Eleazar López Contreras

Infobox_President | name=Eleazar López Contreras


order=43rd President of Venezuela
term_start=December 18, 1935
term_end=May 5, 1941
predecessor=Juan Vicente Gómez
successor=Isaías Medina Angarita
office3=Senator for life
term_start3=January 23, 1961
term_end3=January 2, 1973
birth_date=birth date|1883|5|5|mf=y
birth_place="Queniquea", Táchira, Venezuela
death_date=death date and age|1973|1|2|1883|5|5|mf=y
death_place= Caracas, Venezuela
religion=Roman Catholic


spouse=Luz María Wolhmar
Luisa Elena Mijares
María Teresa Núñez Tovar | |

José Eleazar López Contreras (May 5, 1883 – January 2, 1973) was President of Venezuela (1935-1941). López was a general and one of Juan Vicente Gómez's collaborators.

Eleazar López was the only child of Col. Manuel Maria López and Catalina Contreras. At three months old, his father died of yellow fever in Cúcuta (Colombia), because of the political persecution, taking care of the family his uncle Presbyter Fernando Contreras. At the age of 15 received the degree in philosophy of the Sacred Heart of Jesus College, at the town of La Grita (Táchira). Initially, the young Eleazar was going to study medicine at the University of Mérida, the current University of the Andes, but joined to the "Liberal Restauradora" Revolution commanded by Cipriano Castro and Juan Vicente Gómez.

They fight numerous battles, being Captain assistant Battalion Liberator in 1899. In the battle of Tocuyito (September 12, 1899), which ensured the triumph of the revolution, Lopez was wounded in the left arm by a bullet from a gun, which obliges it to undergo medical treatment. The general Gómez ensured his junior and transferred to Caracas, in the care of a family friend.Eleazar López was designated as President of the Republic in January 1, 1936, after the concluded period of Juan Vicente Gómez. Soon he was designated President for the period 1936-1942.

A military man, historian and politician, he was the last Commander in Chief of Venezuela. Eleazar López was born in "Queniquea", Táchira in May 5, 1883, and was one of the group of 60 that, with Cipriano Castro, usurped power in 1899.

Unlike other military of the time, he was a career official. In December 18, 1935 the Executive Cabinet met in Maracay, where it finished with the death of Gómez, and ordered the Presidency to López, who arrived to Caracas on the 20th, where he was received by “a crowd as it had never been seen in the cradle of the Liberator”. The first thing that López issued was the decree of freedom for the political prisoners. In February 14, 1936, an uncontrollable mass manifestation took place. It requested the dissolution of the Congress with "gomecista" majority but settled for a Constituent Assembly.

On January 2, 1973, at the age of 89 years, Eleazar López died in Caracas.

General aspects of López government (1936-1941)

The dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez ended with his death in 1935. Immediately, General López, was provisionally in charge of the Presidency, until the “National Congress” named him constitutional president, for the period 1936-1941. In the beginning of his presidency, the people fought in the streets against injustices, demanding to finish with the “gomecista inheritance”.

Those that channelled the general displeasure were the students of the Students Federation of Venezuela, the new political parties and their leaders just left the jails or return of exile. The government of López was relatively ample, especially in his first year. Among his measures we can mention the promulgation of the new National Constitution and a modern Labor Law (1936). Also, the "February Program" of 1936 and the "Triennial Plan" (1938) for economic and social progress. Also, new institutions were established: the National Pedagogical Institute, the National Office of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Communications, the Venezuelan Child Council, the Industrial Bank, the National Office of Currency, the National Office of Export Control, and, finally, already in 1940, the Central Bank of Venezuela; also, enacted was an Act of Government that ended with the signing of the "Treaty of Limits with Colombia", on April 5, 1941, by means of which Venezuela lost 108,000 km² in territory.

See also

*Venezuela
*President of Venezuela