The carrancismo is a political-social movement led by Venustiano Carranza (1859 - 1920) which was supported by a large segment of different social classes as peasants, bourgeois, workers, landowners, among others.
As a characteristic of many social movements of struggle, Carrancismo was motivated by the difficult situation of the Mexican Revolution and the social inequality that took place in that period. His main ideology was to overthrow the government of Mexican President Victoriano Huerta.
Venustiano Carranza
Carranza came to assume the presidency of the Mexican State, however, he had some problems with great leaders of the revolution such as Emiliano Zapata and Francisco Villa.
Where does carrancismo come from?
To know the origins of Carrancismo, it is important to tell you about its main figure, Venustiano Carranza.
Carranza was a Mexican politician, military and businessman, born on December 29, 1859 in Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila. From a very young age he showed interest in political affairs, so it is not surprising that he decided to go for this branch of study.
His first immersion in politics was when he was elected municipal president of Cuatro Ciénagas, being José María Garza Galán governor of his hometown.
Years later, in 1908, he was Governor of Coahuila, appointed by Francisco I. Madero, who later named him "Secretary of War and Navy" of his provisional cabinet in Ciudad de Juárez.
Francisco I. Madero
In the historical episode known as "La Decena Tragica", the then President of Mexico, Victoriano Huerta, assassinates Francisco Ignacio Madero (a revolutionary murdered during the "Huertista" regime).
Victoriano Huerta
Then he proceeded to eliminate freedom of the press, the persecution of social movements like the one that the workers had, and to have the support of the most conservative Mexican groups.
In 1914 Victoriano Carranza together with Francisco Villa and Emiliano Zapata managed to overthrow the Huerta government in the event known as “El Plan de Guadalupe”.
Some time later, Carranza took the presidency to guarantee that the people's requests for their rights were fulfilled (from the agrarian distribution, labor policies and the educational system.)
People who followed Carranza's ideals were known as "Carrancistas", whose main ideal was to represent "political legality."
Many supported the constitutional changes of the Carranza government, but the revolutionary had problems with his comrades in struggle, which cost him dearly.
The end of the Carrancista movement
Both Zapata and Villa felt that Carranza's actions were not as committed to the struggle at the time.
Emiliano Zapata was one of the main leaders of the Mexican Revolution. Source: Unknown photographer
Therefore, they decided to rise up against him in the so-called "Plan de Ayala", a document written by Emiliano Zapata and read at the Aguascalientes convention. Later, Carranza's army was accused of murdering Emiliano Zapata.
In 1920, the new presidential elections were held and it is then that Álvaro Obregón reveals himself and Carranza is forced to flee the country to Veracruz, but during his journey he was assassinated by General Rodolfo Herrero's troops, on May 21, 1920.
With the death of this revolutionary leader, a large part of the fighting ideals of the Mexican Revolution also died.
References
- Beltran, Evert. (2010). The role of Carrancismo in the revolution. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from: old.laizquierdasocialista.org
- Venustiano Carranza. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Gonzales, Anibal. (2017). Plan of Ayala. Retrieved on September 12, 2017, from historiacultural.com
- Katz, Friedrich. The Secret War in Mexico. Chicago: University of Chicago Press 1981, p. 293.
- Richmond, Douglas. "Venustiano Carranza" in The Encyclopedia of Mexico, vol. 1. 199. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn 1997.
- Paterson, Thomas; Clifford, J. Garry; Brigham, Robert; Donoghue, Michael; Hagan, Kenneth (2010). American Foreign Relations, Volume 1: To 1920, p. 265, Cengage Learning, USA.