Eleazar López Contreras

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Eleazar López Contreras
43rd President of Venezuela
In office 18 December 1935 – 5 May 1941
Preceded by	Juan Vicente Gómez
Succeeded by	Isaías Medina Angarita
Senator for life
In office January 23, 1961 – January 2, 1973
Born	5 May 1883(1883-05-05) Queniquea, Táchira, Venezuela
Died	2 January 1973 (aged 89) Caracas, Venezuela
Spouse(s)	Luz María Wolhmar Luisa Elena Mijares María Teresa Núñez Tovar
Religion	Roman Catholic
Signature

José Eleazar López Contreras (5 May 1883 – 2 January 1973) was President of Venezuela (1935-1941). López was a general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators.

Eleazar López was the only child of Col. Manuel Maria López and Catalina Contreras. At three months old, his father died of yellow fever in Cúcuta (Colombia), because of the political persecution, taking care of the family his uncle Presbyter Fernando Contreras. At the age of 15 received the degree in philosophy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus College, at the town of La Grita (Táchira). Initially, the young Eleazar was going to study medicine at the University of Mérida, the current University of the Andes, but joined to the Liberal Restauradora Revolution commanded by Cipriano Castro and Juan Vicente Gómez.

They fight numerous battles, being Captain assistant Battalion Liberator in 1899. In the battle of Tocuyito (12 September 1899), which ensured the triumph of the revolution, Lopez was wounded in the left arm by a bullet from a gun, which obliges it to undergo medical treatment. The general Gómez ensured his junior and transferred to Caracas, in the care of a family friend. Eleazar López was designated as President of the Republic in 1 January 1936, after the concluded period of Juan Vicente Gómez. Soon he was designated President for the period 1936-1942.

A military man, historian and politician, he was the last Commander in Chief of Venezuela. Eleazar López was born in Queniquea, Táchira in 5 May 1883, and was one of the group of 60 that, with Cipriano Castro, usurped power in 1899.

Unlike other military of the time, he was a career official. In 18 December 1935 the Executive Cabinet met in Maracay, where it finished with the death of Gómez, and ordered the Presidency to López, who arrived to Caracas on the 20th, where he was received by “a crowd as it had never been seen in the cradle of the Liberator”. The first thing that López issued was the decree of freedom for the political prisoners. In 14 February 1936, an uncontrollable mass manifestation took place. It requested the dissolution of the Congress with gomecista majority but settled for a Constituent Assembly.

General aspects of López government (1936-1941)

The dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez ended with his death in 1935. Immediately, General López, was provisionally in charge of the Presidency, until the “National Congress” named him constitutional president, for the period 1936-1941. In the beginning of his presidency, the people fought in the streets against injustices, demanding to finish with the “gomecista inheritance”.

Those that channelled the general displeasure were the students of the Students Federation of Venezuela, the new political parties and their leaders just left the jails or return of exile. The government of López was relatively ample, especially in his first year. Among his measures we can mention the promulgation of the new National Constitution and a modern Labor Law (1936). Also, the February Program of 1936 and the Triennial Plan (1938) for economic and social progress. Also, new institutions were established: the National Pedagogical Institute, the National Office of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Communications, the Venezuelan Child Council, the Industrial Bank, the National Office of Currency, the National Office of Export Control, and, finally, already in 1940, the Central Bank of Venezuela; also, enacted was an Act of Government that ended with the signing of the "Treaty of Limits with Colombia", on 5 April 1941, by means of which Venezuela lost 108,000 km² in territory.

López Contreras cabinet (1935-1941)

On 2 January 1973, at the age of 89, Eleazar López died in Caracas.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Eleazar López Contreras

• Venezuela
• President of Venezuela

References

• (Spanish) General Eleazar López Contreras — Official biography.

1. ^ Centro Editor/José Rivas Rivas (1972). “Historia Gráfica de Venezuela. 1- El Gobierno de López Contreras”