ARGENTINA: Unlikely heir stirs controversy over plans to auction Juan and Eva Peron's belongings

Record ID: 446173

  • Title: ARGENTINA: Unlikely heir stirs controversy over plans to auction Juan and Eva Peron's belongings
  • Date: 16th February 2011
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF PHOTO OF PERON WITH DOG, CANELA
  • Embargoed: 3rd March 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Argentina, Argentina
  • Country: Argentina
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA866O7LZ5D77FE22EJTIWKCLSM
  • Story Text: Packed into this small Buenos Aires apartment are thousands of intimate objects that once belonged to Juan and Eva Peron, a collection that is set to go up for auction - but not without controversy.
    It's a historical treasure trove, a stroll through the minutia of the daily life of the South American country's most iconic historical figures.
    A curtain from Peron's refuge outside Madrid, the estate known as 'Puerta de Hierro', covers a table strewn with objects that belonged to the Peron family; a Yashica-D camera in perfect condition, a tiny transistor radio in a leather carrying case, a portrait of Peron with his dog Canela.
    Among the hundreds of books stacked about are hardbound copies of every speech Peron made from his inauguration as Argentine president in 1945 until his death in 1973, and it all belongs to this unlikely heir, 61-year-old Mario Rotundo.
    In 1970, Rotundo, just 20 at the time, was on a trip to Spain when he met Peron, then in exile in Madrid and plotting his return to Argentina after being driven out by a 1955 military coup.
    According to Rotundo, he gained Peron's confidence during a stormy period in the leader's life, when his entourage was populated with opportunists.
    "In our case, we met by coincidence, with no speculation of mutual interests. Neither of us was looking for anything from the other and maybe that's why we formed such a strong friendship, such a deep relationship. Maybe that's what led him to have so much confidence in me and maybe that's why I appreciated him so much, as a human being, as a politician, but most of all as a humanitarian," Rotundo said.
    Rotundo says Peron's will disappeared after his death, and his widow, Isabel Martinez de Peron, finally admitted in 1989 that Peron, childless, had named Rotundo as his sole heir.
    Because Peron lived 17 years in exile, his belongings were scattered around Argentina, other Latin American nations and Spain.
    The entire collection, some of which Rotundo has not recovered, is around 14,000 objects, with a valued worth of around $25 million.
    It hasn't been easy to get the belongings back. And the historical and monetary value of the pieces have put Rotundo at the center of controversy, with the government, museums and Peronists supporters saying it's all part Argentina's cultural heritage.
    His rightful position as heir has been questioned, as has the authenticity of some of the objects.
    "The objects are all authentic. There's nothing here that didn't belong to Peron, Eva or their families. What the government has to decide is whether they want to acquire them or not, and if they don't we're free to continue auctioning them off," Rotundo added.
    In a 2004 auction at Christie's, Rotundo sold some pieces - the big ticket item a silk shroud that covered Evita's remains - for over half a million dollars.
    Rotundo put the collection in the name of the philanthropic organization he heads up and says all the proceeds go to social projects, saying this is in line with Peron's political baseline of putting people's needs over material wealth.
    But here at this café, one of several Peron-themed bars and restaurants around Buenos Aires, Rotundo is something of a villain.
    Lorenzo Pepe, the secretary general of the Juan Domingo Peron National Institute and a government representative, is an outspoken critic of Rotundo.
    Pepe spearheaded legal action to put a temporary lock on sales of the objects until the investigators can take a closer look.
    "If what is there belonged to Peron, the government is obligated to expropriate it. They will pay the corresponding amount. We can't worry about that anymore. My job was to take a cautionary measure and paralyze the auction. Now it's in the courts because a judge has ordered that three groups - museums, historical institutes, and the secretary general of this institute, which is me - to intervene with our technicians to verify what Mr. Rotundo is putting on sale agrees with historical truth and belonged to Peron or Eva Peron," Pepe said from the café that includes a life-sized statue of the former strongman sipping coffee.
    Rotundo says he wants the collection to end up in the hands of the government, but adds they will have to pay for it.
    If he has his way, the airy guayabera once worn by Peron and green silk bathrobe he used till the end of his days will go on the auction block soon.
    Although he speaks of Peron in glowing terms and has a childlike enthusiasm when showing off the clothing, typewriters, and voice recorders 'El General' used, Rotundo has little patience for what he sees as political posturing.
    "I think there are two worlds, the political world, where people are still living off Peron and Eva's image for political reasons, and our world. We are the authentic owners of the goods because of Peron's decision," he said.
    Courts are set to make a ruling by the end of the month on whether the government will enter into negotiations with Rotundo. If not, the items will soon be up for grabs to the highest bidder.
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