Victoriano Huerta

President of Mexico

22 December 1850 Agua Gorda, Colotlán, Jalisco, Mexico

13 January 1916(1916-01-13) (65) El Paso, Texas, U.S.

19 February 1913 – 15 July 1914

Mexican military officer and 39th President of Mexico (Feb 1913 - July 1914) Not to be confused with Adolfo de la Huerta. Main article: Mexican Revolution In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Huerta and the second or maternal family name is Márquez. José Victoriano Huerta Márquez (Spanish pronunciation:  ; 22 December 1850 – 13 January 1916) was a Mexican military officer and 39th President of Mexico, who came to power by coup. After a military career under President Porfirio Díaz, Huerta became a high-ranking officer under democratically-elected president Francisco I. Madero during the first phase of the Mexican Revolution. In February 1913 Huerta led a conspiracy against Madero, who entrusted him to control a minor revolt in Mexico City. The Ten Tragic Days - actually fifteen days - saw the forced resignation of Madero and his vice president and their murders. The coup was backed by the nascent German Empire as well the United States under the Taft Administration, but the succeeding Wilson administration refused to recognize the new regime and allowed arms sales to rebel forces. Many foreign powers did recognize the regime, but withdrew further support when revolutionary forces started to show military success against the regime; with continuing support threatened their own relationships with the American government. Huerta was forced to resign in July 1914 and flee the country to Spain, only 17 months into his presidency, after the federal army collapsed. While attempting to intrigue with German spies in the U.S. during World War I (1914–1918), Huerta was arrested in 1915 and died in U.S. custody. His supporters were known as Huertistas during the Mexican Revolution. He is still vilified by modern-day Mexicans, who generally refer to him as El Chacal ("The Jackal") or El Usurpador ("The Usurper").