Venustiano Carranza
Carranza, Venustiano (1859–1920), a Mexican general and political leader. He assumed presidential powers in 1914, and in 1915—after a year of civil war—was accepted as provisional president. He remained in office until 1920.
Carranza joined Francisco Madero in the revolution that unseated President Porfirio Díaz in 1911. In 1914 Carranza and his Constitutionalist army overthrew Victoriano Huerta, who had taken over the presidency. Under Carranza's direction a new constitution providing for many social and economic reforms was adopted in 1917, but was largely ignored by Carranza, then the elected president. In 1920 he opposed the presidential candidacy of Álvaro Obregón and was killed in the resulting rebellion.