Presidency of Francisco Linares Alcántara

The presidency of Francisco Linares Alcántara was a Liberal Party administration, scheduled for the 1877-1879 biennium. It followed the Guzmancista Septennium of Antonio Guzmán Blanco, who left the country during his rule. President Linares Alcántara died in office on November 30, 1878,^[1] an event that became the subject of conspiracy theories. He was succeeded by the president of the Federal High Court, General Jacinto Gutiérrez.

Background

The dictator Antonio Guzmán Blanco invited his "twelve apostles" to run for the presidency of the republic. Francisco Linares Alcántara had gained his favor due to his connection with Ana Teresa Ibarra, Guzmán Blanco's wife.^[2]

Domestic policy

Legislative policy

From the beginning of his two-year term, the president dedicated himself to a constitutional reform project aimed at extending his period in government.^[2] To this end, he established a network of alliances, declared the current constitution unusable on September 12, 1878, and called for elections for a constituent assembly in December of that year, which were not held due to his sudden death.^[2]

Social policy

In June 1877, President Francisco Linares Alcántara decreed a general amnesty.^[3]^[4] President Linares Alcántara decreed permission for all political exiles to return to Venezuela.^[1]

Education policy

The government reopened the Colegio de Ingenieros de Venezuela on November 15, 1877.^[1] It also returned to the University of the Andes (ULA) its former headquarters, of which it had been stripped during the government of Guzmán.^[5]

Cultural policy

The government organized the transfer of the remains of former president José María Vargas to the National Pantheon.^[1]

1878 presidential re-election project

The government negotiated with León Colina and Raimundo Andueza Palacio to withdraw their candidacies. In the case of Andueza Palacio, he left Sebastián Casañas as his successor and went to live in France.^[2] José Ignacio Pulido was offered two ministerial portfolios and the purchase of his military arsenal for one hundred thousand pesos.^[2]

Death and funeral

President Francisco Linares Alcántara fell ill in November 1878 and died on the 30th. His funeral was held at the Government Palace, the Casa Amarilla, and he was later transferred to the National Pantheon, where his burial ceremony included an incident resulting in two deaths and several injuries.^[2]

Opposition

José Ignacio Pulido rose up in Bolívar state, Jesús Zamora in Barcelona, and Paredes y Montañez rebelled in Carabobo; all were defeated by Linares Alcántara's forces.^[2]

References

1 2 3 4 Elke Nieschulz de Stockhausen. "Linares Alcántara, Francisco". Fundación Empresas Polar (in Spanish). Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "El funeral de Francisco Linares Alcántara". Cámara de Comercio, Industria y Servicios de Caracas (in Spanish).
↑ Magallanes, Manuel Vicente. "Amnistías". Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.
↑ Fundación Empresas Polar. "García, Juan Bautista". Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.
↑ "Reseña Histórica". Universidad de Los Andes (in Spanish).

[:02-1] 1 2 3 4 Elke Nieschulz de Stockhausen. "Linares Alcántara, Francisco". Fundación Empresas Polar (in Spanish). Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela.

[:1-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "El funeral de Francisco Linares Alcántara". Cámara de Comercio, Industria y Servicios de Caracas (in Spanish).

[:2-3] Magallanes, Manuel Vicente. "Amnistías". Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-03-02.

[:10-4] Fundación Empresas Polar. "García, Juan Bautista". Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-02.

[5] "Reseña Histórica". Universidad de Los Andes (in Spanish).

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v t e President of Venezuela (list)
First Republic of Venezuela	Mendoza / Escalona / Padrón 1811–1812 Espejo / Toro / Ustáriz 1812 Miranda 1812
Second Republic of Venezuela	Bolívar 1813–1814
Third Republic of Venezuela	Bolívar 1816–1819
State of Venezuela	Páez 1831–1835 Narvarte Vargas 1835 Carreño Vargas 1835–1836 Narvarte Carreño Soublette 1837–1839 Páez 1839–1843 Soublette 1843–1847 J. T. Monagas 1847–1851 J. G. Monagas 1851–1855 J. T. Monagas 1855–1858 Gual J. Castro 1858–1859 Gual Tovar 1859–1861 Gual Páez 1861–1863
United States of Venezuela	Falcón 1863–1868 Bruzual J. T. Monagas 1868 Villegas J. R. Monagas 1869–1870 Villegas Guzmán 1870–1877 Linares 1877–1878 Valera Guzmán 1879–1884 Crespo 1884–1886 Guzmán 1886–1887 H. López Rojas 1888–1890 Andueza 1890–1892 Villegas Villegas Pulido Crespo 1892–1898 Andrade 1898–1899 C. Castro 1899–1908 Gómez 1908–1913 Gil Fortoul 1913–1914 Márquez 1914–1922 Gómez 1922–1929 J. Pérez 1929–1931 Gómez 1931–1935 López Contreras 1935–1941 Medina 1941–1945 Betancourt 1945–1948 Gallegos 1948 Delgado Chalbaud 1948–1950 Suárez Flamerich 1950–1952
Republic of Venezuela	Pérez Jiménez 1952–1958 Larrazábal 1958 Sanabria 1958–1959 Betancourt 1959–1964 Leoni 1964–1969 Caldera 1969–1974 C. Pérez 1974–1979 Herrera 1979–1984 Lusinchi 1984–1989 C. Pérez 1988–1993 Lepage 1993 Velásquez 1993–1994 Caldera 1994–1999
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela	Chávez Carmona 2002 Cabello 2002 Chávez Maduro 2013–2026 Guaidó¹ 2019–2023 Rodríguez 2026
Acting / interim / caretaker presidents shown in italics ¹ Recognized by the National Assembly as "interim president" during the Venezuelan presidential crisis until 2023