List of presidents of Uruguay
Uruguay is a presidential republic in which the President is both the head of state and head of government. The following is a list of all the people who have held the office of President of Uruguay since 6 November 1830 (when the first constitution was adopted), with the exception of those who held the office of "President" under the National Council of Government, which served as the country's executive directory from 1955 to 1967. The first president of this list is Fructuoso Rivera, who held the office twice and once as part of the Triumvirate that ruled Uruguay from 1853 to 1854.
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Uruguay |
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Most of the Presidents of Uruguay have belonged to the Colorado Party, a traditionally conservative party founded by Rivera in 1836. The first free democratic elections for President were held in 1920. The current president is Luis Lacalle Pou of the National, who was elected for a first term in the 2019 presidential election.
Governors of Uruguay as a province
Oriental Province (1814–1817)
Province part of the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nicolás Rodríguez Peña (1775–1853) |
9 July 1814 | 25 August 1814 | Governor. Appointed by Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata. | |
2 | Miguel Estanislao Soler (1783–1849) |
25 August 1814 | 25 February 1815 | Governor. | |
3 | Fernando Otorgués (1774–1831) |
26 February 1815 | July 1815 | Governor. Appointed by José Gervasio Artigas. | |
4 | Miguel Barriero (1789–1848) |
July 1815 | 20 January 1817 | Governor. Appointed by José Gervasio Artigas. |
Cisplatine Province (1817–1828)
After the Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental the Oriental Province became a province of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and a province of the Empire of Brazil after 1822.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5 | Carlos Frederico Lecor (1764–1836) |
20 January 1817 | 3 February 1826 | Governor. | |
6 | Francisco de Paula Magessi Tavares de Carvalho (1769–1847) |
3 February 1826 | 27 August 1828 | Governor. |
Oriental Province (1825–1828)
In the Congress of Florida the Oriental Province declared independence from the Empire of Brazil and reunited with the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Notes | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Juan Antonio Lavalleja (1784–1853) |
19 September 1825 | 5 July 1826 | Governor. Appointed by the Congress of Florida. | |
8 | Joaquín Suárez (1781–1868) |
5 July 1826 | 12 October 1827 | Governor. | |
9 | Luis Eduardo Pérez (1774–1841) |
12 October 1827 | 27 August 1828 | Governor. Appointed by Juan Antonio Lavalleja. |
Heads of state of Uruguay as an independent country
Government and Provisional General Captaincy of the Oriental State of Uruguay (1828–1830)
After the Preliminary Peace Convention the Oriental Province gained effective independence from the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Rio de la Plata.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Notes | |
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9 | Luis Eduardo Pérez (1774–1841) |
27 August 1828 | 1 December 1828 | Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by Juan Antonio Lavalleja. | |
8 | Joaquín Suárez (1781–1868) |
1 December 1828 | 22 December 1828 | Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly. | |
10 | José Rondeau (1775–1844) |
22 December 1828 | 17 April 1830 | Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly. | |
7 | Juan Antonio Lavalleja (1784–1853) |
17 April 1830 | 28 June 1830 | Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly. |
Oriental State of Uruguay (1830–1919)
The Constitution of 1830 comes into force.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Party | Elected | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7 | Juan Antonio Lavalleja (1784–1853) |
28 June 1830 | 24 October 1830 | — | — | Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly. | ||
9 | Luis Eduardo Pérez (1774–1841) |
24 October 1830 | 6 November 1830 | — | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
10 | Fructuoso Rivera (1784–1854) |
6 November 1830 | 24 October 1834 | Colorado | 1830 | Resigned. | ||
11 | Carlos Anaya (1777–1862) |
24 October 1834 | 1 March 1835 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
12 | Manuel Oribe (1792–1857) |
1 March 1835 | 24 October 1838 | National | 1835 | Resigned. | ||
13 | Gabriel Antonio Pereira (1794–1861) |
24 October 1838 | 1 March 1839 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
10 | Fructuoso Rivera (1784–1854) |
1 March 1839 | 1 March 1843 | Colorado | 1839 | |||
12 | Manuel Oribe (1792–1857) |
16 February 1843 | 8 October 1851 | National | — | Self-proclaimed president of the Gobierno del Cerrito, during the Uruguayan Civil War. | ||
8 | Joaquín Suárez (1781–1868) |
1 March 1843 | 15 February 1852 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. President of the Gobierno de la Defensa, during the Uruguayan Civil War. | ||
14 | Bernardo Prudencio Berro (1803–1868) |
15 February 1852 | 1 March 1852 | National | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
15 | Juan Francisco Giró (1791–1863) |
1 March 1852 | 25 September 1853 | National | 1852 | Ousted from office by a coup d'état. | ||
16 | Venancio Flores (1808–1868) |
25 September 1853 | 12 March 1854 | Colorado | — | Triumvirate. Fructuoso Rivera and Juan Antonio Lavalleja died in office. | ||
10 | Fructuoso Rivera (1784–1854) |
25 September 1853 | 13 January 1854 | Colorado | ||||
7 | Juan Antonio Lavalleja (1784–1853) |
25 September 1853 | 22 October 1853 | — | ||||
16 | Venancio Flores (1808–1868) |
12 March 1854 | 10 September 1855 | Colorado | 1854 | Resigned. | ||
17 | Luis Lamas (1807–1904) |
29 August 1855 | 10 September 1855 | Conservative | — | Self-proclaimed president after the Rebellion of the Conservatives. | ||
18 | Manuel Basilio Bustamante (1785–1863) |
10 September 1855 | 15 February 1856 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
19 | José María Plá (1794–1869) |
15 February 1856 | 1 March 1856 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
13 | Gabriel Antonio Pereira (1794–1861) |
1 March 1856 | 1 March 1860 | Colorado | 1856 | |||
14 | Bernardo Prudencio Berro (1803–1868) |
1 March 1860 | 1 March 1864 | National | 1860 | |||
20 | Atanasio Cruz Aguirre (1801–1875) |
1 March 1864 | 15 February 1865 | National | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. Resigned after the Brazilian invasion. | ||
21 | Tomás Villalba (1805–1886) |
15 February 1865 | 20 February 1865 | National | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. Resigned after the Brazilian invasion. | ||
16 | Venancio Flores (1808–1868) |
20 February 1865 | 15 February 1868 | Colorado | — | De facto president after the Brazilian invasion. Assumed power as Provisional Governor for 3 years. | ||
22 | Pedro Varela (1837–1906) |
15 February 1868 | 1 March 1868 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
23 | Lorenzo Batlle (1810–1887) |
1 March 1868 | 1 March 1872 | Colorado | 1868 | |||
24 | Tomás Gomensoro Albín (1810–1900) |
1 March 1872 | 1 March 1873 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
25 | José Eugenio Ellauri (1834–1894) |
1 March 1873 | 22 January 1875 | Colorado | 1873 | Forced to resign by a coup d'état. | ||
22 | Pedro Varela (1837–1906) |
22 January 1875 | 10 March 1876 | Colorado | — | Appointed by the General Assembly. Forced to resign by a coup d'état. | ||
– | Lorenzo Latorre (1844–1916) |
10 March 1876 | 1 March 1879 | Colorado | — | Assumed power as Provisional Governor. | ||
26 | 1 March 1879 | 15 March 1880 | 1879 | Resigned. | ||||
27 | Francisco Antonino Vidal (1825–1889) |
15 March 1880 | 1 March 1882 | Colorado | — | Appointed as President by the General Assembly to finish the presidential period 1879-1883. Resigned. | ||
28 | Máximo Santos (1847–1889) |
1 March 1882 | 1 March 1886 | Colorado | — | Appointed by the General Assembly for a term of 4 years. | ||
27 | Francisco Antonino Vidal (1825–1889) |
1 March 1886 | 24 May 1886 | Colorado | 1886 | Resigned. | ||
28 | Máximo Santos (1847–1889) |
24 May 1886 | 18 November 1886 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. Resigned. | ||
29 | Máximo Tajes (1852–1912) |
18 November 1886 | 1 March 1890 | Colorado | — | Appointed as President by the General Assembly to finish the presidential period 1886-1890. | ||
30 | Julio Herrera y Obes (1841–1912) |
1 March 1890 | 1 March 1894 | Colorado | 1890 | |||
31 | Duncan Stewart (1833–1923) |
1 March 1894 | 21 March 1894 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
32 | Juan Idiarte Borda (1844–1897) |
21 March 1894 | 25 August 1897 | Colorado | 1894 | Assassinated. | ||
33 | Juan Lindolfo Cuestas (1837–1905) |
25 August 1897 | 10 February 1898 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
10 February 1898 | 15 February 1899 | De facto president following a self-coup. Resigned. | ||||||
34 | José Batlle y Ordóñez (1856–1929) |
15 February 1899 | 1 March 1899 | Colorado | — | President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. | ||
33 | Juan Lindolfo Cuestas (1837–1905) |
1 March 1899 | 1 March 1903 | Colorado | 1899 | |||
34 | José Batlle y Ordóñez (1856–1929) |
1 March 1903 | 1 March 1907 | Colorado | 1903 | |||
35 | Claudio Williman (1861–1934) |
1 March 1907 | 1 March 1911 | Colorado | 1907 | |||
34 | José Batlle y Ordóñez (1856–1929) |
1 March 1911 | 1 March 1915 | Colorado | 1911 | |||
36 | Feliciano Viera (1872–1927) |
1 March 1915 | 1 March 1919 | Colorado | 1915 |
Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1919–present)
The Constitution of 1918 comes into force. According to the Constitution, the president is elected by direct popular election for a term of five years. He may be re-elected any number of times, but is ineligible for immediate re-election.
№ | Portrait | Name (Birth–Death) |
Term of office | Party | Elected | Notes | Vice President | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
37 | Baltasar Brum (1883–1933) |
1 March 1919 | 1 March 1923 | Colorado | 1919 | The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Administration Council, headed by a President:
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Post not established | ||
38 | José Serrato (1868–1960) |
1 March 1923 | 1 March 1927 | Colorado | 1922 | The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Administration Council, headed by a President:
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39 | Juan Campisteguy (1859–1937) |
1 March 1927 | 1 March 1931 | Colorado | 1926 | The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Administration Council, headed by a President:
| |||
40 | Gabriel Terra (1873–1942) |
1 March 1931 | 31 March 1933 | Colorado | 1930 | The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Administration Council, headed by a President:
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40 | 31 March 1933 | 18 May 1934 | — | De facto president following a self-coup. | |||||
18 May 1934 | 19 June 1938 | Provisional president elected by the 3rd National Constituent Convention. | Alfredo Navarro | ||||||
41 | Alfredo Baldomir (1884–1948) |
19 June 1938 | 21 February 1942 | Colorado | 1938 | César Charlone | |||
– | 21 February 1942 | 1 March 1943 | — | De facto president following a self-coup. | |||||
42 | Juan José de Amézaga (1881–1956) |
1 March 1943 | 1 March 1947 | Colorado | 1942 | Alberto Guani | |||
43 | Tomás Berreta (1875–1947) |
1 March 1947 | 2 August 1947 | Colorado | 1946 | Died in office. | Luis Batlle Berres | ||
44 | Luis Batlle Berres (1897–1964) |
2 August 1947 | 1 March 1951 | Colorado | — | Vice-president under Berreta, assumed the presidency after his death. | Alfeo Brum | ||
45 | Andrés Martínez Trueba (1884–1959) |
1 March 1951 | 1 March 1952 | Colorado | 1950 | The post of President was replaced by the National Council of Government. | |||
46 | National Council of Government 1952–55 | 1 March 1952 | 1 March 1955 | Colorado | — | The National Council of Government was headed by a President for the remaining of the 1951–1955 period:
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Post abolished | ||
47 | National Council of Government 1955–59 | 1 March 1955 | 1 March 1959 | Colorado | 1954 | The National Council of Government was headed by a President rotating every year:
| |||
48 | National Council of Government 1959–63 | 1 March 1959 | 1 March 1963 | National | 1958 | The National Council of Government was headed by a President rotating every year:
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49 | National Council of Government 1963–67 | 1 March 1963 | 1 March 1967 | National | 1962 | The National Council of Government was headed by a President rotating every year:
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50 | Óscar Diego Gestido (1901–1967) |
1 March 1967 | 6 December 1967 | Colorado | 1966 | Died in office. | Jorge Pacheco Areco | ||
51 | Jorge Pacheco Areco (1920–1998) |
6 December 1967 | 1 March 1972 | Colorado | — | Vice-president under Gestido, assumed the presidency after his death. | Alberto Abdala | ||
52 | Juan María Bordaberry (1928–2011) |
1 March 1972 | 27 June 1973 | Colorado | 1971 | Jorge Sapelli | |||
52 | 27 June 1973 | 12 June 1976 | — | 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état, start of the dictatorship between 1973 and 1985. Ousted from office. | Vacant | ||||
53 | Alberto Demicheli (1896–1980) |
12 June 1976 | 1 September 1976 | Colorado | — | Appointed by the Armed Forces. Ousted from office. | |||
54 | Aparicio Méndez (1904–1988) |
1 September 1976 | 1 September 1981 | National | — | Appointed by the Armed Forces for a term of 5 years. | |||
55 | Gregorio Conrado Álvarez (1925–2016) |
1 September 1981 | 12 February 1985 | Military | — | Appointed by the Armed Forces. Resigned. | |||
56 | Rafael Addiego Bruno (1923–2014) |
12 February 1985 | 1 March 1985 | Civic Union | — | President of the Supreme Court, appointed by the Armed Forces. | |||
57 | Julio María Sanguinetti (1936–) |
1 March 1985 | 1 March 1990 | Colorado | 1984 | First democratic President after the 1973-1985 dictatorship. | Enrique Tarigo | ||
58 | Luis Alberto Lacalle (1941–) |
1 March 1990 | 1 March 1995 | National | 1989 | Gonzalo Aguirre | |||
59 | Julio María Sanguinetti (1936–) |
1 March 1995 | 1 March 2000 | Colorado | 1994 | Hugo Batalla | |||
Hugo Fernández Faingold | |||||||||
60 | Jorge Batlle (1927–2016) |
1 March 2000 | 1 March 2005 | Colorado | 1999 | Luis Hierro López | |||
61 | Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020) |
1 March 2005 | 1 March 2010 | Broad Front | 2004 | Rodolfo Nin Novoa | |||
62 | José Mujica (1935–) |
1 March 2010 | 1 March 2015 | Broad Front | 2009 | Danilo Astori | |||
63 | Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020) |
1 March 2015 | 1 March 2020 | Broad Front | 2014 | Raúl Fernando Sendic Rodríguez | |||
Lucía Topolansky | |||||||||
64 | Luis Lacalle Pou (1973–) |
1 March 2020 | Incumbent | National | 2019 | Beatriz Argimón | |||
Timeline