The Sociedad de Beneficencia de Buenos Aires, also known as Sociedad de Damas de Beneficencia or simply Sociedad de Beneficencia (English: Society of Beneficence), was an Argentine state institution. The association was created by president

Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino de la Trinidad González Rivadavia (May 20, 1780 – September 2, 1845) was the first President of Argentina, then called the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, from February 8, 1826 to June 27, 1827. He was educated at th ...

in 1823. The purpose was to transfer social work from the Catholic church to the association after the Argentine independence. The first president was the patrician Mercedes de Lasala de Riglos. The organisation was administered by female Argentine philanthropists from the upper classes, with the founding members including

Mariquita Sánchez Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson y de Mendeville, also known as Mariquita Sánchez de Thompson (1 November 1786 – 23 October 1868), was an Argentine socialite and activist from Buenos Aires. She was one of the city's leading ''salonnières'', wh ...

(who presided the organization between 1830–1832 and 1866–1867), María Cabrera de Altolaguirre, Isabel Casamayor, Joaquina de Izquierdo, Josefa Ramos Mejía, Isabel Agüero de Ugalde, Cipriana Viana de Boneo, Manuela Aguirre, María de los Santos Riera del Sar, Bernardina Chavarría de Viamonte, María del Rosario Azcuénaga. Among the organisations placed under the supervision of the society were schools for girls, hospitals and orphanages, such as Casa de Niños Expósitos, Hospital Rivadavia and Casa de Huérfanas. In 1838, the Governor of

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

Juan Manuel de Rosas Juan Manuel José Domingo Ortiz de Rozas y López de Osornio (30 March 1793 – 14 March 1877), nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws", was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confedera ...

suspended state funding for the Sociedad de Beneficencia. The organization was not formally reinstated until after the end of Rosas's reign in 1852. During the second half of the nineteenth century, the Socieded de Beneficencia administered various schools for girls, women's hospitals, mental institutions, and penitentiaries. The organization also contributed to charitable causes and relief funds outside of Buenos Aires. The Sociedad de Beneficencia was disbanded during the first presidency of

Juan Perón Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...

in 1947, after his wife

Eva Perón María Eva Duarte de Perón (; ; 7 May 1919 – 26 July 1952), better known as Eva Perón or by the nickname Evita (), was an Argentine politician, activist, actress, and philanthropist who served as First Lady of Argentina from June 1946 until ...

was not invited by the patrons. The chairpersons of this society were traditionally the

Papal Nuncio An apostolic nuncio (; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international organization. A nuncio is a ...

to Argentina and the

First Lady of Argentina First Lady or First Gentleman of Argentina (), also known as First Lady or First Gentleman of the Argentine Nation (), is a title typically held by the spouse of the president of Argentina, concurrent with the president's term in office. Although ...

, but the society refused to extend the invitation to Evita when her husband was elected president. At first they insisted that it was because she was too young; but it was widely interpreted as an insult to the new First Lady. Evita was furious and moved against the society, effectively bringing it to an end. She then created the

Eva Perón Foundation The Eva Perón Foundation (Spanish: Fundación Eva Perón) was a charitable foundation begun by Eva Perón, a prominent Argentine political leader activist and actress, when she was the First Lady and Spiritual Leader of the Nation of Argent ...

to replace it, which she ran and which was much more comprehensive in scope.

References

* Laura Susana Golbert & Emilia Eugenia Roca, ''De la Sociedad de Beneficencia a los Derechos Sociales'', primera edición. Buenos Aires, Ministerio de Trabajo, Empleo y Seguridad Social, 2010. (print) {{ISBN, 978-987-25026-2-1 (web pdf) Charities based in Argentina Children's charities based in Argentina Social welfare charities 1823 establishments in Argentina 1947 disestablishments in Argentina