List of Presidents of Venezuela

The Miraflores Palace is the president's official workplace, the center of the administration, and a prominent symbol of the office.

Under the Venezuelan Constitution, the President of Venezuela is the head of state and head of government of Venezuela. As chief of the executive branch and face of the government as a whole, the presidency is the highest political office in the country by influence and recognition. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the Venezuelan Armed Forces. The president is directly elected through a popular vote to a six-year term. Since the 2009 constitutional referendum, any person can be elected to the office an indefinite number of times. Upon the death, resignation, or removal from office of an incumbent president, the vice president assumes the office. The president must be at least 30 years of age, and has to be a "natural born" citizen of Venezuela, and cannot possess any other citizenship.

This list includes only those persons who were sworn into office as president following the establishment of the independent State of Venezuela, which took place on 13 January 1830. There have been 46 people sworn into office, and 64 presidencies, as several politicians (most prominently between 1830 and 1953) have held the office more than once. José Antonio Páez, the first president, was inaugurated in 1830. Antonio Guzmán Blanco served during the most number of terms, with three. Juan Vicente Gómez has served during the longest (although interrupted by interim presidencies), with over 27 years. Hugo Chávez served the longest uninterrupted period in office with 11 consecutive years, starting after his restoration to power in April 2002 and until his death in March 2013. The current president, Nicolás Maduro, was elected to his first term in 2013.

History

Before 1830

The presidential designation 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 of the first established Republic of Venezuela 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. A second triumvirate followed on April 3, 1812 whose members were Francisco Espejo, Fernando Toro and Francisco Javier Ustariz.^[1][2]

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 1813 and 1819. For this period in time, historians refer to the Republic of Venezuela as the Second Republic of Venezuela (1813–1814) and the Third Republic of Venezuela (1817–1819) as Simon Bolivar twice reestablished the republic. 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.

After 1830

In 1830, José Antonio Páez declared Venezuela independent from Gran Colombia and became president, taking office on January 13, 1830. Although he was not the first president of Venezuela (having in mind Cristóbal Mendoza in 1811), he was the first head of state of independent Venezuela, after the dissolution of Gran Colombia.

Presidents of Venezuela since independence (1830–present)

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).

State of Venezuela (1830–1864)

President of the State of Venezuela
Conservative Party   Liberal Party   Independent   Military government
№ [3]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)		State	Term of office	Term [4]	Party
1			José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	Portuguesa	13 January 1830 – 20 January 1835	1 (1831–35)	Conservative Party
2			Andrés Narvarte (1781–1853)	Vargas	20 January 1835 – 9 February 1835		Conservative Party
3			José María Vargas (1786–1854)	Vargas	9 February 1835 – 9 July 1835	2 (1835–39)	Conservative Party
4			José María Carreño (1792–1849)	Miranda	27 July 1835 – 20 August 1835		Conservative Party
5			José María Vargas (1786–1854)	Vargas	20 August 1835 – 24 April 1836		Conservative Party
6			Andrés Narvarte (1781–1853)	Vargas	24 April 1836 – 20 January 1837		Conservative Party
7			José María Carreño (1792–1849)	Miranda	27 January 1837 – 11 March 1837		Conservative Party
8			Carlos Soublette (1789–1870)	Vargas	11 March 1837 – 1 February 1839
9			José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	Portuguesa	1 February 1839 – 28 January 1843	3 (1839–43)	Conservative Party
10			Carlos Soublette (1789–1870)	Vargas	28 January 1843 – 20 January 1847	4 (1843–47)	Conservative Party
11			José Tadeo Monagas (1784–1868)	Monagas	20 January 1847 – 5 February 1851	5 (1847–51)	Conservative Party
12			José Gregorio Monagas (1795–1858)	Monagas	5 February 1851 – 20 January 1855	6 (1851–55)	Liberal Party
13			José Tadeo Monagas (1784–1868)	Monagas	20 January 1855 – 15 March 1858	7 (1855–60)	Liberal Party
14			Pedro Gual Escandón (1783–1862)	Caracas	15 March 1858 – 18 March 1858		Liberal Party
15			Julián Castro (1810–1875)	Miranda	18 March 1858 – 2 August 1859		Military
16			Pedro Gual Escandón (1783–1862)	Caracas	2 August 1859 – 29 September 1859		Independent
17			Manuel Felipe de Tovar (1803–1866)		29 September 1859 – 20 May 1861		Liberal Party
						8 (1860–64)
18			Pedro Gual Escandón (1783–1862)	Caracas	20 May 1861 – 29 August 1861		Liberal Party
19			José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	Portuguesa	29 August 1861 – 15 June 1863		Military
20			Juan Crisóstomo Falcón (1820–1870)	Falcón	15 June 1863 – 25 April 1868		Military
						9 (1864–73)

United States of Venezuela (1864–1953)

President of the United States of Venezuela
Democratic Action   Conservative Party   Liberal Party   Independent   Military government
№ [3]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)		State	Term of office	Term [4]	Party
20			Juan Crisóstomo Falcón (1820–1870)	Falcón	15 June 1863 – 25 April 1868	9 (1864–73)	Military
21			Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual (1832–1868)	Magdalena (Gran Colombia)	25 April 1868 – 28 June 1868		Independent
22			Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	Carabobo	28 June 1868 – 20 February 1869		Liberal Party
23			José Ruperto Monagas (1831–1880)	Monagas	20 February 1869 – 16 April 1870		Military
24			Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	Carabobo	16 April 1870 – 27 April 1870		Liberal Party
25			Antonio Guzmán Blanco (1829–1899)	Caracas	27 April 1870 – 27 February 1877		Liberal Party
						10 (1873–77)
26			Francisco Linares Alcántara (1825–1878)	Aragua	27 February 1877 – 30 November 1878	11 (1877–82)	Liberal Party
27			José Gregorio Valera		30 November 1878 – 26 February 1879		Liberal Party
28			Antonio Guzmán Blanco (1829–1899)	Caracas	26 February 1879 – 26 April 1884		Liberal Party
						12 (1882–88)
29			Joaquín Crespo (1830–1898)	Aragua	26 April 1884 – 15 September 1886		Liberal Party
30			Antonio Guzmán Blanco (1829–1899)	Caracas	15 September 1886 – 8 August 1887		Liberal Party
31			Hermógenes López (1830-1898)	Carabobo	8 August 1887 – 2 July 1888		Independent
32			Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl (1826–1905)	Caracas	2 July 1888 – 19 March 1890	13 (1888–90)	Liberal Party
33			Raimundo Andueza Palacio (1846–1900)	Portuguesa	19 March 1890 – 17 June 1892	14 (1890–94)	Conservative Party
34			Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	Carabobo	17 June 1892 – 31 August 1892		Liberal Party
35			Guillermo Tell Villegas Pulido (1854–1949)	Barinas	31 August 1892 – 7 October 1892		Liberal Party
36			Joaquín Crespo (1841–1898)	Aragua	7 October 1892 – February 28 1898		Military
						15 (1894–98)
37			Ignacio Andrade (1839–1925)	Mérida	28 February 1898 – 20 October 1899	16 (1898–08)	Liberal Party
38			Cipriano Castro (1858–1924)	Táchira	20 October 1899 – 19 December 1908		Military
39			Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	Táchira	19 December 1908 – 5 August 1913	17 (1908–14)	Military
40			José Gil Fortoul (1861–1943)	Lara	5 August 1913 – 19 April 1914		Independent
41			Victorino Márquez Bustillos (1858–1922)	Portuguesa	19 April 1914 – 24 June 1922	18 (1914–22)	Independent
42			Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	Táchira	24 June 1922 – 30 May 1929	19 (1922–29)	Military
43			Juan Bautista Pérez (1869–1952)	Caracas	30 May 1929 – 13 June 1931	20 (1929–31)	Independent
44			Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	Táchira	13 June 1931 – 17 December 1935	21 (1931–36)	Military
45			Eleazar López Contreras (1883–1973)	Táchira	18 December 1935 – 5 May 1941		Independent
						22 (1936–41)
46			Isaías Medina Angarita (1897–1953)	Táchira	5 May 1941 – 18 October 1945	23 (1941–48)	Democratic Party
47			Rómulo Betancourt (1908–1981)	Miranda	18 October 1945 – 17 February 1948		Democratic Action
48			Rómulo Gallegos (1884–1969)	Caracas	17 February 1948 – 24 November 1948	24 (1948–52)	Democratic Action
49			Carlos Delgado Chalbaud (1909–1950)	Caracas	24 November 1948 – 30 November 1950		Military
50			Germán Suárez Flamerich (1907–1990)	Caracas	30 November 1950 – 2 December 1952		Independent

Republic of Venezuela (1953–1999)

Venezuela took the name of Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República de Venezuela) with the adoption of the 1953 constitution, written by the Constituent Assembly elected in November 1952. The Presidents of Venezuela under this constitution (as well as the 1961 Constitution, which kept the name) were officially styled as President of the Republic of Venezuela.

This period of the history of Venezuela began with the presidency of Marcos Pérez Jiménez, widely perceived to be a dictator.^[5][6] After a short period of political instability following Pérez Jiménez's exile in 1958, democracy was restored in the country with the election of Democratic Action leader Rómulo Betancourt as President in 1959. This marked the beginning of the so-called Fourth Republic of Venezuela, which was characterized by the prevalence of the Punto Fijo Pact and the bipartidism of the two main political parties in the country at the time, Democratic Action and Copei.

The second presidency of Carlos Andrés Pérez (1989–93) saw a deep economic crisis, major riots in which hundreds were killed by security forces (the Caracazo, 1989), two coup attempts in 1992, and the 1993 impeachment of Pérez. That same year, Rafael Caldera became the first President of Venezuela not to belong to either Democratic Action or Copei in over forty years, having been elected under the banner of National Convergence. The Fourth Republic officially ended in 2001 when a new constitution entered in force.

President of the Republic of Venezuela
Democratic Party   Democratic Action   Copei   National Convergence   Fifth Republic Movement
№ [3]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)		State	Term of office	Term [4]	Party
51			Marcos Pérez Jiménez (1914–2001)	Táchira	2 December 1952 – 23 January 1958	25 (1952)	Military
52			Wolfgang Larrazábal (1911–2003)	Sucre	23 January 1958 – 14 November 1958[7]		Independent
53			Rómulo Betancourt (1908–1981)	Miranda	13 February 1959 – 13 March 1964	26 (1958)	Democratic Action
54			Raúl Leoni (1905–1972)	Bolívar	13 March 1964 – 11 March 1969	27 (1963)	Democratic Action
55			Rafael Caldera (1916–2009)	Yaracuy	11 March 1969 – 12 March 1974	28 (1968)	Copei
56			Carlos Andrés Pérez (1922–2010)	Táchira	12 March 1974 – 12 March 1979	29 (1973)	Democratic Action
57			Luis Herrera Campins (1925–2007)	Portuguesa	12 March 1979 – 2 February 1984	30 (1978)	Copei
58			Jaime Lusinchi (1924–2014)	Anzoátegui	2 February 1984 – 2 February 1989	31 (1983)	Democratic Action
59			Carlos Andrés Pérez (1922–2010)	Táchira	2 February 1989 – 21 May 1993[8]	32 (1988)	Democratic Action
60			Ramón José Velásquez (1916–2014)	Táchira	5 June 1993 – 2 February 1994		Democratic Action
61			Rafael Caldera (1916–2009)	Yaracuy	2 February 1994 – 2 February 1999	33 (1993)	National Convergence

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999–present)

Venezuela became the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (Spanish: República Bolivariana de Venezuela) with the adoption of the 1999 constitution, which renamed the country in honor of Simón Bolívar. The new constitution was promulgated by President Hugo Chávez, who served de jure from 1999 until his death in 2013. The new constitution augmented the presidential term from five years to six years.

Chávez's presidency was interrupted shortly in 2002 following a failed coup d'état attempt that put Pedro Carmona in office for a day. After government-loyal forces ousted Carmona from Miraflores, Vice President Diosdado Cabello assumed executive control for a couple of hours until Chávez could be restored. In 2009, a constitutional referendum approved the elimination of term limits, which allowed Chávez to be re-elected again in 2012. However, the President died in March 2013, only three months into his fourth term, and was succeeded by his Vice President Nicolás Maduro, who was elected the following month to finish Chavez' term.

President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Fifth Republic Movement/United Socialist Party   Independent
№ [3]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)		State	Term of office	Term [4]	Party
64			Hugo Chávez (1954–2013)	Barinas	2 February 1999 – 5 March 2013	34[9] (1998)	Fifth Republic Movement
						35 (2006)	United Socialist Party
						36[10] (2012)
65			Nicolás Maduro (1962–)	Caracas	5 March 2013 – Incumbent		United Socialist Party

See also

• List of current heads of state and government
• List of Vice Presidents of Venezuela

Notes

1. (Spanish) "Presidentes de Venezuela". Consulado General de Bucaramanga.
2. Briceño Perozo, Mario. "Mendoza, Cristóbal de" in Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela, Vol. 3. Caracas: Fundación Polar, 1999. ISBN 978-980-6397-37-8.
3. For the purposes of numbering, a presidency is defined as an uninterrupted period of time in office served by one person. For example, Carlos Soublette was both the 8th and 10th President because the two periods where he was president were not consecutive. A period during which a vice-president temporarily becomes acting president under the Constitution is not a presidency, because the president remains in office during such a period.
4. For the purposes of numbering, a term is a period between two presidential elections. Some terms might be longer than originally expected due to coup d'états or the installation of military dictatorships, thus extending the time between two elections. Venezuela's unique history has allowed several presidents to serve during a single term, as well as some presidents, such as Jose Maria Vargas, serving twice during a single term.
5. Rohter, Larry (22 September 2001). "Marcos Pérez Jiménez, 87, Venezuela Ruler". The New York Times. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
6. Ledezma, Eurídice (21 September 2001). "Obituary: General Marcos Pérez Jiménez". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 January 2016.
7. Larrazábal resigned early to challenge Rómulo Betancourt at the 1958 election, leaving Edgar Sanabria as acting president until the end of his term, on 13 February 1959.
8. Octavio Lepage, then President of Congress, served as acting president from 21 May 1993 and until 5 June 1993, when Ramón José Velásquez was formally selected to succeed Perez as president.
9. Hugo Chávez's first term as president began in February 1999 and is generally considered to last until August 2000, with his second term taking place after he was confirmed during the presidential elections of 2000 as part of the country's constitutional assembly. Therefore, many historians consider the period between August 2000 and January 2007 as Chávez's second term. However, this list considers the period between February 1999 and January 2007 as a single period.
10. Despite being elected and sworn to office in April 2013 after the special presidential elections, Nicolás Maduro's term in office is counted from February 2013, which is when the 36th term was originally set to begin.

External links

• Official portal for the President
• Official government site (Government Online)