Eva's stay at the top was too short for some, and too long for many. Ultimately, though, it wasn't those who hated her who forced her off her pedestal. It was her own weak body breaking down that finally pushed Evita into silence. Evita was dying of uterine cancer, the same disease of which Peron's first wife died.

Regardless of Evita's physical health, one political question remained: would Eva run for vice-president of Argentina? However, on a day that would be known forever after as the "Day of Renouncement," Evita answered that question to the disappointment of her descamisados; she would not pursue the vice-presidency. The country began to mourn the loss of their favorite woman that day.

Eva's last public appearance took place on the day Peron was sworn in as president of Argentina for a second term. Though already very ill, Evita stood by her husband, a man she was partially responsible for creating (politically, at least), a man she was still very much in love with.

The crowds that turned out to see Eva lying in state were astounding. The number of people who passed by her casket for a final look reached into the millions. The Red Cross had to set up food and drink stations, bathrooms, for the people waiting in line. Sixteen people ended up dead, by way of being crushed. Some 3,900 ended up in hospitals, and many thousands more were mildly injured. Through it all, Evita's people stayed to pay their respects for her.