Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner unveiled a new 100-peso bill on Wednesday which bears the face of Eva Perón, the very iconic First Lady of Argentina. The ceremonial banknote–which was revealed on the eve of the 60th anniversary of Evita's death–marks the first time in Argentina's history that a woman will grace the face of its currency.
For now the bill is only commemorative, but President Fernandez wants to eventually make Evita, who was the second wife of dictator Juan Perón, the permanent face of the 100-peso bill. "After 200 years it's the first time that a woman appears on a bill," President Fernandez said at the event. "Who better than Eva?"
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Eva Perón has been immortalized in film (in 1997 she was played by Madonna, no less!), song, and most recently in the revived Broadway musical starring Ricky Martin. During her short time as First Lady, she spearheaded many of the social changes that are still relevant in Argentina today–for example, she has been credited as one of the main forces behind giving Argentinean women the right to vote. This gesture from her countrymen really elevates her to icon status, which I'm guessing would have meant the most to the well-known First Lady.
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Though Evita was a highly controversial figure in her country, this is something that all Latina women should celebrate! We have had so many extraordinary women in our Latin American history, but I can count on one hand how many have been immortalized in currency, the ultimate mark of a historical figure's influence. Given that our countries boast so many female leaders–Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Nicaragua have all had badass women in power–let's hope this trend is slowly changing!
What do you think of Evita on the face of this 100-peso bill? Tell us in the comments below!
Image via AP
