Revolution of Reforms: The Patriots' Attempt to Reestablish the Bolivarian Project

Led by Santiago Mariño, in the early morning of June 7, 1835, the Revolution of Reforms broke out in Maracaibo, Zulia state, driven by a military movement that led to an uprising to overthrow President José María Vargas from the conservative Congress.

In Caracas, the movement was led by Commander Pedro Carujo and Captain Julián Castro, who placed President Vargas under house arrest on July 8.

Among the coup plotters, there are prominent heroes of Independence, such as Santiago Mariño, José Laurencio Silva, José Tadeo Monagas, Pedro Briceño Méndez, Diego Ibarra, Luis Perú de Lacroix, Andrés Level de Goda and Estanislao Rendón, among others.

Santiago Mariño was proclaimed Head of Government and the movement spread throughout Venezuela, from Zulia, the Oriente and Carabobo.

The movement sought to demand the reconstitution of Gran Colombia and generate political reforms, such as the establishment of federalism, establishing military jurisdiction, the religion of the State and claiming the name of the Liberator Simon Bolivar.

They denounced the existence of the “oligarchy”, strengthened by trade, and represented in the alliance between the “Goths”, who supported Spanish domination and belonged to the realist side during the War of Independence, and “conservatives”, white Creoles, economically and politically liberal, with General José Antonio Páez and his supporters.

The military considered it an affront from the Vargas government and Congress to return their estates to the “Goths”, which had been given in payment for their military service to many independence fighters.

The military jurisdiction enjoyed by members of the Liberation Army was also abolished. They considered the central-federal form of government as a way to impose the hegemony of the Caracas and Valencian oligarchy.

For his part, Vargas, deposed president, assembled his cabinet and appointed General José Antonio Páez as Chief of Operations of the Constitutional Government, and he succeeded in restoring national order, returning Dr. Vargas to the Presidency of the Republic.

Páez entered Caracas on July 28, 1835, after having been the capital abandoned by the reformers. He established a Governing Council and charged General José María Carreño with the Presidency, while sending a commission to Saint Thomas to bring back Vargas and Narvarte. On August 20, 1835, Vargas regained his office as President.

MIPPCI