appointed Provisional President of the Republic and remained in office after passing a Provisional Constitutional Statute that named his term to be seven years. As a result of this, Venezuela had two presidents: Victorino Márquez Bustillos as Provisional President, who sends orders from Miraflores Palace and Juan Vicente Gómez, the President-Elect, who managed the army in Maracay. During this time, Márquez Bustillos fed information to Gómez about his administration and would let him make the decisions. Márquez's provisional presidency came to an end after he was involved in a scandal when Gómez became ill in late 1921. Lopez Contreras government Following the death of Gómez in 1935, Minister of the Army and Navy Eleazar López Contreras took power of Venezuela. That year, President Lopez Contreras appointed Márquez to be Secretary of State, though Márquez would resign shortly after when anti-Gómez movements placed pressure upon him. In 1940, Lopez Contreras attempts to appoint Márquez, this time nominating him to be run for the presidency in the 1941 presidential elections, though Venezuelans did not approve of this because of Márquez's ties with Gómez and Isaías Medina Angarita was later named President of Venezuela instead. Márquez would die shortly after on 10 January 1941, before he would have been possibly sworn in as President of Venezuela if he were to participate in elections. President Lopez Contreras, Isaías Medina Angarita and others who were part of the Gómez government attended his funeral ceremony. See also Presidents of Venezuela References Victorino Márquez Bustillos — Official biography. Victorino Márquez Bustillos Presidents of Venezuela 19th-century Venezuelan lawyers People from Guanare 1858 births 1941 deaths Venezuelan people of Spanish descent