President of Mexico (1920–24), he was elected after the most violent decade of the Mexican Revolution. He succeeded in bringing about some measure of agrarian, educational, and labour reform, although peonage remained strong. His implementation of the revolutionary programme of 1917 brought him into bitter conflict with the Catholic Church. After turning the presidency over to his successor Plutarco Eliás Calles in 1924, he was elected to a second term in 1928 but was assassinated prior to taking office.