CARRANZA, VENUSTIANO (1859-192o), president of Mexico, was born in Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila, in 1859. He was educated in Mexico City but later returned to his native State where he took part in public life from 1887 to 1900. He was a senator from 1901 to 1911. In 1910 he joined the revolution of Francisco I. Madero against President Porfirio Diaz. Upon Madero's triumph Carranza was elected governor of Coahuila, and was acting in that capacity when President Madero was over thrown and assassinated in 1913. Carranza protested against the murder and became the leader of the revolution against Gen. Victoriano Huerta, being recognized by all revolutionists under the title of "first chief." While the revolution was going on Car ranza initiated important social and economic reforms, such as the nationalization of petroleum and coal subsoil, the endowment of commons (ejidos) to townships and laws protecting industrial and country labour. These reforms were later embodied in the consti tution of 1917.
After Gen. Huerta had been forced to leave the country, Francisco Villa and other military leaders turned against Carranza, but he succeeded in defeating them. Carranza, thereupon, gathered in Queretaro a constituent assembly to support the new consti tution of Mexico, which was promulgated on Feb. 5, 1917. He was elected president of Mexico, and remained in power from May 1, 1917, until his death. While in the presidency his efforts were primarily directed towards the reconstruction of his country. When the United States entered the World War, Mexico remained neutral mainly on account of Carranza's firm decision to keep his country outside the influence of the United States, which he feared would have been the result of entrance into the World War.
Carranza's name is chiefly known in South America on account of his constant efforts towards a closer co-operation between the Latin-American countries, and his attempts to lay down the foun dations for a permanent understanding between the South Amer ican States.
At the beginning of 1920, when presidential elections were ap proaching, the two foremost military leaders, Alvaro Obregon and Pablo Gonzalez, both candidates, revolted against the Govern ment, charging Carranza with giving official support to Ignacio Bonillas, a civilian candidate. Carranza, feeling unsafe, left Mexico City and attempted to reach Vera Cruz in order to organ ize his followers; but he was defeated at Aljibes, Puebla, and fled towards the north with a handful of faithful partisans. A few days afterwards he fell into a snare set by Obregon's generals, and was murdered at Tlaxcalaltongo, Puebla, on May 21, 1920.
(L. CA.)