[1][3] Through his friendship with the lawyer José Manuel García, Zamora, learned modern philosophy and the foundations of Roman law, and advocated for the implementation of the "principles of equality" in Venezuela.

[1] In 1846, as a member of the Liberal Party, he ran as a candidate for the elections in Villa de Cura, but conservatives opposing him thwarted this by procedurely blocking his nomination, which Zamora and his followers considered illegal and fraudulent.

After ridding the victorious actions of the Catfish, the Lions were defeated and captured at the Battle of the Laguna de Piedra on 26 March 1847.

In October 1858, the Patriotic Meeting was formed in Willemstad and they began a rebellion against the general Juan Crisóstomo Falcón, Zamora's brother in law.

[citation needed] On 23 February 1859, as part of the Federal War, he disembarked from Curaçao to La Vela de Coro.

After Santa Inés, Zamora moved toward the center of the country with 3,000 infantry and 300 cavalry, through Barinas and Portuguesa, but before approaching Caracas, he decided to attack the city of San Carlos, whose main square was defended by Major Benito Figueredo, with 700 men.

[citation needed] During the preliminary actions for taking the square on 10 January 1860, Zamora was shot in the head, which caused his death.