José María Vargas
José María Vargas Ponce was the president of Venezuela from 1835 to 1836. He was elected in the 1834 Venezuelan presidential election, the first free and fair elections in South America. He defeated the candidate supported by incumbent president. Vargas was Venezuela's first civilian president.
He was overthrown in 1835, returned to office, and resigned in 1836 amid pressure.
He graduated with a degree in philosophy from the Seminario Tridentino, and obtained in 1809 his medical degree from the Real y Pontificia Universidad de Caracas. Vargas was imprisoned in 1813 for revolutionary activities. Upon his release in 1813, he travelled to United Kingdom for medical training. Vargas performed cataract surgery. He was one of the earliest oculists in Puerto Rico after his arrival there in 1817. He returned to Venezuela to practice medicine and surgery in 1825.
Presidency
Personal life
José María Vargas was married to Encarnación Maitín, who served as First Lady of Venezuela from 1835 to 1836.In 1877, his ashes were brought to Caracas and buried in the National Pantheon on 27 April of that same year.