List of Presidents of Venezuela

President of Venezuela

Standard of the President
Incumbent
Hugo Chávez
since 2 February 1999
Residence Palacio de Miraflores
Term length Six years, renewable
Inaugural holder Cristóbal Mendoza
Formation March 5, 1811
Website .:: Sitio Oficial del Ministerio del Poder Popular del Despacho de la Presidencia ::.
Venezuela

This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
Venezuela

Other countries · Atlas
Politics portal

The President of Venezuela (Spanish: Presidente de Venezuela) is both the head of state and also the head of government of Venezuela. The current presidential term is for six years with the constitutionally guaranteed recourse of holding a popular recall referendum anytime within the last three years of a presidential term. On 15 February 2009, a referendum removed the previous restrictions which limited the President to two terms.[1] The current president of Venezuela is Hugo Chávez.

The designation "Presidente" encompasses only those persons who were sworn into office as President of Venezuela following Venezuela's declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule, which took effect on July 5, 1811. The first president, taking office on July 5, 1811, was actually the president of a triumvirate that rotated the presidency weekly. The person serving as president during the week of July 5 was one of the three signatories of the Declaration of Independence: Cristóbal Mendoza. Mendoza shared the triumvirate with Juan Escalona and Baltasar Padrón.[2][3]

Owing to the profound confusion of the Venezuelan War of Independence and the period of Gran Colombia over what is now Venezuela, this page has gaps between 1814 and 1819. The Congress of Angostura appointed Simón Bolívar "Jefe Supremo de la República de Venezuela" (Supreme Commander of the Republic of Venezuela) from 1819 until 1830. The list below includes interim 'caretaker' as well as regular serving presidents, and democratically installed presidents as well as those installed by other means (e.g.; Marcos Pérez Jiménez).

Contents

Comments on presidential ordering

The second numbering column reflects the number of the presidency. Since its creation as a republic in 1811, Venezuela has had a total to date of 75 presidencies: a single person serving a single term beginning with Cristóbal Mendoza. The second column reflects uninterrupted time in office served by a single person. For example, Juan Crisóstomo Falcón served two consecutive terms and is counted in the first column as both 24th presidency and 25th presidency, but this is counted in the second column as the 20th presidential office. The third column lists the actual numbering of distinct individual presidents. Many of the men listed below became President on a provisional basis as they waited for the arrival of the elected or regular president, such as commonly occurs in the aftermath of a civil war, rebellion, or coup d'état. As a consequence, other Venezuelan presidential rosters may not choose to include the terms below, citing the extreme brevity of certain terms, unusual circumstances that may have surrounded a president's ascendancy into office, and other factors. The colors shaded about each president indicate the political party affiliation of each President (see key, below).

List of Presidents of Venezuela

      Conservative Party       Liberal Party       Independent       Military government       Democratic Action       COPEI       National Convergence       Fifth Republic Movement/United Socialist Party

#
(all)		 #
(unique)		 #
(selected
all)		 Picture President Dates in office Form of entry Occupation
1 1 1 Cristóbal Mendoza, Juan Escalona, Baltasar Padrón March 5, 1811 – March 21, 1812 Executive Triumvirate elected by First Congress Lawyer, Militia Captain, Landowner
2 2 2 Simón Bolívar August 6, 1813 – July 7, 1814 Indirect elections Military general
3 3 2 Simón Bolívar February 15, 1819 – December 17, 1819 Indirect elections Military general
4 4 3 José Antonio Páez January 13, 1830 – January 20, 1835 Indirect elections Military general
5 — 5 Andrés Narvarte January 20, 1835 – February 9, 1835 Acting President Lawyer / politician
6 5 4 José María Vargas February 9, 1835 – July 9, 1835 Indirect elections Physician
7 — 6 José María Carreño July 27, 1835 – August 20, 1835 Acting President Military general
8 — 4 José María Vargas August 20, 1835 – April 24, 1836 Restoration Physician
9 6 5 Andrés Narvarte April 24, 1836 – January 20, 1837 Interim caretaker Lawyer / politician
10 7 6 José María Carreño January 20, 1837 – March 11, 1837 Interim caretaker Military general
11 8 7 Carlos Soublette March 11, 1837 – February 1, 1839 Interim caretaker Military general
12 9 3 José Antonio Páez February 1, 1839 – January 28, 1843 Indirect elections Military general
13 10 7 Carlos Soublette January 28, 1843 – January 20, 1847 Indirect elections Military general
14 11 8 José Tadeo Monagas January 20, 1847 – February 5, 1851 Indirect elections Military general
15 12 9 José Gregorio Monagas February 5, 1851 – January 20, 1855 Indirect elections Military general
16 13 8 José Tadeo Monagas January 20, 1855 – March 15, 1858 Indirect elections Military general
17 14 10 Pedro Gual Escandon March 15, 1858 – March 18, 1858 Provisional President Lawyer
18 15 11 Julián Castro March 18, 1858 – August 2, 1859 Coup d'état Military general
19 16 10 Pedro Gual Escandon August 2, 1859 – September 29, 1859 Provisional President Lawyer
20 17 11 Manuel Felipe de Tovar September 29, 1859 – May 20, 1861 Coup d'état (first term);
Direct elections (second term)		 Politician
21 18 10 Pedro Gual Escandon May 20, 1861 – August 29, 1861 Provisional President Lawyer
22 19 3 José Antonio Páez August 29, 1861 – June 15, 1863 Dictatorship Military general
23 20 12 Juan Crisóstomo Falcón June 15, 1863 – March 18, 1865 Victory in the Federal War (first term) Military general
24 20 12 Juan Crisóstomo Falcón March 18, 1865 – April 25, 1868 Indirect elections (second term) Military general
25 21 13 Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual April 25, 1868 – June 28, 1868 Provisional President Military officer
26 22 14 Guillermo Tell Villegas June 28, 1868 – February 20, 1869 Provisional President Lawyer / Military
27 23 15 José Ruperto Monagas February 20, 1869 – April 16, 1870 Revolution Military general
28 24 14 Guillermo Tell Villegas April 16, 1870 – April 27, 1870 Provisional President Lawyer / Military
29 25 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco April 27, 1870 – February 20, 1873 Revolution (first term) Lawyer / Military general
30 25 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco February 20, 1873 – February 27, 1877 Indirect elections (second term) Lawyer / Military general
31 26 17 Francisco Linares Alcántara February 27, 1877 – November 30, 1878 Indirect elections Military general
32 27 18 José Gregorio Valera November 30, 1878 – February 26, 1879 Provisional President Military general
33 28 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco February 26, 1879 – May 12, 1880 Election by the Federal States Lawyer / Military general
34 28 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco May 12, 1880 – 1882 Election by the Federal States Lawyer / Military general
35 28 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco 1882 – April 26, 1884 Election by the Federal States Lawyer / Military general
36 29 18 Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo April 26, 1884 – September 15, 1886 Elections by the Federal States Military general
37 30 16 Antonio Guzmán Blanco September 15, 1886 – August 8, 1887 Elections by the Federal States Lawyer / Military general
38 31 19 Hermógenes López August 8, 1887 – July 2, 1888 Intermin caretaker Military general
39 32 20 Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl July 2, 1888 – March 19, 1890 Elections by the Federal States Lawyer
40 33 27 Raimundo Andueza Palacio March 19, 1890 – June 17, 1892 Elections by the Federal States Lawyer
41 34 — Guillermo Tell Villegas June 17, 1892 – August 31, 1892 Provisional President Lawyer / Military
42 — — Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido August 31, 1892 – October 7, 1892 Provisional President Lawyer
43 35 28 Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo October 7, 1892 – March 14, 1894 Revolution Military general
44 35 29 Joaquín Sinforiano de Jesús Crespo March 14, 1894 – February 28, 1898 Elections by the Federal States Military general
45 36 30 Ignacio Andrade February 28, 1898 – October 20, 1899 Direct elections Politician
46 37 31 Cipriano Castro Ruiz October 20, 1899 – December 19, 1908 Revolution Military general
47 38 32 Juan Vicente Gómez December 19, 1908 – August 5, 1913 Coup d'état Military general
48 — — José Gil Fortoul August 5, 1913 – April 19, 1914 Appointed provisional president Lawyer
49 — — Victorino Márquez Bustillos April 19, 1914 – 1922 Appointed provisional president[4] Lawyer / politician
50 40 32 Juan Vicente Gómez 1922 – May 30, 1929 — Military general
51 41 — Juan Bautista Pérez May 30, 1929 – June 13, 1931 Indirect election by the National Assembly Lawyer / magistrate
52 42 32 Juan Vicente Gómez June 13, 1931 – December 17, 1935 Indirect election by the National Assembly Military general
53 43 33 Eleazar López Contreras December 18, 1935 – June 30, 1936 Interim caretaker (first term) Military general
54 43 34 Eleazar López Contreras June 30, 1936 – May 5, 1941 Indirect elections (second term) Military general
55 44 35 Isaías Medina Angarita May 5, 1941 – October 18, 1945 Indirect elections Military general
56 45 36 Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello October 19, 1945 – February 17, 1948 Coup d'état Politician
57 46 37 Rómulo Gallegos Freire February 17, 1948 – November 24, 1948 Direct elections Writer / Novelist
58 47 38 Carlos Delgado Chalbaud November 24, 1948 – November 13, 1950 Coup d'état Military officer
59 48 39 Germán Suárez Flamerich November 27, 1950 – December 2, 1952 Interim caretaker Lawyer
60 49 40 Marcos Pérez Jiménez December 2, 1952 – January 23, 1958 Indirect elections Military officer
61 50 41 Wolfgang Larrazábal January 23, 1958 – November 14, 1958 Coup d'état Rear admiral
62 51 42 Edgar Sanabria November 14, 1958 – February 13, 1959 Interim caretaker Lawyer
63 52 43 Rómulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello February 13, 1959 – March 13, 1964 Direct elections Politician
64 53 44 Raúl Leoni Otero March 13, 1964 – March 11, 1969 Direct elections Lawyer
65 54 45 Rafael Caldera Rodríguez March 11, 1969 – March 12, 1974 Direct elections Lawyer
66 55 46 Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez March 12, 1974 – March 12, 1979 Direct elections Politician
67 56 47 Luis Herrera Campins March 12, 1979 – February 2, 1984 Direct elections Lawyer
68 57 48 Jaime Lusinchi February 2, 1984 – February 2, 1989 Direct elections Physician
69 58 49 Carlos Andrés Pérez Rodríguez[5] February 2, 1989 – May 21, 1993 Direct elections Politician
70 — — Octavio Lepage Barreto[6] May 21, 1993 – June 5, 1993 Interim president Lawyer / Politician
71 59 50 Ramón José Velásquez June 5, 1993 – February 2, 1994 Interim president Writer
72 60 51 Rafael Caldera Rodríguez February 2, 1994 – February 2, 1999 Direct elections Lawyer
73 61 52 Hugo Rafael Chávez Frias February 2, 1999 – January 10, 2001 Direct elections Military officer
(Lt. colonel)
74 62 52 Hugo Rafael Chávez Frias January 10, 2001 – January 10, 2007[7] Direct elections Military officer
(Lt. colonel)
75 63 52 Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías January 10, 2007 – present Direct elections Military officer
(Lt. colonel)

Latest election

Main article: Venezuelan presidential election, 2006
e • d Venezuelan presidential election, 2006
Candidates Votes %
Hugo Chávez (Fifth Republic Movement) 7,309,080 62.84%
Manuel Rosales (A New Era) 4,292,466 36.9%
Luis Reyes 4,807 0.04%
Venezuela Da Silva 3,980 0.03%
Carmelo Romano Pérez 3,735 0.03%
Alejandro Suárez 2,956 0.02%
Eudes Vera 2,806 0.02%
Carolina Contreras 2,169 0.01%
Pedro Aranguren 2,064 0.01%
José Tineo 1,502 0.01%
Yudith Salazar 1,355 0.01%
Ángel Yrigoyen 1,316 0.01%
Homer Rodríguez 1,123 0%
Isbelia León 793 0%
Total (Turnout 74.69 %) 11,790,397 100.0
Source: CNE:[8] null votes: 160,245 (1.35% of all votes)

See also

Venezuela portal
Politics portal

Notes

  1. ^ Chavez wins chance of fresh term
  2. ^ "Presidentes de Venezuela" at Consulado General de Bucaramanga
  3. ^ Briceño Perozo, Mario. "Mendoza, Cristóbal de" in Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela, Vol. 3. Caracas: Fundación Polar, 1999. ISBN 978-980-6397-37-8
  4. ^ Bustillos was appointed to the presidency in a provisional fashion after Juan Vicente Gómez, after himself being elected (by the National Assembly) as president. Gómez opted not to assume the presidency, instead choosing to continue in the role of directing the Venezuelan army.
  5. ^ On May 21, 1993 Pérez resigned after being accused of corruption by the Attorney General.
  6. ^ Octavio Lepage was the President of Congress and was in charge of the government until Ramón J. Velásquez was elected by Congress on June 5, 1993.
  7. ^ On April 11, 2002, senior military officers refused Chávez's orders to carry out Plan Ávila. They arrested Chávez, saying he had resigned, and Pedro Carmona Estanga assumed the presidency. Following an uprising, aided by sectors of the military loyal to Chávez, the new government collapsed and Chávez was restored to power early on April 15, 2002. Between the deposing of Carmona and the return of Chávez, Vice President Diosdado Cabello assumed the presidency.
  8. ^ "Elección presidencial". CNE. 2007. http://www.cne.gob.ve/divulgacionPresidencial/resultado_nacional.php. Retrieved 2007-10-14. (Spanish)

References

External links

History
Politics
Geography
Economy
Demographics
Culture
Cuisine · Cinema · Heritage · Holidays · Internet domain · Literature · Media · Miss Venezuela · Music · Sport
Symbols
WikiProject · Portal
Presidents of Venezuela
Presidents of South America
Sovereign states
Dependencies and
other territories
  • Aruba
  • Bonaire
  • Curaçao
  • Falkland Islands
  • French Guiana
  • South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
Current heads of state of the South American countries