Isabel Martínez de Perón

Isabel Peron first met her future husband Juan Peron when he was in exile in Panama. Peron, 35 years her senior, had lost his beloved second wife Eva a few years ago and became attracted to the young dancer. Isabel moved with Juan to Spain in 1960. The couple got married the next year.

She presently lives in exile in Spain.

Isabel Peron was born as María Estela Martínez Cartas on February 4, 1931, in La Rioja, Argentina, into a lower middle-class family to María Josefa Cartas Olguín and Carmelo Martínez. Her father was a local bank manager.

The death of her father when she was a young child plunged the family into a financial crisis. She did not receive much formal education and dropped out of school after fifth grade. However, she received training in piano, dance, and French.

After dropping out of school, she found work as a dancer. Initially she performed in folk music groups and night clubs before getting the chance to dance in leading theaters in Buenos Aires. During this time, she adopted the name Isabel as her professional name.

She was on tour with a dance troupe in 1956 when she met former Argentine president Juan Peron in Latin America. The politician had recently been removed from the Argentine presidency and was now in exile.

Peron, a middle-aged man at that time, was immediately impressed by Isabel’s charms and made her his personal secretary. Isabel accompanied him in exile and moved with him to Spain in 1960. They got married the next year.

Isabel Peron became involved in resurrecting her husband’s political career while honing her own. Since her husband was forbidden to return to Argentina, Isabel made several trips to the country on his behalf, building support for Juan Peron in anticipation of his return to politics.

Juan Peron was finally allowed to return to Argentina to run for president in 1973. He chose Isabel as his nominee for vice presidency at the suggestion of his close adviser José López Rega.

Juan Peron won the election with 62% of the vote and began his third term as the president in October 1973, with Isabel as both the First Lady and the vice president. By this time Juan’s health was deteriorating and gradually Isabel began taking up more political responsibilities upon her own shoulders.