[2] He was known as a member of the Liberal yellow party,[citation needed] and served as the president of Venezuela from 1898 until 1899[3] – his election was declaredly clouded by fraud.

[3] In 1897, incumbent president Crespo supported Andrade in the presidential elections against key opponent José Manuel Hernández.

[citation needed] Venezuelan President Joaquín Crespo ruled until 1898, when he gave the presidential role to Andrade while remaining a military mainstay of the government.

[citation needed] In 1899 the Colombian writer Biofilo Panclasta traveled to Venezuela, where he joined the army of the Venezuelan Cipriano Castro, which had as its goal the downfall of president Andrade.

[citation needed] Returning to Venezuela and amassing support from disaffected Venezuelans, Castro's once personal army developed into a strong national army, and he used it to march on Caracas in October 1899 in an event called the Revolución Liberal Restauradora, and seize power, installing himself as the supreme military commander.