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eight-hour shifts to accompany her around Buenos Aires. A section of the regular Buenos Aires police force that provided security for visiting heads of state and other high-profile personalities took charge of Madonna’s security as well. Each morning, her personal bodyguards, along with Caresse Henry-Norman, her assistant, would sit down and work out Madonna’s schedule, which, when it was firm and complete, they would hand over to a representative of the special security force. Before Madonna appeared anywhere in Buenos Aires, the police would already be waiting for her, barricades would be in place, and several undercover agents would be mingling with the crowd.
    When Madonna’s transformation into Evita was almost complete and she appeared in public for the first time, wearing seamed stockings, stiletto heels, and a vintage 1940s suit nipped at the waist with a straight skirt that fell almost to midcalf, she was literally surrounded on four sides by burly policemen in civilian clothes. The security force expected the worst, not only because she was Madonna, but also because she had successfully made the transition into Eva Perón. The first day she set out to explore Buenos Aires, Madonna wore a black veil that covered the upper part of her face and carried a tape recorder and a small notepad. Everywhere Madonna went, the reaction was predictable. People gasped, astounded at how much the actress looked like their beloved Evita. Her fans pushed and shoved to get as close to her as possible, some of them intent on tearing a piece of fabric from her suit as a souvenir, while others actually tried to kiss her hands. Curiously, her detractors were much better behaved and their anti-Madonna demonstrations were organized and contained in specific areas of the city. The biggest problem that the security had was not the crowds but rather the paparazzi, who had their own sources to inform them where Madonna would be in advance and enough experience to hide until she arrived, when they would pounce on her and take photographs.
    In addition to her bodyguards and the police who protected her, Madonna was always accompanied by a young history student, who also acted as her translator. She found the most appealing part of the city to be an area along the Riachuelo Canal called La Boca, where sheet-metal houses were surrounded by old-fashioned New Orleans–style wraparound porches, painted in primary colors, with birdcages hanging over the doors. Originally made famous in the late nineteenth century when Genovese sailors roamed the docks, La Boca had become a landmark because of its massive street murals. The well-known Argentine artist Benito Quinquela had painted dark, stooped figures scurrying like ants set against the florid background of the canal. Madonna not only fell in love with the offbeat area but also with Quinquela’s works and was disappointed that he did not paint on canvas. Transporting an entire wall was too difficult a task even for Madonna!
    In La Boca, Madonna had her first religious experience in a small church along the canal. Venturing inside, she watched a procession of local residents walking slowly up the aisle. Several of the men carried a life-size statue of Jesus Christ high above their shoulders. Madonna was mesmerized by the figure of Christ, which had heavy chains and medals hanging over the chest and deep gashes, bloody wounds, and other lurid stigmata graphically painted on the plaster body. It was an image that could have been used in Madonna’s controversial video “Like a Prayer.” This was another sign that Madonna was destined to portray Eva Perón. According to her student guide, Madonna reached into her purse and took out a turquoise rosary, a treasured gift from her maternal grandmother, and began to pray. Following the procession out to the street, she stood quietly as it made its way along the colorful canal. Turning to her guide, she said, “I just had an uncontrollable urge to thank