Juan Crisóstomo Falcón

Juan Crisóstomo Falcón Zavarce (27 January 1820 – 29 April 1870) was the president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.

Biography
Falcón was a member of the Liberal Venezuelan Federalist Party, and had been exiled to Curaçao after te Conservative March Revolution of 1858. At the outbreak of the Federal War, he returned to Venezuela as the supreme chief of the rebel movement in August 1859. When his military leader Ezequiel Zamora, was killed in January 1860, Falcón, also took over as head of the Federalist army. His suffered a crushing defeat in the Battle of Coplé in February 1860, after which his army disintegrated. After the Battle of Coplé, the Federal War transformed mainly into a successful guerrilla warfare, which ended in a victory for the Federalists in 1863, and the Treaty of Coche, which made him the new President of Venezuela.

He served as the recognized president of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868, when the conservative Blue Revolution headed by General José Tadeo Monagas ended his term as president. Also, he was briefly overthrown in 1865. At the end of his presidential term, Falcón emigrated to Europe. He died in Martinique in 1870. The state of Falcón is named after him.

In 1863, under the presidency of Juan Crisóstomo Falcon Zavarce, Venezuela became the first country to abolish capital punishment for all crimes, including serious offenses against the state.

Personal life
Falcón Zavarce was married to Luisa Isabel Pachano Muñoz, who served as First Lady of Venezuela from 1863 to 1868.