Uruguayan general Maximo Tajes (1886-90), who had…

Uruguayan general Maximo Tajes (1886-90), who had been appointed president by the General Assembly, tries to restore the constitution and remove the military chiefs who had supported Santos.

Civilian political activity resumes during the Tajes administration.

At the end of the Tajes term, Julio Herrera y Obes is elected president (1890-94).

Herrera y Obes belongs to the Colorado Party, had been an adviser to his predecessor, and is instrumental in the transition process that displaces the military from power.

He selects his aides from among a small group of friends and is convinced that the executive has to play a leading role in elections and the makeup of the General Assembly.

This policy, called the "directing influence," is resisted by a sector of the Colorado Party led by Jose Batlle y Ordonez, son of the late former president, Lorenzo Batlle y Grau.