In his essay titled " Latin America " published in The Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity , John McManners claim that the appeal and success of Eva Perón are related to Latin American mythology and concepts of divinity . McManners claim that Eva Perón consciously incorporated aspects of the theology of the Virgin and of Mary Magdalene into her public persona . Historian Hubert Herring have described Eva Perón as " Perhaps the shrewdest woman yet to appear in public life in Latin America . "