The first few years in the capital were a constant struggle for the young Duarte but she eventually found work as a ‘b’ grade film actress and a radio soap opera star. After appearing in many historical dramas Eva bought her way into the radio company. Still with her champion of the working classes in mind, after the earthquake of 1944 which struck San Juan, Eva attended a fundraising gala. It was here that she met the forty eight year old Juan Peron. Peron was the Secretary of Labour at that time and was instantly taken with the young Eva Duarte. Within weeks of meeting the two moved in together and Peron allowed Eva to sit in on his meetings with government members and advisors. Allowing Eva to take up such a position was seen as detrimental to the political and military career of Peron. 

With Eva’s encouragement and with her at his side Peron became more powerful until eventually his position in the government was seen as a threat and he was arrested by his opponents within the government who feared that due to the strong support of the workers and the poor of the nation, Peron's popularity might eclipse that of the sitting president, Pedro Pablo Ramirez.   

In October 1945 it is believed that Eva, still only an actress, organized between 250,000 and 350,000 protestors calling for the release of Peron from prison. Their wish was granted and Peron stepped onto the balcony of Casa Rosada and addressed the crowd. In 1946 Peron married Duarte and she became Argentina’s first lady. After Peron’s release Eva campaigned for her husband’s bid for the presidency using her radio station as an address system. She became increasingly unpopular with the upper classes but the working classes loved her, so much so that they called her simply “Evita”, meaning ‘Little Eva’. 

In 1947 Eva began what was to be called her “Rainbow Tour’ of Europe meeting with heads of state such as Franciso Franco and the pope. She traveled through Spain, Switzerland and Italy but her visit to England was called off by the Royal family who considered that the visit of the United States’ First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt was more important. Eva’s official reason for not visiting England was exhaustion. 

After Eva returned from Europe she completely toned down her movie star appearance in favour of big hats she would wear her hair back in a chignon and she was seen in Chanel and Christian Dior suits. She founded the charitable Eva Peron Foundation which was responsible for building 1,000 schools and providing free health care for the poor and homeless. Despite her dominance and political power, Evita was always careful to never undermine the important symbolic role of her husband. 

As her popularity grew with the people it was expected that she would run for vice-president but eventually Evita declined saying, her only ambition was that in the large chapter of history that would be written about her husband, she hoped that in the footnotes there would be mention of a woman who brought the “hopes and dreams of the people to the president.” Former actors and entertainers, from Ronald Reagan to Sonny Bono, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Fred Thompson and Glenda Jackson, have often taken public political offices. In this regard, Evita was perhaps ahead of her time. 

By 1951 Evita’s health was showing a rapid deterioration after she had fainted in public in 1950. She was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer and underwent a hysterectomy in an attempt to rid her of the cancer.In 1952 Evita accompanied her husband on his drive through the capital after his second election to the position of president. In an official ceremony a few days after Juan Peron's second inauguration, Evita was given the official title of "Spiritual Leader of the Nation".Evita’s illness returned and spread to her lungs.

She died on July 26^th 1952.

Argentina went into mourning stopping the playing of movies and the opening of restaurants. Evita was given a state funeral.As with Che Guevara, Eva Peron has remained an important cultural icon in the Argentine. As early as 1978, the musical ‘Evita’ was considered as the basis for a movie, with everyone from Patti LuPone to Liza Minnelli to Michelle Pfeiffer to Meryl Streep being considered for the title role.