think of her as devilish.
Eva Peron, depending on who you ask, was either a saint or a devil. To the oligarchs and bourgeois she was so detested that they referred to her as "that woman". On the other hand, to the poor Argentineans, she was the embodiment of all of their hopes and dreams. Many events in Evita's life show her as a humorless and ruthless tyrant with a single-minded quest for power. However, there are also many incidents where she shows her tireless efforts to help the poor, to gain some freedom for Argentinean women, and her efforts at international charity.
Eva met a man named Colonel Juan Domingo Peron. When they met she was 24 and he was 48. After Eva involved herself with Peron and his political events, she became an important woman but politically and socially. They got married and she convinced him to retire from the Army and run for office. At this point, Peron got arrested by his ex-mates and put in jail. She maneuvered large protests and got him freed. They went to the elections and won in October 1944. She had successfully reached her goal to become someone important. Eva and Juan Peron did not have an intimate relationship. An important part of their relationship was their shared ideas and politics. They seemed to understand and complement each other well. This relationship was an important part of their image as the leaders of the country.
Was Eva a saint or devil? I think that even though Eva fought her way from poverty to being the president’s wife, she had good intentions. She took advantage of people to get what she wanted, but it was for the good of the people of the country. She wanted to donate to the poor and start charities across the country. She was against the oligarchs and took care of the poor people. Eva designated much of her day to helping distribute funds and services to the poor. She individually met with needy families and treated them with as much or more respect than her own peers. 511