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Isabel Perón: The First Woman to Become President of a Nation

In the annals of modern political history, a quiet revolution unfolded in July 1974. As Argentina mourned the passing of its charismatic leader, Juan Domingo Perón, a woman — unassuming, poised, and thrust into the spotlight — stepped into his shoes. María Estela Martínez de Perón, better known to the world as Isabel Perón, became the first woman in recorded history to hold the title of president, not just in Argentina, but anywhere in the world.

Her ascent was not born of electioneering or populist campaigning, but of proximity to power and the strange, often unpredictable hand of fate. Yet, despite the controversy and turbulence that would come to define her tenure, Isabel Perón’s presidency marked a moment of unprecedented change in a world still largely skeptical of female leadership.

A Humble Beginning

Born in the dusty, sun-baked province of La Rioja on February 4, 1931, María Estela Martínez came from modest beginnings. She studied classical dance in her youth — a path far removed from politics — and eventually left school without completing her secondary education. Her life might have remained unremarkable had she not met Juan Perón, the exiled strongman of Argentine politics, in the 1950s during his time in Panama.

Their relationship raised eyebrows, particularly among Perón’s seasoned political allies, who viewed the much younger former nightclub dancer with suspicion. But Isabel became more than just a companion; she served as his secretary and confidante during his long exile after being overthrown in 1955 by a military coup. When they married in 1961 in Madrid, she became Doña Isabel — not merely a wife, but a bridge to Perón’s increasingly fractured base of support.

From Vice Presidency to the Casa Rosada

Juan Perón returned triumphantly to Argentina in 1973 amid political chaos and civil unrest. In a calculated political move, he named Isabel as his running mate in the presidential election. Many were baffled — some saw her as a placeholder, others as a symbol of unity. Regardless, she was elected vice president alongside him.

But fate had other plans. On July 1, 1974, Juan Perón died of a heart attack. In accordance with the Argentine constitution, Isabel was sworn in as president — the first woman in history to lead a nation in a non-monarchical capacity.

A Presidency Under Siege

From the very beginning, her administration was a storm-tossed ship. Argentina was buckling under economic freefall: inflation soared past 300%, unions were striking, and guerrilla violence gripped the streets. The Montoneros, a left-wing Peronist guerrilla group, and right-wing death squads like the Argentine Anticommunist Alliance (AAA) turned Argentina into a battleground.

Lacking her late husband’s political cunning and overwhelmed by the magnitude of the crisis, Isabel leaned heavily on dubious advisors, most notoriously José López Rega — a former policeman turned occultist and founder of the AAA. Under his influence, state terror intensified, and political repression reached chilling levels. Critics disappeared. The climate of fear deepened.

Her presidency, never grounded in strong public support, unraveled quickly. After months of protests, strikes, and internal dissent, the military — long a looming presence in Argentine politics — seized power on March 24, 1976. Isabel was arrested and placed under house arrest. The coup ushered in one of the darkest periods in Argentine history: the "Dirty War," during which tens of thousands of people were abducted, tortured, or killed.

An Unsettled Legacy

Isabel Perón lived in exile in Spain for decades after her release in 1981. She largely disappeared from public life, granting few interviews and avoiding political commentary. In the years that followed, her time in power remained a subject of intense debate.

To some, she was an unprepared and manipulated figure who presided over the collapse of Argentine democracy. To others, she remains a symbol — however flawed — of a world in transition, where women began to take their place on the global stage.

Her legacy is complicated. But her place in history is undeniable. At a time when women were scarcely allowed to dream of power, Isabel Perón sat at the helm of a nation. She ruled not as a queen or a ceremonial figure, but as a constitutional president during one of the most chaotic periods of 20th-century Latin America.

In the years since, women such as Corazon Aquino in the Philippines, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in Liberia, and more recently, leaders like Jacinda Ardern and Giorgia Meloni, have reshaped the global political landscape. But the path they walk was first opened — however imperfectly — by a former dancer from La Rioja who became the world’s first female president.