Isabel Martínez de Perón

María Estela Martínez de Perón (born on February 4, 1931, in La Rioja, Argentina) better known as Isabel Martínez de Perón would become the third wife of Argentine President Juan Perón and serve as President of Argentina in her own right from July 1 1974 to March 24 1976.

Isabel as President

Perón died on July 1, 1974, less than a year after being elected.

Related Topics:
July 1 - 1974

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Isabel assumed the presidency and in doing so became the world's first female president.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

By this time, José López Rega, who had been slowly consolidating his power over the years by controlling Isabel, emerged as the clear power behind the throne—a notion which greatly frightened the military. Isabel agreed to fire López, but the military concluded that with Argentina's prevailing climate of widespread strikes and political terrorism, a weak-willed and inexperienced woman would not be a suitable president.

Related Topics:
José López Rega - Power behind the throne - Political terrorism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On March 24, 1976, she was kidnapped and deposed in a bloodless coup. After remaining under house arrest for five years, she was sent into exile in Spain in 1981. She was not allowed to return to Argentina until the presidency of Raúl Alfonsín in 1983.

Related Topics:
March 24 - 1976 - Kidnapped - Coup - Spain - 1981 - Raúl Alfonsín - 1983

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~