DON'T CRY FOR ME: Did Eva Peron Have a Lobotomy?

The ever-fascinating Eva Peron continues to make news, this time by way of an equally fascinating New York Times article on lobotomies. A Yale researcher now believes the former first lady herself received one in a bid to relieve the extreme pain she experienced while dying of cervical cancer. The horrific operations were apparently considered a form of pain management in the 1950s; one neurosurgeon, in 1953, called it a "valuable and humane" procedure able to dull patients' response to pain—even though it could leave them "childish, dull, apathetic, with little capacity for any emotional experiences."

In 2005, a Hungarian-born neurosurgeon who said he had been part of the team that treated Peron—she was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer in August 1951 but was told she just had a uterine issue—said she received a lobotomy. And as Yale neurosurgeon Daniel Nijensohn began to investigate the claim, the evidence began to pile up; his research will be published tomorrow. Among his findings: He confirmed details from the elder neurosurgeon's story; learned that an expert on the use of lobotomies for pain was asked to operate on Peron in 1952; and discovered indentations, by way of X-rays, in certain areas of her skull. He believes the operation occurred in May or June of 1952, meaning it would have been completed before her final public appearance. Peron died in July 1952 at age 33. Click to read the entire article.

DON'T CRY: Did Eva Peron Help Nazis, Hide Jewish Treasure?

A new book is giving Argentina a new reason not to cry for Eva Peron: She helped a number of Nazis who fled Europe after World War II, and was rumored to have harbored treasures taken from their Jewish victims. The accusations come from The Politically Incorrect Guide to Latin America, a controversial new book that aims to dredge up dirt on the region’s most beloved leftist leaders, the Telegraph reports. 

Among those Peron allegedly helped: Adolf Eichmann and Josef Mengele. Peron isn’t the book’s only target. It also alleges that Simon Bolivar’s “greatest fear was that blacks, Indians, and those of mixed race would take power.” Salvador Allende, meanwhile, is accused of installing a “project of socialist doctrination in schools,” and of considering a Nazi-inspired sterilization program. The book has sparked much controversy, with critics saying it lacks historical context. “It is not a historical guide,” co-author Leandro Narloch counters. “We only show the unpleasant side of history’s heroes.”

FAUX PAS: Model Knocked Out Cold on TV Dance Show!

Dancing on a reality TV show, an Argentine model attempted a flip over her partner’s back, landed on her face, and was knocked out, Cleo reports. Rocio Guirao Diaz was performing on a show that pairs celebrities with unknowns looking to “dance for a dream.” She was quickly taken to the hospital, where she awoke with neck and nose injuries. 

Chile president to introduce civil unions bill

Chile President Sebastian Pinera is expected to introduce a bill legalizing civil unions for gay and lesbian couples this coming week.

The bill legalizes unions – known as Non-Marital Cohabitation Agreements – for both gay and straight couples who have lived together for over a year.

According to OnTop Magazine, the introduction of the bill comes after MOVILH, the largest gay rights group in Chile, demonstrated against Pinera’s lack of support for the civil union bill earlier in his term.

Pinera told El Mercurio, that with this measure he seeks to “safe guard the dignity” of couples who live together, “whether of opposite sex or even the same sex.”

In Latin America, Argentina has legalized gay marriage, and Mexico recognizes gay marriages, which are legal in Mexico City.  Uruguay has proposed a gay marriage law.

OVER: Argentina Sees Its 1st Gay Divorce!

With one milestone comes another: Argentina legalized gay marriage in July 2010; 11 months later, it's seeing its first gay divorce. A LGBT groups says the divorce involves a female couple who married on April 20. 

The 46-year-old and 25-year-old are splitting due to an alleged infidelity, says the group's president. Argentina is the first Latin American country to legalize gay marriage nationwide, notes the AP.