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Eva Duarte de Perón:

Senela el Camino del Civisimo for Women


ANO DEL LIBERATADOR GENERAL SAN MARTIN, 1950
(year of San Martin, Argentine liberator, 1950)

DISCURSO PRONUNCIADO POR LA SENORA EVA PERON EL DIA 4 DE MAYO DEL ANO DEL LIBERATADOR GENERAL SAN MARTIN, 1950, CON MOTIVO DEL ALMUERZO OFRECIDO EN SU HONOR POR EL PARTIDO PERONISTA FEMENINO DISTRITO CAPITAL FEDERAL.

(speech given by Eva Peron on May 4th, 1950, the year of the liberator General San Martin, after a lunch in her honor held by the Peronist Femenist Party in the Federal Capitol District, Buenos Aires).


Text translated by AI (original follows)

I excitedly thank the words just spoken by the delegate of the Capital, the secretary of the Metropolitan Women's Board, the sub-census representative on behalf of all the comrades, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, who has deeply moved me, Doctor Campora, and Comrade Espejo.

The Peronist women of the Capital, the Executive Power, the Chamber of Deputies, and all the forces of labor through the General Secretary of the Confederation of Labor have been represented here. What more can a humble woman who has embraced the cause of the workers and the humble people of the nation aspire to than to have a group of women and men of goodwill gather to raise their glasses and toast to a celebration that refers to me. You fill me with happiness in my feelings as a woman, knowing that here a table of love, camaraderie, and solidarity has been set.

I gratefully receive all the words that have been spoken, as well as the comrades of the Feminine Peronist Party for the Capital District, for this symbolic act because it also serves us to strengthen ties, to unify opinions, and to get to know each other better in this enterprise that we have initiated to collaborate and support General Peron. And since he has the working class as his backbone, we want to be one of the vertebrae of that wonderful column on which General Peron rests, supports, and works so peacefully.

When I accepted the immense responsibility of presiding over this movement from the National Assembly of Women, I did it because I intended and intend to try to unite all Peronist women and channel that extraordinary force of Peronism along the path of creative, dignifying, and magnificent sources, towards the patriotic sense of Peronist doctrine. The responsibility was great; I did not ignore it, but I accepted it. And I want all the women in the country to know once again that Eva Peron loves all Peronist women, all equally, and even more those who work with their hearts in the service of the Leader of the Nation, General Peron, from the most distant corners of the country.

I take this opportunity to give you advice, not only to the Peronist women of the Capital District but to all the Peronist women of the Republic, sub-census and census takers throughout the territory of the homeland. You have a great responsibility, as Comrade Espejo said: the responsibility of understanding all comrades, of trying to bring all capable, true Peronist elements who come with the spirit of sacrificing and putting their forces at the service of this cause of the nation closer to the Party's leadership. You must be tolerant because we must tolerate to be tolerated; you must be persuasive and carry the doctrine forward, not only preach it but also practice it with love, spirit of self-denial, and renunciation.

You must think that General Peron told us not long ago that he had given us a lever with which we could move the world and that the important thing was to know how to move the lever. You have the means. You have that doctrine, you have an irreplaceable leader, such as General Peron, and you have a wonderful homeland, such as ours. But you have to work and sacrifice because nothing is achieved except by the path of sacrifice, understanding, and love.

I ask all of you that whenever you see, in any corner of the country, no matter how remote, a woman who has a strong heart, like the one on October 17, 1945 (*the day Perón was released from military captivity and a huge crowd of workers gathered in Plaza 25 de Mayo... it became a major Peronist holiday), try to bring her to our ranks and inform me of it, since I do not have the privilege of being in all places of the Nation to listen to each of the Peronist women who work for our cause. Think that our movement is big and that there is room for all, so that we work together for one another. But let it not be just a "slogan" of "one for all and all for one". Let that be a reality like the realities that General Perón is giving us in abundance, who has the privilege of loving all Peronist women equally, without preference for any. That's how I want Peronist women to be as well. The smaller they are, the more I love them. The one that seems the most insignificant to you is the one that is closest to my heart.

I believe this opportunity is the first time I have come into contact with the sub-census takers, secretaries, and pro-secretaries of a district such as the Federal Capital, and I take advantage of it to tell all of you that anyone, even if they hold the position of secretary or pro-secretary, if they sacrifice themselves by collaborating for our cause, can become a future leader of the Peronist Women's Party. Let us sacrifice ourselves; let us not think of schedules or anything else. We are fighting for the existence or non-existence of the Nation, and when our physical strength weakens, we raise our eyes to the figure of our Leader, General Perón, who is burning his life for the happiness of all Argentines. Let us be a powerful vertebra of that column of workers who, silently but tenaciously, daily show their loyalty and love for General Perón.

I aspire for the women's branch of the Peronist Party to bring nothing but satisfaction, but for that, we must work incessantly, fight without selfishness, and know how to tolerate each other. When one Peronist has a disagreement with another, think that there is only one flag; that of General Perón. When two Peronists fight, do not bring the problem to me because it causes me great pain. I want to be equal with all so as not to be unfair. In a family, two sisters can fight, but they always remain sisters. I want this to be a great family; the family that General Perón aspires to.

Today, we have the privilege of having a man of the caliber of our President, and that is why we must form this branch, which begins today, with all the perfection and love that he wants. Let's form a political party that encompasses all the virtues they should have. Let it not be like what they have been in our country; something unpleasant and annoying, but rather a most valuable and essential instrument for the greatness of the Nation. We will achieve this with sacrifice and collaboration.

I wish that each one of you, in the district you represent, bring to all Peronist women an affectionate hug and this thought of mine, even to those who are not in the party.

What I want to say is that you should make sacrifices. The one who collaborates best, who works best for the cause, will be the one who will lead the Party in the future. I would like other women with those qualities to emerge; I wish for it and hope so. We need young feminine values, since we have a wonderful doctrine and a Leader like General Peron. We must act in close collaboration with men, animated by the same ideal and constituting two parallel forces that complement each other, following the path that General Peron has pointed out to us to achieve a socially just, economically free, and politically sovereign nation.

Let's start by being disciplined. Let's be united; I want the Argentine woman to achieve something, to succeed. Mrs. Peron does not want absolutely anything for herself, but for women to have a powerful weapon in their unity and to be organized: that is how we will succeed, if not, we will not.

That is why we are forming these vanguards of Peronism. This requires perseverance and to do as General Peron did, who found himself facing two paths: one paved, and another obstructed by a dense swamp. Peron made his way through that jungle of difficulties and obstacles with an ax, until he finally reached, as he is now envisioning, a promising tomorrow for all Argentines. The other path, so easy and comfortable, was that of surrender, not only of the people but of the entire Homeland.

Soon we will pay tribute to General Peron; we will have all the companions come down from upstairs, so that, together with those from the Federal Capital, we can say, "present, my general," following the example of all the workers, who are missionaries of Peron and from birth to death fight for the Peronist doctrine.

You should know that I am always ready to clarify any misunderstandings, to encourage you and give you confidence and faith; I want to be for Peronist women like a mother, like a sister, who tries to understand them, help them, and make them understand and help each other. When we all achieve this unity and mutual understanding, General Peron will be able to sleep peacefully in his dream as a patriot, knowing that his sacrifice has not been in vain, and that, throughout time, the Peronist doctrine will be strengthened and enlarged by the work of new blood and patriotic aspirations of future generations.

I raise my glass to toast not for my birthday, which is simply the birthday of one more descamisada, but to toast for you, for the happiness of all Argentine Peronist women, even for the happiness of those who live in the farthest regions of the country. I hold you all very close to my heart and embrace you affectionately, reminding you that no one should think that, just because they hold a position or a function, they are the owners of the Peronist Party, because the true owners are the descamisadas of the Homeland, the descamisadas of October 17, 1945. We have the enormous responsibility of understanding and putting into practice and crystallizing the dreams and aspirations of our Leader, General Peron. I toast to the forger of our nationality, General Peron, and may we find ourselves together every year.



[Original]

Agradezco emocionada las palabras que acaban de pronunciar la delegada de la Capital, la secretaria de la Junta Metropolitana Femenina, la senora subcensista en representacion de todas las companeras, el senor ministro de Industria y Comercio, que me ha emocianado profundamente, el doctor Campora y el companero Espejo.

Han estado aqui representadas las mujeres peronistas de la Capital, el Poder Ejecutivo, la Camara de Diputados, y las fuerzas todas del trabajo por medio del Secretario General Confederacion del Trabajo (*the CGT). Que mas puede ambicionar una humilde mujer que ha abrazado la causa de los trabajadores, de los humildes de la patria, que se reuna un grupo de mujeres y de hombres de bien para levantar sus copas y brindar por una fiesta que se refiere a mi persona. Ustedes me colman de felicidad em mis sentimientos de mujer, al saber que aqui se ha tendido una mesa de amor, de camaraderia, de solidaridad.

Agradezco emocianado todas las palabras que se han pronunciado, como asimisimo a las companeros del Partido Peronista Femenino, por el Distrito Capital, por este acto simbolico, porque nos sirve tambien para estrechar vinculos, para aunar opiniones y para conocernos mejor, en esta empresa que hemos iniciado de colaborar y apoyar al General Peron. Y ya que el tiene como columna vertebral a la clase trabajadora, nosotras queremos ser una de las vertebras de esa columna maravillosa sobre la cual se apoya, respalda y con la cual trabaja tan tranquilo el General Peron.

Al aceptar de la Asamblea Nacional de Mujeres la inmensa responsabilidad de presidir este movimiento, lo hice porque pretendia, y pretendo, tratar de unir a todas las mujeres peronistas, y canalizar esa fuerza extraordinaria del peronismo por el camino de las fuentes creadoras, dignificadoras y grandiosas, por el sentido patriotico de la doctrina peronista. La responsibilidad era grande; no lo ignoraba, pero la acepte. Y quiero que todas las mujeres del pais sepan, una vez mas, que Eva Peron ama entranablemente a todas las peronistas, a todas por igual, y aun mas a aquellas que desde los mas lejanos rincones de la patria trabajan con su corazon puesto al servicio del Lider de la Nacionalidad, el General Peron.

Aprovecho esta oportunidad para darles un consejo, no solo a las mujeres peronistas del Distrito Capital, sino a todas las peronistas de la Repulblica, subcensistas y censistas de todo el territorio de la Patria. Ustedes tienen una gran responsibilidad, como bien lo dijo el companero Espejo: la responsibilidad de comprender a todas las companeras, la de tratar de acercar a la direccion del Partido a todas los elementos capaces, peronistas de verdad, que vengan con el espiritu de sacrificarse y poner a contribucion sus fuerzas en pro de esta causa de la nacionalidad. Deben ser tolerantes, porque hay que tolerar para que nos toleren; deben ser tolerantes, porque hay que tolerar para que nos toleren: deben ser persuasivas y llevar adelante la doctrina, y no solo predicarla, sino practicarla con amor, con espiritu de abnegacion y de renunciamiento.

Ustesdes piensen que el General Peron nos dijo hace poco timepo que nos habia dado una palanca con la cual podiamos mover el mundo y que lo importante era saber mover la palanca. El medio lo tienen. Tienen esa doctrina, tienen a un Lider insustituible, como es el General Peron y tienen una patria maravillosa, como es la nuestra. Pero tienen que trabajar y sacraficarse porque nada se consigue sino por el camino del sacraficio, de la comprension y del amor.

Les pido a todas ustedes que cuando vean, en cualquier rincon del pais, por mas alejado que sea, a una mujer que tiene un corazon bien puesto, como el del 17 de Octubre de 1945, (* day Peron was released from military captivity...when a huge crowd of workers assembled in la Plaza 25 de Mayo...it became a major Peronist holiday) traten de acercarla a nuestras filas y ustedes deben informarme de ello, puesto que yo no tengo el privilegio de estar en todos los lugares de la Patria para auscultar a cada una de las peronistas que trabajan en pro de nuestra causa. Piensen que nuestro movimiento es grande y que hay cabida para todas, para que trabajemos una para todas y todas para una. Pero que no sea un “slogan” eso de “una para todas y todas para una”. Que eso sea una realidad como son las realidades que nos esta dando a manos llenas el General Peron, que tiene el privilegio de amar a todas las peronistas por igual, sin preferencias por ninguno. Asi quiero yo tambien a las peronistas. Cuanto mas pequenas mas las quiero. La que a ustedes les parezca mas insignificante, es la que esta mas cerca de mi corazon.
Esta oportunidad creo que es la primera en que tomo contacto con las subcensistas, secretarias y prosecretarias de un distrito como es el de la Capital Federal y la aprovecho para decirles a todas que cualquiera, aunque ocupe un cargo de secretaria o prosecretaria, si se sacrifica colaborando por nuestra causa, puede llegar a ser la futura dirigente del Partido Peronista Femenino. Sacrifiquemonos; no pensemos en horarios ni en nada. Estamos luchando por el ser o no ser de la Patria y, cuando las fuerzas fisicas se debiliten, levantamos nuestros ojos hacia la figura de nuestro Lider, el General Peron, que esta quemando su vida en aras de la felicidad de todos los argentinos. Seamos una vertebra poderosa de esa columna de trabajadores que silenciosa pero tenazmente, esta dando a diario muestra de su fidelidad y de su amor hacia el General Peron.

Yo ambiciono a que la rama femenina del Partido Peronista le brinde nada mas que satisfacciones, pero para ello debemos trabajar incesantemente, luchar sin egoismos y sabernos tolerar mutuamente. Cuando una peronista tenga alguna divergencia con otra, piense que hay una sola bandera; la del General Peron. Cuando se peleen dos peronistas, no me traigan a mi el problema porque me causan un gran dolor. Yo quiero ser igual con todas para no ser injusta. En una familia pueden pelearse dos hermanas, pero siempre siguen siendo hermanas. Yo deseo que esta sea una gran familia; la familia que ambiciona el General Peron.

Hoy, nosotras tenemos el privilegio de tener un hombre de los quilates de nuestro Presidente y es por eso que debemos formar esta rama, que hoy se inicia, con toda la perfeccion y con todo el amor que el quiere. Formemos un partido politico que encierre todas las virtudes que los mismos deben tener. Que no sea lo que han sido en nuestro pais; algo desagradable y molesto, sino que sea un instrumento principalisimo y valiosa para la grandeza de la Patria. Esa lo lograremos con sacrificio y colaboracion.

Deseo que cada una de ustedes, en la circunscripcion que represten, le llevan a todas las mujeres peronistas un abrazo afectuoso y este pensamiento mio, aun a aquellas que no estan dentro del patido.

Lo que yo quiero decirles es que se sacrifiquen. La que mejor colabre, la que mejor trabaje por la causa, sera quien en el futuro quede al frente del Partido. Yo quisiera que surgieran otras mujeres de esas condiciones; lo deseo y asi lo espero. Necesitamos valores femeninos jovenes, ya que tenemos una doctrina maravillosa y un Lider como el General Peron. Debemos actuar en estrecha colaboracion con los hombres, animades por el mismo ideal y constituyendo dos fuerzas paralelas que se complementen, tras el camino que nos ha senalado el General Peron para lograr una patria socialmente justa, economicamente libre y politicamente soberana.

Empecemos por ser disciplinadas. Seamos unidas; yo quiero que la mujer agrentina logre algo, que llegue, que triun e. La senora de Peron no quiere absolutamente nada para si, sino que las mujeres tengan un arma poderosa en su unidad y que sean organizades: asi triunfaremos, si no, no.

Por ello estamos constituyendo estas vanguardias del peronismo. Ello requiere perseverencia y hacer como el General Peron, quien encontro frente a si dos caminos: uno asfaltado, y otra obstaculizado por una tupida marana. Peron se abrio paso a hachazos por entre esa selva de inconvenientes y obstaculos, hasta entrevar al fin, como esta entreviendo ahora, un manana promisorio para todos los argentinos. El otra camino, tan facil y comodo, era el de la entrega, la entrega no solo del pueblo sino de la Patria toda.

Dentro de muy poco tiempo hemos de rendir un homenaje al General Peron; haremos bajar a todas las companeras del inferior, para que, juntas con las de la Capital Federal, podamos decirle, “presente, mi general”, siguiendo el ejemplo de todos los trabajadores, que son misioneros de Peron y desde la cuna hasta la muerte luchar por la doctrina peronista.

Ustedes deben saber que yo estoy siempre dispuesta para aclarar cualiquier malentenido, para reanimarlas y darles confianza y fe; yo quiero ser para las mujeres peronistas como madre, como la hermana, que trata de comprenderlas, de ayudarlas y de hacer que se entienden y ayuden entre ustedes mismas. Cuando todas logremos esta unidad y este entenimineto mutuo, el General Peron podra dormir tranquilo su sueno de patriota, sabiendo que su sacrificio no ha sido esteril, y que, a traves de los tiempos, la doctrina peronista se robustecera y engrandecera por la obra de la sange nueva y las ilusiones patriotas de las futuras generaciones.

Yo levanto mi copa para brindar no por mi cumpleanos que es simplemente el cumpleanos de una descamisada mas, sino para brindar por ustedes, por la felicidad de todas las mujeres peronistas argentinas, aun por la felicidad de aquellas que viven en las regiones mas lejanas del pais. A todas las tengo muy cerca de mi corazon y las estrecho carinosamente, recordandoles que nadie debe creerse, porque desempene un cargo o una funcion, duena del Partido Peronista, porque las verdaderas duenas son las descamisadas de la Patria, las descamisadas del 17 de Octubre de 1945. Nosotros tenemos la enorme responsabilidad de comprender y llevar a la practica y cristalizar los ensuenos y los afanes de nuestro Lider, el General Peron. Por el brindo, por el forjador de nuestra nacionalidad, el General Peron. Por el brindo, por el forjador de nuestra nacionalidad, el General Peron, y porque todos los anos nos encuentre juntas.


Source:

This text is part of the Internet Modern History Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.

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