Ignacio Andrade
Encyclopedia
Ignacio Andrade Troconis (31 July 1839 – 17 February 1925), was a military and politician, member of the Liberal yellow party
, President of Venezuela 1898–1899, his election was declaredly clouded by fraud.
Andrade's exact date and place of birth have not been determined with any certainty; his birth or baptismal certificates have not been found. It was commonly assumed during the 1897 electoral campaign that Andrade was born in Zulia State, and the Venezuelan Chancellery went as far as publishing a biography of the candidate in a Spanish magazine, confirming that Andrade “… was born in Maracaibo in 31 July 1839…." At the same time, Andrade's opposition claimed that the candidate could not aspire to the Venezuelan presidency because his birthplace had been Colombia. However, a notation on Andrade's death certificate in Caracas' Main Registry indicates that , "…according to the information provided by his son, Jose Andrade of 35 years of age, General Andrade was originally from Merida [State…] and died at the age of 85…" Either locale is possible; Andrade's father, who fought in the War of Independence, was from Maracaibo, Zulia State, and his mother was from Mérida State. In 1882 a reputable historian said of his father: "...Jose Escolastico Andrade came from a noble and knightly family, in which honor was the most essential element in the building of character…" [Semablanzas Zulianas. El Ilustre procer de la Independencia General Jose E. Andrade]
Andrade was Governor of Falcon State (1883–1885), which at the time included present day Falcon and Zulia States, and he was Senator for Falcon State (1886). In 1892, Andrade became Governor of the Federal District; he was Minister of Education (1893) in Joaquin Crespo's second administration; a Delegate for Miranda State (1893), Minister of Public Works (1893), and Governor of Miranda State (1894–1897), a position Andrade held until 1 September 1897, when he launched his presidential campaign. Winning the election, on 1 October 1898, Andrade took the office of President of Venezuela on 20 February 1898.
Andrade married Maria Isabel Sosa Saa, on 14 February 1885.
. In effect, as a result of Crespo's disappearance from the political scene after his death in Mata Carmelera, in 16 April 1898, a great amount of caudillos wanted to take power, including general Ramón Guerra, who in his position of Military Minister captured Mocho Hernández, and soon he was in arms against the government of Ignacio Andrade.
and his Revolución Liberal Restauradora, which prevailed without the governmental forces delivering a greater attack to stop them. Once outside of the presidency, Ignacio Andrade went to Puerto Rico
, where he wrotes lines about the movement that overthrew him, titled ¿Porqué triunfó la Revolución Restauradora?, published 30 years after his death (1955). After being amnestied (19 November 1903), he served on the government of Juan Vicente Gómez
, who paradoxically was part of the revolutionary movement that expelled him from power, promoting him las minister of Foreign Affairs (1914–1917) and Home Affairs (1917–1922), in the cabinet of Victorino Márquez.
Great Liberal Party of Venezuela
The Great Liberal Party of Venezuela was a political party in Venezuela, founded on August 21, 1840 by Antonio Leocadio Guzmán and Tomás Lander, through an editorial published by Guzmán at El Venezolano newspaper....
, President of Venezuela 1898–1899, his election was declaredly clouded by fraud.
Early life and career
Ignacio Andrade Troconis, presumably born in Mérida State, Venezuela, on 31 July 1839, was the son of General José Escolástico Andrade Pirela and Juana Troconis; he died in Macuto, Vargas Department, Venezuela, on 17 February 1925. In spite of his great education and long political career, Andrade was not able to reach the leadership and political prominence of many of his contemporaries, like Joaquín Crespo, or José Manuel "Mocho" Hernández. This is, perhaps, best demonstrated by the many conspiracies and other attacks against him as President of Venezuela (1898–1899). His presidential term was short-lived; Cipriano Castro and Juan Vicente Gomez (both from Tachira State), having amassed a great army, launched the Revolucion Liberal Restauradora (Liberal and Restoration Revolution) against Andrade. They marched into Caracas on 19 October 1899, where Cipriano Castro took over as President, with Gomez as Vice-President.Andrade's exact date and place of birth have not been determined with any certainty; his birth or baptismal certificates have not been found. It was commonly assumed during the 1897 electoral campaign that Andrade was born in Zulia State, and the Venezuelan Chancellery went as far as publishing a biography of the candidate in a Spanish magazine, confirming that Andrade “… was born in Maracaibo in 31 July 1839…." At the same time, Andrade's opposition claimed that the candidate could not aspire to the Venezuelan presidency because his birthplace had been Colombia. However, a notation on Andrade's death certificate in Caracas' Main Registry indicates that , "…according to the information provided by his son, Jose Andrade of 35 years of age, General Andrade was originally from Merida [State…] and died at the age of 85…" Either locale is possible; Andrade's father, who fought in the War of Independence, was from Maracaibo, Zulia State, and his mother was from Mérida State. In 1882 a reputable historian said of his father: "...Jose Escolastico Andrade came from a noble and knightly family, in which honor was the most essential element in the building of character…" [Semablanzas Zulianas. El Ilustre procer de la Independencia General Jose E. Andrade]
Andrade was Governor of Falcon State (1883–1885), which at the time included present day Falcon and Zulia States, and he was Senator for Falcon State (1886). In 1892, Andrade became Governor of the Federal District; he was Minister of Education (1893) in Joaquin Crespo's second administration; a Delegate for Miranda State (1893), Minister of Public Works (1893), and Governor of Miranda State (1894–1897), a position Andrade held until 1 September 1897, when he launched his presidential campaign. Winning the election, on 1 October 1898, Andrade took the office of President of Venezuela on 20 February 1898.
Andrade married Maria Isabel Sosa Saa, on 14 February 1885.
Andrade's presidency
In agreement with the Constitution of 1893 the voting process was direct and secret. Andrade obtained 406,610 votes against the favorite of the opposition, general José Manuel Hernández, known as El Mocho, that only obtained 2,203; the elections were labeled as fraudulent. Consequently, the electoral triumph of Andrade took place within a political climate of crispation, which ended with the insurrectionary movement led by "El Mocho" Hernández, known as La Revolución de Queipa. During the warlike development of combat operations that began in 23 February 1898, and extended until 12 June of the same year, an unexpected event took place that negatively affected the government of Andrade, which was the death of Joaquín CrespoJoaquín Crespo
Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo Torres was a politician, soldier, a member of the Great Liberal Party of Venezuela and President of Venezuela from 1884 to 1886 and again from 1892 to 1898...
. In effect, as a result of Crespo's disappearance from the political scene after his death in Mata Carmelera, in 16 April 1898, a great amount of caudillos wanted to take power, including general Ramón Guerra, who in his position of Military Minister captured Mocho Hernández, and soon he was in arms against the government of Ignacio Andrade.
Post-Presidency
Aside from the insurrectionary movements that Andrade had to confront, during his administrative management economic difficulties were experienced, accompanied by the distrust of certain political circles and an epidemic of smallpox. Finally, Andrade was overthrown, 19 October 1899 by Cipriano CastroCipriano Castro
José Cipriano Castro Ruiz was a high ranking member of the Venezuelan military, politician and the President of Venezuela from 1899 to 1908...
and his Revolución Liberal Restauradora, which prevailed without the governmental forces delivering a greater attack to stop them. Once outside of the presidency, Ignacio Andrade went to Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
, where he wrotes lines about the movement that overthrew him, titled ¿Porqué triunfó la Revolución Restauradora?, published 30 years after his death (1955). After being amnestied (19 November 1903), he served on the government of Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez Chacón was a military general and de facto ruler of Venezuela from 1908 until his death in 1935. He was president on three occasions during this time, and ruled as an unelected military strongman for the rest of the era.-Early years:Gómez was a barely literate cattle herder and...
, who paradoxically was part of the revolutionary movement that expelled him from power, promoting him las minister of Foreign Affairs (1914–1917) and Home Affairs (1917–1922), in the cabinet of Victorino Márquez.