Discusses and compares these two famous Argentinian characters.
Ernesto “Che” Guevara, the international revolutionary, and Eva “Evita” Peron, Argentina’s influential First Lady during Juan Peron’s first term as President, are perhaps the most recognizable Argentines of the 20th century. Che’s bearded, beret-wearing image leaps out at every protest demonstration, whether it is a sit-in for higher wages, a walk for the cause of peace, or a fiery protest against international trade talks, while Eva Peron has become an unofficial saint in the country of her birth, apart from being the subject of theatrical musicals and a Hollywood movie. This essay compares and contrasts the lives and times of these two enduring icons whose legacies transcend borders and generations.
The early lives of Che and Eva are a study in contrast. Ernesto was born in a middle class family and received his early education from his mother and a father from whom he inherited revolutionary literature and a hatred of the left fascist dictatorship that existed at the time in Argentina, capitalist oligarchy and the pervasive influence of American imperialism. Ernesto, however, is not known to have indulged in student politics in his early life and concentrated instead on becoming a doctor by pursuing his medical studies at the Buenos Aires University. His initial interest in medicine was focused on understanding his own infliction of Asthma that later branched off into study of leprosy the first indication the young doctor was concerned about the sufferings of the poor and the suffering. (Hyams)”