Juan Crisóstomo Falcón

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón (Jadacaquiva, Falcón state, Venezuela, January 27, 1820 - Fort-de-France, Martinique, April 29, 1870) was a Venezuelan soldier and politician, who served the Presidency of the United States of Venezuela between 1863 and 1868. Together with Ezequiel Zamora, Marshal Juan Crisóstomo Falcón led the federalists during the Federal War.

Childhood

Son of Josefa Zavarce and José Ildefonso Falcón in Hato de Tabe, near Jadacaquiva, he studied at the National Choir School.

Military training

In 1848 he entered the Army, participating in the defense of the government of José Tadeo Monagas against the revolution led by José Antonio Páez; The following year he was appointed commander of arms of Maracaibo. In 1853 he was promoted to the rank of general and faced the revolution of Colonel Juan Garcés in the Paraguaná peninsula, defeating it in the battles of La Salineta and Coduto. Next he moved to the province of Barquisimeto, to confront another revolutionary leader, General Juan Bautista Rodríguez, advancing towards Siquisique and Carora and capturing General Clemente Fonseca, an ally of Rodríguez. In 1857 he was appointed Chief of Arms of the province of Barquisimeto and promoted to the position of Division General.

Federal War

Falcón went into exile on the islands of Bonaire and Curacao in 1858. When the March Revolution triumphed, a new constitution was sanctioned on December 31, 1858, and on January 4, 1859, Julián Castro was appointed interim president until upcoming elections.^{[citation required]}

However, the situation of apparent tranquility was altered by the outbreak of the Federal War in Coro (February 20, 1859). Meanwhile Juan C. Falcón returns in a successful invasion of Venezuela, which begins in March 1859 with the landing of Ezequiel Zamora in Vela de Coro and culminates with his landing in Palma Sola on July 24. Faced with such circumstances, Castro, supported by "oligarchic" groups, carried out a series of political maneuvers aimed at keeping him in power directly or indirectly.

As a consequence of Castro's ambiguous attitude towards the factors of power (liberal and conservative), the conservative groups chose to overthrow him on August 1, 1859, being replaced by Pedro Gual.^{[citation required ]}

After the death of General Zamora in the siege of San Carlos, Falcón and General Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual (called the “Fearless Soldier”) assumed the military leadership of the federal rebel forces.^{[quote required]}

In the Battle of Coplé fought on February 17, 1860, General Falcón was defeated by the conservatives of General León de Febres Cordero. It was, along with the previous Battle of Santa Inés (December 9-10, 1859), the other major confrontation of the Federal War of Venezuela.

^{[citation required]}

The battle could have ended up being the definitive defeat of the federal rebellion, but instead it ended up being decisive for the course of the war, since the liberals were forced to go from a phase of regular confrontation to a guerrilla war that in the long run it led them to victory.^{[citation needed]}

Presidency

On June 17, 1863, Falcón was appointed provisional president of the Republic by the Constituent Assembly of La Victoria. On August 18 of that same year he signed the so-called Decree of Guarantees aimed at establishing the rights of the citizen, ending political hatred and strengthening peace in the country. He eliminated the death penalty, prison for debt and established freedom of the press, free movement and universal voting for the Executive and Legislative Branches. He also decreed the construction of public works and roads. Under the validity of the new Venezuelan Constitution of 1864, in October he was elected Constitutional President of Venezuela and ratified as such by Congress on June 18, 1865. Falcón had to face strong dissidence from his own movement, which began to arm itself after the public resignation of the Minister of War and Navy Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual, and for more than three years it accumulated political and military leaders in its ranks, many of them highly favored by the government. The first uprisings, which had a regional level, were quickly repressed by the government. It should be taken into account that the central army numbered barely 3,000 regulars in 1866, too small to defeat the forces of the regional leaders.^{[citation required]}

On May 21, 1867, the Civil Code of Venezuela was reformed. Due to the increasingly repressive central administration, groups of insurgents began to expand throughout the country in 1867, mainly after the imprisonment of General Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual. This led to an alliance between liberals and conservatives to gain strength as an opposition.^{[citation needed]}

Death

His presidency was marked by both his fragile health and his political weakness. He was overthrown in 1868, he went into exile again, this time in Europe to return in 1870, just when death surprised him. sup>[citation required] His last breath took place in the Toulouse hotel in Martinique, suffering from laryngeal cancer, and his mortal remains currently rest in the National Pantheon.