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Nicolás Maduro and Perón’s widow

The kind of leadership exercised by charismatic leaders disempowers the institutions and the opposition. This makes it all the more difficult to produce a successor and heightens the feeling of abyss. Español Português

By Rut Diamint and Laura Tedesco
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Hugo Chavez in 2012. Carlos Hernandez/DPA/PA Images. All rights reserved.

Juan Domingo Perón was so distrustful that when he ran for president in 1973, he reinforced his candidacy with his wife as vice president. Perón was unable to decide on his succession – “my sole heir is the people”, he used to say cunningly. When Perón died in July 1974, María Estela Martínez de Perón, known as Isabelita, became president of Argentina. Her government intensified the armed confrontation between the Peronist left and right and ushered in the military coup of 1976 and its policy of extermination. The chaos and fear were such that many Peronists expected that fatal blow.

Juan Domingo Perón was so distrustful that when he ran for president in 1973, he reinforced his candidacy with his wife as vice president.

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