List of presidents of Venezuela

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 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 Rodríguez del Toro [es] and Francisco Javier Ustariz.^[3][4]

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 "Supreme Commander of the Republic of Venezuela" (Jefe Supremo de la República de Venezuela) from 1819 until 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.

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).^{[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

State of Venezuela (1830–1864) edit

President of the State of Venezuela
Conservative Party (7)   Liberal Party (3)  Independent (1)  Military government (3)
No. [note 1]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	1831	13 January 1830	20 January 1835	5 years, 7 days	Conservative Party
2		Andrés Narvarte (1781–1853)	—	20 January 1835	9 February 1835	20 days	Conservative Party
3		José María Vargas (1786–1854)	1835	9 February 1835	9 July 1835	150 days	Conservative Party
4		José María Carreño (1792–1849)	—	27 July 1835	20 August 1835	24 days	Conservative Party
(3)		José María Vargas (1786–1854)	—	20 August 1835	24 April 1836	248 days	Conservative Party
(2)		Andrés Narvarte (1781–1853)	—	24 April 1836	20 January 1837	271 days	Conservative Party
(4)		José María Carreño (1792–1849)	—	27 January 1837	11 March 1837	43 days	Conservative Party
5		Carlos Soublette (1789–1870)	—	11 March 1837	1 February 1839	1 year, 327 days	Conservative Party
(1)		José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	1839	1 February 1839	28 January 1843	3 years, 361 days	Conservative Party
(5)		Carlos Soublette (1789–1870)	1843	28 January 1843	20 January 1847	3 years, 357 days	Conservative Party
6		José Tadeo Monagas (1784–1868)	1847	20 January 1847	5 February 1851	4 years, 16 days	Conservative Party
7		José Gregorio Monagas (1795–1858)	1851	5 February 1851	20 January 1855	3 years, 349 days	Liberal Party
(6)		José Tadeo Monagas (1784–1868)	1855	20 January 1855	15 March 1858	3 years, 54 days	Liberal Party
8		Pedro Gual (1783–1862)	—	15 March 1858	18 March 1858	2 days	Liberal Party
9		Julián Castro (1810–1875)	—	18 March 1858	2 August 1859	1 year, 137 days	Military
(8)		Pedro Gual (1783–1862)	—	2 August 1859	29 September 1859	58 days	Independent
10		Manuel Felipe de Tovar (1803–1866)	1860	29 September 1859	20 May 1861	1 year, 233 days	Liberal Party
(8)		Pedro Gual (1783–1862)	—	20 May 1861	29 August 1861	101 days	Liberal Party
(1)		José Antonio Páez (1790–1873)	—	29 August 1861	15 June 1863	1 year, 290 days	Military
11		Juan Crisóstomo Falcón (1820–1870)	1864	15 June 1863	25 April 1868	4 years, 315 days	Military

United States of Venezuela (1864–1953) edit

President of the United States of Venezuela
Democratic Action (3)   Conservative Party (1)   Liberal Party (8)  Independent (6)  Military government (6)
No. [note 1]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
(11)		Juan Crisóstomo Falcón (1820–1870)	—	15 June 1863	25 April 1868	4 years, 315 days	Military
12		Manuel Ezequiel Bruzual (1832–1868)	—	25 April 1868	28 June 1868	64 days	Independent
13		Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	—	28 June 1868	20 February 1869	237 days	Liberal Party
14		José Ruperto Monagas (1831–1880)	—	20 February 1869	16 April 1870	1 year, 55 days	Military
(13)		Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	—	16 April 1870	27 April 1870	11 days	Liberal Party
15		Antonio Guzmán (1829–1899)	1873	27 April 1870	27 February 1877	6 years, 306 days	Liberal Party
16		Francisco Linares (1825–1878)	1877	27 February 1877	30 November 1878[note 2]	1 year, 276 days	Liberal Party
17		José Gregorio Valera (1826–1896)	—	30 November 1878	26 February 1879	88 days	Liberal Party
(15)		Antonio Guzmán (1829–1899)	1882	26 February 1879	26 April 1884	5 years, 60 days	Liberal Party
18		Joaquín Crespo (1830–1898)	—	26 April 1884	15 September 1886	2 years, 142 days	Liberal Party
(15)		Antonio Guzmán (1829–1899)	—	15 September 1886	8 August 1887	327 days	Liberal Party
19		Hermógenes López (1830–1898)	—	8 August 1887	2 July 1888	329 days	Independent
20		Juan Pablo Rojas (1826–1905)	1888	2 July 1888	19 March 1890	1 year, 260 days	Liberal Party
21		Raimundo Andueza (1846–1900)	1890	19 March 1890	17 June 1892	2 years, 90 days	Conservative Party
(13)		Guillermo Tell Villegas (1823–1907)	—	17 June 1892	31 August 1892	75 days	Liberal Party
22		Guillermo Tell Villegas (1854–1949)	—	31 August 1892	7 October 1892	37 days	Liberal Party
(18)		Joaquín Crespo (1841–1898)	1894	7 October 1892	28 February 1898	5 years, 144 days	Military
23		Ignacio Andrade (1839–1925)	1898	28 February 1898	20 October 1899	1 year, 234 days	Liberal Party
24		Cipriano Castro (1858–1924)	—	20 October 1899	19 December 1908	9 years, 60 days	Military
25		Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	1908	19 December 1908	5 August 1913	4 years, 229 days	Military
26		José Gil (1861–1943)	—	5 August 1913	19 April 1914	257 days	Independent
27		Victorino Márquez (1858–1941)	1914	19 April 1914	24 June 1922	8 years, 66 days	Independent
(25)		Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	1922	24 June 1922	30 May 1929	6 years, 340 days	Military
28		Juan Bautista Pérez (1869–1952)	1929	30 May 1929	13 June 1931	2 years, 14 days	Independent
(25)		Juan Vicente Gómez (1857–1935)	1931	13 June 1931	17 December 1935[note 2]	4 years, 187 days	Military
29		Eleazar López (1883–1973)	1936	18 December 1935	5 May 1941	5 years, 138 days	Independent
30		Isaías Medina (1897–1953)	1941	5 May 1941	18 October 1945	4 years, 166 days	Democratic Party
31		Rómulo Betancourt (1908–1981)	—	18 October 1945	17 February 1948	2 years, 122 days	Democratic Action
32		Rómulo Gallegos (1884–1969)	1948	17 February 1948	24 November 1948	281 days	Democratic Action
33		Carlos Delgado (1909–1950)	—	24 November 1948	13 November 1950[note 2]	1 year, 354 days	Military
34		Germán Suárez (1907–1990)	—	27 November 1950	2 December 1952	2 years, 5 days	Independent

Republic of Venezuela (1953–1999) edit

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 dictatorship of Marcos Pérez Jiménez.^[13][14] 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 democratic period, started with the Puntofijo Pact and which was characterized by the prevalence of 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, a series of major riots known as the Caracazo in 1989, in which hundreds were killed by security forces, 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 bipartidism ended in 2000 when a new constitution entered in force.

President of the Republic of Venezuela
Democratic Action (5)   Copei (2)  National Convergence (1)  Independent (2)  Military government (1)
No. [note 1]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
35		Marcos Pérez (1914–2001)	1952	2 December 1952	23 January 1958	5 years, 52 days	Military
36		Wolfgang Larrazábal (1911–2003)	—	23 January 1958	14 November 1958[note 3]	295 days	Independent
37		Edgar Sanabria (1911–1989)	—	14 November 1958	13 February 1959[note 3]	91 days	Independent
(31)		Rómulo Betancourt (1908–1981)	1958	13 February 1959	11 March 1964	5 years, 27 days	Democratic Action
38		Raúl Leoni (1905–1972)	1963	11 March 1964	11 March 1969	5 years	Democratic Action
39		Rafael Caldera (1916–2009)	1968	11 March 1969	12 March 1974	5 years, 1 day	Copei
40		Carlos Andrés Pérez (1922–2010)	1973	12 March 1974	12 March 1979	5 years	Democratic Action
41		Luis Herrera (1925–2007)	1978	12 March 1979	2 February 1984	4 years, 327 days	Copei
42		Jaime Lusinchi (1924–2014)	1983	2 February 1984	2 February 1989	5 years	Democratic Action
(40)		Carlos Andrés Pérez (1922–2010)	1988	2 February 1989	21 May 1993[note 4]	4 years, 108 days	Democratic Action
43		Octavio Lepage (1923–2017)	—	21 May 1993	5 June 1993	15 days	Democratic Action
44		Ramón J. Velásquez (1916–2014)	—	5 June 1993	2 February 1994	242 days	Democratic Action
(39)		Rafael Caldera (1916–2009)	1993	2 February 1994	2 February 1999	5 years	National Convergence

Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (1999–present) edit

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, Chávez 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 Chávez's term, enforcing the majority of Chávez's economic policies.

Under Maduro, Venezuela has seen a rise in unemployment, shortages of goods, closures of several corporations, and the deterioration of productivity. Maduro – who has seen a sharp decline in his approval ratings in correlation to the economic collapse, and was the subject of a 2016 recall referendum to remove him from office that was later suspended^[15] – has been criticized for what opponents consider to be him backsliding the country towards a full-fledged authoritarian regime; this led to an ongoing constitutional crisis stemming from a March 2017 ruling by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (whose members largely consist of Maduro supporters) that removed immunity for National Assembly members (including those opposing Maduro),^[16] which subsequently made a brief assumption of legislative powers from the Assembly,^[17][18] and the Constituent Assembly election, which resulted in the formation of a Constituent Assembly intended to rewrite the 1999 constitution. These actions have worsened tensions and sparked violence during protests against the Maduro administration over concerns that Maduro would eliminate or significantly erode the independence of Venezuela's democratic institutions and shift the country towards one-man rule.

The process and results of the May 2018 Venezuelan presidential election were widely disputed.^[19][20] The opposition-majority National Assembly declared Maduro a "usurper" of the presidency on the day of his second inauguration and disclosed a plan to set forth its president, Juan Guaidó as the succeeding acting President of the country under article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution.^[20][21] A week later, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice declared that the presidency of the National Assembly was the "usurper" of authority and declared the body to be unconstitutional.^[20]

Minutes after Maduro took the oath as President of Venezuela, the Organization of American States (OAS) approved a resolution in a special session of its Permanent Council declaring Maduro's presidency illegitimate and urging new elections.^[22] Special meetings of the OAS on 24 January and in the United Nations Security Council on 26 January were held but no consensus was reached. Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres called for dialogue.^[23] During the 49th General Assembly of the Organization of American States, on 27 June, Guaidó's presidency was recognized by the organization.^[24]

Guaidó was declared acting president and swore himself in on 23 January.^[25] Maduro's government has accused the United States of organizing a coup d'état to remove him and take control of the country's oil reserves.^[26] Guaidó rejects the characterization of his actions as a coup, saying that his movement is backed by peaceful volunteers.^[27] As of June 2019, Guaidó has been recognized as the acting President of Venezuela by 54 countries.^[28] Internationally, support has followed traditional geopolitical lines, with allies China, Cuba, Iran, Russia, Syria, and Turkey supporting Maduro; and the US, Canada, and most of Western Europe supporting Guaidó as acting president.^[29] The United Nations has continued to recognize the Maduro presidency as the legal representative of Venezuela as of December 2019.^[30][31]

On 22 December 2022, the Venezuelan opposition held an initial vote to remove Guaidó's interim government from its leadership and on 30 December 2022, three of the four main opposition political parties (Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era) approved a reform to dissolve the interim government and instead create a commission of five members to manage foreign assets,^[2][32] stating the failure of the interim government to achieve the goals it had set.^[33] The amendment was voted by the opposition as deputies sought a united strategy ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for 2024 with the reform approved with 72 votes in favor, 29 against and 8 abstentions,^[34] this dissolving the Guaidó government effective as of 5 January 2023.

President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Fifth Republic Movement–United Socialist Party (2)
No. [note 1]	Portrait	President (Birth–Death)	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
45		Hugo Chávez (1954–2013)	1998 2000	2 February 1999	5 March 2013	14 years, 31 days	Fifth Republic Movement (until October 2007)
			2006 2012				United Socialist Party
			2013 2018
46		Nicolás Maduro (born 1962)		5 March 2013	Incumbent[note 5]	11 years, 93 days	United Socialist Party
—		Juan Guaidó (born 1983)	—	23 January 2019	5 January 2023 (disputed)	3 years, 347 days	Popular Will (until 2020)
							Independent

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