President of Guatemala

President of Guatemala

Presidential Flag of Guatemala
Incumbent
Otto Pérez Molina
since 14 January 2012
Style His Excellency
Residence Guatemalan National Palace
Term length Four years, non-renewable
Inaugural holder Rafael Carrera
Formation 21 March 1847

The President of Guatemala (Spanish: Presidente de Guatemala), is the head of state and head of government of Guatemala. The title of "President of Guatemala" has been the usual title of the leader of Guatemala since 1847, when that title was assumed by Rafael Carrera. Earlier, Guatemala had been a state within the United Provinces of Central America since 1823, before that part of the First Mexican Empire under Agustín de Iturbide, and before 1821 ruled by the Captain General of Guatemala, a Spanish colonial official owing allegiance to the Viceroy of New Spain and the King of Spain, back to the Spanish conquest of the region in the early 16th century.

The title of "President" has been used by democratically elected leaders and appointed heads of state, as well as by dictators who took power by military coup.

Chiefs of State of Guatemala within the Federal Republic of Central America (1821–1839)

Independent Guatemala (1839–present)

Heads of State (1839–1847)

Head of State Took office Left office Party
Mariano Rivera Paz 3 December 1839 25 February 1842 Liberal
José Venancio López Requena (acting) 25 February 1842 14 May 1842 Liberal
Mariano Rivera Paz 14 May 1842 14 December 1844 Liberal
Rafael Carrera 14 December 1844 21 March 1847 Conservative

Presidents of the Republic (1847–present)

President Took office Left office Party
Rafael Carrera 21 March 1847 16 August 1848 Conservative
Juan Antonio Martínez (interim) 16 August 1848 28 November 1848 Conservative
José Bernardo Escobar (interim) 28 November 1848 1 January 1849 Conservative
Mariano Peredes (interim) 1 January 1849 6 November 1851 Non-partisan
Rafael Carrera 6 November 1851 14 April 1865 Conservative
Pedro de Aycinena y Piñol (acting) 14 April 1865 24 May 1865 Conservative
Vicente Cerna Sandoval 24 May 1865 29 June 1871 Conservative
Miguel García Granados 29 June 1871 4 June 1873 Liberal
Justo Rufino Barrios 4 June 1873 2 April 1885 Liberal
Alejandro M. Sinibaldi (acting) 2 April 1885 5 April 1885 Liberal
Manuel Barillas 6 April 1885 15 March 1892 Liberal
José María Reina Barrios 15 March 1892 8 February 1898 Liberal
Manuel Estrada Cabrera 8 February 1898 15 April 1920 Liberal
Carlos Herrera 15 April 1920 10 December 1921 Unionist Party
José María Orellana 10 December 1921 26 September 1926 Liberal
Lázaro Chacón González 26 September 1926 2 January 1931 Unionist Party
José María Reina Andrade (acting) 2 January 1931 14 February 1931 Liberal
Jorge Ubico 14 February 1931 4 July 1944 Liberal
Juan Federico Ponce Vaides (acting) 4 July 1944 20 October 1944 Liberal
Revolutionary Government Junta 20 October 1944 15 March 1945 Military
Juan José Arévalo 15 March 1945 15 March 1951 Revolutionary Action Party
Jacobo Árbenz 15 March 1951 27 June 1954 Revolutionary Action Party/Party of the Guatemalan Revolution
Carlos Enrique Díaz de León (provisional) 27 June 1954 28 June 1954 Military
Elfego Hernán Monzón Aguirre (Chairman of Military Junta) 29 June 1954 8 July 1954 Military
Carlos Castillo Armas 8 July 1954 26 July 1957 Military
Luis Arturo González López (acting) 27 July 1957 24 October 1957 National Progress Party
Óscar Mendoza Azurdia (Chairman of Military Junta) 24 October 1957 26 October 1957 Military
Guillermo Flores Avendaño (acting) 26 October 1957 2 March 1958 Military
Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes 2 March 1958 31 March 1963 Military/National Democratic Reconciliation Party
Enrique Peralta Azurdia 31 March 1963 1 July 1966 Military/Institutional Democratic Party
Julio César Méndez Montenegro 1 July 1966 1 July 1970 Revolutionary Party
Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio 1 July 1970 1 July 1974 Military/National Liberation Movement
Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García 1 July 1974 1 July 1978 Military/National Liberation Movement/Institutional Democratic Party
Fernando Romeo Lucas García 1 July 1978 23 March 1982 Military/Institutional Democratic Party/Revolutionary Party
Efraín Ríos Montt 23 March 1982 8 August 1983 Military
Óscar Humberto Mejía Victores 8 August 1983 14 January 1986 Military
Vinicio Cerezo 14 January 1986 14 January 1991 Guatemalan Christian Democracy
Jorge Serrano Elías 14 January 1991 1 June 1993 Solidarity Action Movement
Gustavo Adolfo Espina Salguero 1 June 1993 5 June 1993 Solidarity Action Movement
Ramiro de León Carpio 6 June 1993 14 January 1996 None
Álvaro Arzú 14 January 1996 14 January 2000 National Advancement Party/Unionist Party
Alfonso Portillo 14 January 2000 14 January 2004 Guatemalan Republican Front
Óscar Berger 14 January 2004 14 January 2008 National Solidarity Party/Grand National Alliance
Álvaro Colom 14 January 2008 14 January 2012 National Unity of Hope
Otto Pérez Molina 14 January 2012 Incumbent Patriotic Party/Grand National Alliance

Latest election

 Summary of the 11 September and 6 November 2011 Guatemalan presidential election result
Candidates — Parties 1st round 2nd round
Votes % Votes %
Otto Pérez Molina — Patriotic Party (PP) 1,611,493 36.01% 2,300,979 53.74%
Manuel Baldizón — Renewed Democratic Liberty (LIDER) 1,038,287 23.20% 1,981,003 46.26%
Eduardo Suger — Commitment, Renovation and Order (CREO) 732,842 16.38%
Mario Estrada — Nationalist Change Union (UCN) 383,643 8.57%
Harold Caballeros — Vision with Values (VIVA) & Encounter for Guatemala (EG) 275,475 6.16%
Rigoberta Menchú — Broad Left Front— Winaq,
Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unity (URNG-MAIZ) & New Nation Alternative (ANN)		 146,353 3.27%
Juan Gutiérrez — National Advancement Party (PAN) 123,648 2.76%
Patricia de Arzú — Unionist Party (PU) 97,381 2.18%
Alejandro Giammattei — Social Action Centre (CASA) 46,395 1.04%
Adela Camacho de Torrebiarte — Action of National Development (ADN) 19,038 0.43%
Valid votes 4,474,555 100.00% 4,281,982 100.00%
Blank votes 398,962 58,202
Invalid votes 219,713 124,934
Total votes (voter turnout: 69.38% / 60.83%) 5,093,230 4,465,118
Source: Tribunal Supremo Electoral[1]

Second round[2]

References

  1. ↑ Tribunal Supremo Electoral (27-09-2011) Acuerdo No. 1319-2011 - Resultados oficiales. Consulted: 2011-09-29.
  2. ↑ Tribunal Supremo Electoral. (01/12/2011) Segunda Elección Presidencial. Resultados preliminares. Consulted: 2011-12-01