Death of Venustiano Carranza

Death of Venustiano Carranza

May 21 1920

 Flags are flown at half staff

Venustiano Carranza de la Garza

29 December 1859 – 21 May 1920

Venustiano Carranza was born in the town of Cuatro Ciénegas Coahuila to a wealthy ranching family. His father was a colonel and an advisor to Benito Juarez.

Venustiano was 6’4” tall and portrayed an impresive patriaral figure with a long white beard and glasses. He was introduced to politics early; president of the Cuatro Ciénegas, then later elected to the legislature, senate, and finally Governor of Coahuila.

Carranza was a planner and strategically joined with the charismatic revolutionaries Pancho Villa, Alvaro Obregon and Emiliano Zapata in the Mexican Revolution and the overthrow of the corrupt Huerta Government. Once he gained power he parted ways with the others and defeated them for power.

Carranza became President in 1914 and achieved a number of reforms including independence of the judiciary, ownership of natural resources and implementation of the ejido system. In 1916 he was pushed to approve reforms that gave workers more rights (8 hour work day, holidays, abolishment of child labor, arbitration and dismissal procedures) He also was forced to approve many anti-cleric policies including confiscation of church property.

Carranza was assassinated near the end of his term of office by a group of generals who were against Carranza’s position that the next president be a civilian. (Many speculate that he killed himself rather than being caught.)

Typically stern and notably humorless, Carranza managed to wrestle power from a heartless dictator and achieve some freedoms for the middle and working classes. It was in his term of office that the current constitution was ratified.