The Revolution of the Reforms was a military movement that occurred in Venezuela on June 7, 1835 against President José María Vargas and his followers. This armed movement began under the command of General Santiago Mariño in the city of Maracaibo and its goal was to dissolve the mixed government of Vargas and Congress.
The military of this movement did not agree with the reforms that the new leaders were proposing.
Jose Maria Vargas
The armed movement
After the armed movement began in Maracaibo on June 7, Caracas was taken that same night and the following day.
On July 8, 1835, some leaders of the movement managed to arrest President Vargas, to later be exiled to the Island of Santo Tomás.
Manifestation of the Movement
On July 9, 1835, when Caracas was taken, General Pedro Briceño Mendez presented a Manifesto, where he condemned the laws and the Constitution and where he established that new reforms and laws should be promulgated.
Santiago Mariño was appointed Superior Head of the New Government and it did not take long for the armed movement to spread throughout Venezuela.
This has been one of the armed movements with the most opposition in Venezuela and it is undoubtedly an important stage in this country, which cannot be easily forgotten.
Many people lost their lives during the Reform Revolution and this movement changed the history of this country. Although the military who were fighting against the government of President Vargas had a good plan, their strategy was not adequate.
The Revolution of the Reforms failed to maintain control of important cities in Venezuela, especially control over the city of Caracas, which is the capital of this country and was the key point to establish its new government.
Counterattack
On July 15, 1835, General José Antonio Páez began to march towards Caracas, to fight the reformists and try to restore the exiled President Vargas.
On July 28 of that same year, General Páez managed to enter Caracas and take the city, since the reformists had abandoned it.
Without much thought, General Páez sent a group of soldiers to the Island of Santo Tomaá and ordered to bring President Vargas. The latter returned to his post on August 20, 1835.
One of the famous phrases of President Vargas during the Revolution of the Reforms was the answer he made to Pedro Carujo, when he told the President "the world belongs to the brave", to which the President replied, "Not the world it belongs to the just man; He is the good man and not the brave man, the one who has always lived and will live happily on Earth and safe on his conscience. "
References
- José María Vargas. (nd). Retrieved September 6, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- February 9, 1835: José María Vargas assumed the presidency of Venezuela. (2015, February 10). Retrieved September 6, 2017, from eeuu.embajada.gob.ve
- Romero Reverón, R. (2014, March). José María Vargas (1786–1854): Reformer of anatomical studies in Venezuela. Retrieved September 6, 2017, from onlinelibrary.wiley.com
- Venezuela, Las Reformas Revolution. (nd). Retrieved September 6, 2017, from encyclopedia.com
- History of Venezuela (1830–1908). (nd). Retrieved September 11, 2017, from wikipedia.org