Buenos Aires, July 1: Gen. Peron, one of the most loved and hated figures in Latin American history, died in bed to-day at the age of 78 during his third term as Argentina’s President. Vice-President Isabel Peron, who became acting President on Saturday and assumed her husband’s mandate on his death, made the announcement in a brief emotional speech which she read over the nationwide radio as she fought back tears. By assuming the Presidency, Mrs. Peron, who is 43, became the first woman to head a government in male-oriented Latin America. Person was one of the few Latin American strong men to capture the imagination of the world. He was first elected President in 1946 after taking part in a military coup three years earlier. He served 9 stormy years until he was thrown out by the army in 1955 in a bloody coup engineered by political foes in the middle classes, the Intelligentsia and the Roman Catholic Church. He barely escaped with his life, fleeing into exile aboard a Paraguavan gunboat. Yet 18 years later on June 20, 1973, at 77, Peron came home to thundering cheers from many of the same people who applauded his flight. His return was marred when violence broke out among the three million supporters who turned out to greet him. About 30 persons were killed and 500 wounded. His way home was paved by his party which won a crushing majority in free elections in March. Person had been allowed back in the country in November 1972, but said then he would not run for President and returned to Spain. At that time he chose Hector J. Campora who as his handpicked candidate for the Presidentship won the March elections by almost 50 per cent. Campora resigned on Peron’s return so that Peron himself could run for the Presidentship.
