Vice President of Venezuela

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Executive Vice President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the second highest political position in the government of Venezuela. Vice President is the most direct collaborator of the President of the Republic according to the Constitution. Position of Vice President appeared in the Constitution of 1830 until the Constitution of 1858, and once again in the Constitution of 1999.

Office of the Executive Vice President

Functions and duties

According to the Constitution of 1999, the duties of the Executive Vice President are

  1. To collaborate with the President of the Republic to direct the actions of the Government.
  2. To coordinate the Public National Administration in accordance with the instructions of President of the Republic.
  3. To propose the appointment and the removal of the Ministers to the President of the Republic.
  4. To preside over the Cabinet if the President is absent.
  5. To coordinate the relations of the National Executive with the National Assembly.
  6. To preside at the Federal Council of Government.
  7. To name and to remove, in accordance with the law, the officials or national officials whose designation is not attributed to another authority.
  8. To substitute for the President of the Republic on temporary and absolute absences.
  9. To exercise the duties delegated to him by the President of the Republic.

Appointment and removal

Executive Vice President is appointed and removed by the President. Vice President can also be removed with more than two-thirds of the votes in National Assembly. If the National Assembly removes three Vice Presidents from office during a six-year presidential term, the President is authorized to dissolve the Parliament.

Presidential succession

Executive Vice President is the first in line to the succession of the President of Venezuela, when President is unable to fulfill the duties of office in the exceptional cases established in the Article 233 and 234 of the National Constitution.

Former Vice Presidents Andrés Navarte, Carlos Soublette, Diosdado Cabello (in April 2002) and Nicolás Maduro (in 2012-2013) were all once acting Presidents of Venezuela. Soublette and Maduro were also later elected as President.

List of Vice Presidents of Venezuela

Name Picture Inaugurated Left Office Notes
Manuel Moreno de Mendoza 1811 1812 First Triumvirate
Mauricio Ayala
Andrés Narvarte
Cristóbal Mendoza 1812 1812 Second Triumvirate
Francisco Mays
Juan Germán Roscio
Francisco Antonio Zea 1819 1819 Interim
Diego Bautista Urbaneja 1830 1833 Interim
Andrés Narvarte 1833 1837 Elected indirectly
Carlos Soublette 1837 1841 Elected indirectly
Santos Michelena 1841 1844 Elected indirectly
Diego Bautista Urbaneja 1845 1849 Elected indirectly
Antonio Leocadio Guzmán 1849 1851 Elected indirectly
Joaquín Herrera 1851 1855
Manuel Felipe de Tovar 1858 1860 Interim
Pedro Gual Escandón 1860 1861 Elected indirectly
Antonio Guzmán Blanco 1863 1864 Interim
Jesús Ramón Ayala 1901 1904
Juan Vicente Gómez
Juan Vicente Gómez 1905 1910
José Antonio Velutini
Juan Crisóstomo Gómez 1922 1923
José Vicente Gómez
No provision for Vice President (1923–1999)
Julián Isaías Rodríguez Diaz 2000 2000 Appointed by President
Adina Bastidas 2000 2002 Appointed by President
Diosdado Cabello 2002 2002 Appointed by President
José Vicente Rangel 2002 2007 Appointed by President
Jorge Rodríguez Gómez 2007 2008 Appointed by President
Ramón Carrizales 2008 2010 Appointed by President
Elías Jaua 2010 2012 Appointed by President
Nicolás Maduro 2012 2013 Appointed by President
Jorge Arreaza 2013 Appointed by President

References