1. From Guzman Blanco to
Ignacio Andrade
By: Isabella Sarmiento & Maria Luisa Cepeda

2. Antonio Guzman Blanco
• Antonio Guzman Blanco was born in Caracas in
the year of 1829
He studied law at the University of Caracas
• His political career initiated in the year of 1863
• He marched to Caracas on April 27, 1870
naming himself a dictator.
• Guzman Blanco died in Paris in 1899

3. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Relevant Issues:
Guzman Blanco was president during three time periods
known as the Septenio (1870-1876), el quinquenio
(1879-1884), and Aclamacion (1886-1887).
• While he was in office he created an alliance with the elite
class and also with the capitalist European countries and
the United States.
He developed a central-federalist form of government.

4. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Relevant Issues:
The government of Guzman
Blanco was separated from the
Catholic Church: this meant that
the Church now only governed
within their own religious order.
• He was called by many as “El
Ilustre Americano”.
Statues and monuments were
built in his honor.

5. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Conflicts with the Catholic Church:
The conflicts between the Catholic Church and the
government increased when Guzman Blanco came into
office.
• Civil marriage was established.
• Expulsion of the archbishop of Caracas, Silvestre Guevara
Baptizes and marriages that were not registered by the civil
authorities were not considered legal.
• Guzman Blanco shut down Catholic cemeteries and
conventos. He also expropriated temples.

6. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Conflicts with the Catholic Church:
Decisions taken by Guzman Blanco were rejected by the
ecclesiastic authorities such as the arch-bishop from
Caracas,Silvestre Guevara.
• Guzman Blanco considers the idea
• Pope Pio IX sent a new arch-bishop to Venezuela called
Jose Antonio Ponte to establish peace with the
government.
• Jose Antonio Ponte was accepted by Guzman Blanco.

7. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Public Works:
Guzman Blanco connected the national territory with rail
roads, roads, canals, and ports.
• The ministry of public works was established.
• He also brought the telephone and telegram system to
Venezuela.
• Guzman Blanco also built El Capitolio Federal, La Plaza
Bolivar, El Cementerio General del Sur, El Panteon
Nacional, El Teatro Municipal, and El Museo Nacional en
Caracas.

8. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Education:
• On June 27th, 1870 Guzman Blanco passed the Decree of
Public Primary and Mandatory Education. In this Decree it
was mandatory for schools to teach moral principles,
reading, writing, mathematics, and about the Federal
Constitution.
• This Decree started the fight against illiteracy.
• In the government of Guzman Blanco public and private
schools were built.

9. Guzmancismo (1870-188)
• Legislature:
The promulgation of the Constitution of 1874:the vote was
secret and direct and there was a presidential period of two
years.
• The Constitution was reformed to reduce the number of
states from 20 to 9. It lasted from 1882 to 1892.
• The Federal Council was created in a similar style to the
Swiss. It was made up of a Senator and a Deputy for each
one of the 9 states, and a Deputy for the Federal District.
• The Federal Council also designated the President of the
Republic.

10. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Economy:
• Guzman Blanco created La Direccion de Estadistica (the statistics
organization). It provided statistics of the current socio-economic situation of
the country.
• A company for public loans was established.
He also made the first census on June of 1873.
• The Bolivar was established as the national currency in the Law of Currencies
(1871)
• 70% of the taxes from imports were eliminated. The taxes for internal
commerce were eliminated as well.
• Guzman Blanco encouraged foreigners to invest in the mining (gold and
copper) business in Venezuela.

11. Guzmancismo (1870-1888)
• Opposition:
• At the end of the septenio, Guzman Blanco decided to travel to
Europe, leaving Francisco Linares Alcantara in power. He
promised to continue the politics of Guzman Blanco.
However, Linares Alcantara made an anti-Guzmanato movement
where statues in his honor were destroyed.
• General Matias Salazar confronted Guzman Blanco. Eventually,
he was put to jail and sentenced to death.
In 1874, he faced the armed opposition of his old allies, the
generals Jose Ignacio Pulido and Leon Colina, who criticized the
constitutional reforms.

12. final liberal governments
• Rojas Paul (1888-1890)
Unlike Guzman Blanco, Rojas Paul authorized
the establishment of faculties of ecclesiastic
studies. Many religious buildings were
constructed.
• In the government of Rojas Paul, there were
anti-Guzman movements that caused sacking of
the cities.

13. final liberal governments
• Andueza Palacio(1890-1892)
Inaugurated the aqueduct in Barquisimeto, the hospital Vargas
in Caracas.
• The University of Zulia and Carabobo were founded.
• He ordered a sculpture in honor of Jose Felix Ribas that is
found today in Plaza La victoria.
He excluded the Gumancistas from the government and tried
to reform the constitution to change the presidential period
from two years to four.
• As a result, the Legalist Revolution that was led by Joaquin
Crespo broke out, forcing him to leave the country.

14. final liberal governments
• Joaquin Crespo(1892-1898)
He was loyal to Guzman Blanco. He was often called the
“Heroe del Deber Cumplido”.
• He refused to accept the debts from the previous
government of Andueza Palacio
• He confiscated property of anduecistas.
The Constitution of 1884 established a universal, secret,
and direct vote. The presidential period went from two
years to four. The federal council was made up of one
representative from each state.

15. final liberal governments
• Joaquin Crespo(1892-1898)
• The elections took place on September 1st, 1893 where
Joaquin Crespo resulted elected.
• The Palacio of Miraflores was built and new boulevards
were buolt in Caracas.
• There was a loan of 50,000,000 bolivares. This aggravated
the economic problems of the country.
• There was a conflict between Venezuela and England over
the limits of Guayana.

16. final liberal governments
• Ignacio Andrade (1898-1899)
• Ignacio Andrade had to face armed movements led by Jose
Manuel Hernandez, Ramon Guerra and Cipriano Castro.
• He reestablished the 20 states that the Republic had
adopted in 1864, and promulgated the first Law about
Foreign Investments.
• In 1999, a new campaign led by Castro arrived at Caracas,
ending the government of Andrade. Therefore, a new stage
in the history of politics of Venezuela started: the stage of
the andinos