Joaquín Crespo

Crespo, Joaquín (hwäkēn' krās'pō), 1841?-1898, president of Venezuela (1884-86, 1894-98). He served his first term under the dominance of Antonio Guzmán Blanco. In 1892 he led a revolt and established a military dictatorship. His second term was noted for the bitter feelings between the United States and England brought about by the Venezuela Boundary Dispute. When he chose his successor, revolts occurred, and Crespo was killed in the fighting. The next year Cipriano Castro came into power.