Elisa Martínez Contreras

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Elisa Martínez Contreras - Wikipedia

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Elisa Martínez Contreras


First Lady of Guatemala
In role March 15, 1945 – March 15, 1951
President	Juan José Arévalo
Preceded by	Maria Cristina Vilanova
Succeeded by	Maria Cristina Vilanova

Personal details
Born	Elisa Martínez Contreras c. 1910 Buenos Aires, Argentina
Died	April 15, 1985 Bariloche, Argentina
Spouses	Juan José Arévalo (m. 1928; div. 1958)

Elisa Martínez Contreras (c. 1900 – April 15, 1985) was the first wife of Juan José Arévalo, and First Lady of Guatemala during Arévalo's presidency from 1945 to 1951. She was a teacher of primary education, and her social work supported children. While First Lady, she founded Guatemala's first soup kitchens and homes for homeless children.^[1]^[2]

Biography

Elisa Martínez was born circa 1900, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Silverio Martínez and Brigida Contreras de Martínez. She was later said to be "some four years older" than her husband, Arévalo, who was born in 1904.^[3] He came to Argentina to study in 1927, and they married the following year.^[2]^[3] She had graduated as a Teacher of Primary Education in 1921, and proceeded to teach at a school in Buenos Aires for over twenty years straight.^[2]

When Arévalo returned to Guatemala in 1944, Martínez came with him, although at that time they were already separated. He ran in the presidential election and won, and took office as President of Guatemala on March 15, 1945, serving for a full six-year term; she then assumed the informal position of First Lady. She dedicated herself to pioneering work in Guatemala in the area of social services, and founded soup kitchens, homes for homeless children, nurseries, and other institutions.^[2] Elisa Martínez also began to take charge of day care centers and schools. According to reports, her successor as First Lady, Maria Cristina Vilanova, affirmed that Martínez asked her to take charge of Martínez's work during the inauguration of Arévalo's successor, Jacobo Arbenz, on March 15, 1951.^{[citation needed]}

After she left Guatemala following the end of her husband's term of office, she returned to Buenos Aires and resumed teaching at the same school she had been employed at prior to her departure. Martínez died on April 15, 1985, in Bariloche, Argentina.^[2]

References

^ Marroquin, Carlos (March 27, 2014). "Reforma Educative Dr. Juan Jose Arevalo". p. 19. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Ramírez Urbina, Isaac (July 21, 2015). "Eleanor y Elisa, dos mujeres detrás de dos presidentes". Archived from the original on October 19, 2015. Retrieved March 31, 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Biographic data: Juan Jose Arevalo" (PDF). CIA. December 28, 1953. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 23, 2017. Retrieved March 31, 2018.

Honorary titles
Preceded by Maria Cristina Vilanova	First Lady of Guatemala 1945–1951	Succeeded by Maria Cristina Vilanova

v t e First ladies of Guatemala
Petrona García Morales María Dolores de Aycinena Josefa Gutiérrez Argueta María del Rosario Cristina Saborio Francisca Aparicio Carmen Ramírez María Robles Algeria Benton Desideria Ocampo Mercedes Llerandi Mercedes Flores Josefina Pazos Luz Castañeda Soledad Trabanino Marta Lainfiesta Dorión María Judith Ramírez Prado Elisa Martínez Contreras Maria Cristina Vilanova Odilia Palomo Paíz Julia Solís Gallardo Virginia Ruiz María Teresa Laparra María del Carmen Carrasco Sara de la Hoz Álida España Hellen Lossi Elsa Cirigliano María Teresa Sosa Aura Rosario Rosal López Raquel Blandón Magda Bianchi Lázzari Patricia Escobar Evelyn Morataya Wendy Widmann Sandra Torres Rosa María Leal Ana Violeta Fagianni Patricia Marroquín Marcela Giammattei‡ Lucrecia Peinado*
First Lady of Guatemala Secretary of Social Work of the President's Wife

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