Home page >> Latin America Intro page >> Latin America Presidential chronology Last updated:
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NOTE: Political leanings of each president are based on party affiliation and judgment as to policy direction. They are preliminary in some cases, and should not be considered definitive. See the color key at the bottom of the table. For each year, the person holding the office as of June 1 is shown. Normal month/day of inauguration is shown below each country name. Click on the flags to go to the respective countries' background information pages.
| Year |  Argentina 5 (May) |
 Bolivia 4 (Aug. 6) |
 Brazil 4 (Jan.) |
 Chile (4) (Mar.) |
 Colombia 5 (July) |
 Ecuador 4 () |
 Paraguay 5 (Aug. 15) |
 Peru 5 (July 28) |
 Uruguay 5 (Mar.) |
 Venezuela 5 (!?) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Videla | Garcia Meza | Figuereido | Pinochet | Turbay | Roldos | Stroessner | Morales Bermudez || Belaunde | Alvarez | Herrera |
| 1981 | Videla, Viola | Garcia Meza, 3 others |
Figuereido | Pinochet | Turbay | Hurtado | Stroessner | Belaunde | Alvarez | Herrera |
| 1982 | Viola, Galtieri, Bignone | 2 others || Siles | Figuereido | Pinochet | Betancur | Hurtado | Stroessner | Belaunde | Alvarez | Herrera |
| 1983 | Bignone || Alfonsin |
Siles | Figuereido | Pinochet | Betancur | Hurtado | Stroessner | Belaunde | Alvarez | Herrera |
| 1984 | Alfonsin | Siles | Figuereido | Pinochet | Betancur | Febres Cordero | Stroessner | Belaunde | Alvarez | Lusinchi |
| 1985 | Alfonsin | Siles // Paz Estenssoro | Figuereido || Sarney |
Pinochet | Betancur | Febres Cordero | Stroessner | Belaunde // Garcia |
Sanguinetti | Lusinchi |
| 1986 | Alfonsin | Paz Estenssoro | Sarney | Pinochet | Barco | Febres Cordero | Stroessner | Garcia | Sanguinetti | Lusinchi |
| 1987 | Alfonsin | Paz Estenssoro | Sarney | Pinochet | Barco | Febres Cordero | Stroessner | Garcia | Sanguinetti | Lusinchi |
| 1988 | Alfonsin | Paz Estenssoro | Sarney | Pinochet | Barco | Borja | Stroessner | Garcia | Sanguinetti | Lusinchi |
| 1989 | Alfonsin // Menem |
Paz Estenssoro // Paz Zamora | Sarney | Pinochet | Barco | Borja | Rodriguez | Garcia | Sanguinetti | Perez |
| 1990 | Menem | Paz Zamora | Sarney // Collor de Mello |
Pinochet || Aylwin | Gaviria | Borja | Rodriguez | Garcia // Fujimori |
Lacalle | Perez |
| 1991 | Menem | Paz Zamora | Collor de Mello | Aylwin | Gaviria | Borja | Rodriguez | Fujimori | Lacalle | Perez |
| 1992 | Menem | Paz Zamora | Collor de Mello \\ Franco |
Aylwin | Gaviria | Duran Ballen | Rodriguez | Fujimori | Lacalle | Perez |
| 1993 | Menem | Paz Zamora // Sanch. de Loz. | Franco | Aylwin | Gaviria | Duran Ballen | Wasmosy | Fujimori | Lacalle | Perez |
| 1994 | Menem | Sanchez de Lozada | Franco | Aylwin // Frei | Samper | Duran Ballen | Wasmosy | Fujimori | Lacalle | Caldera |
| 1995 | Menem | Sanchez de Lozada | // Cardoso | Frei | Samper | Duran Ballen | Wasmosy | Fujimori // | Sanguinetti | Caldera |
| 1996 | Menem | Sanchez de Lozada | Cardoso | Frei | Samper | Bucaram | Wasmosy | Fujimori | Sanguinetti | Caldera |
| 1997 | Menem | Sanchez de Lozada // Banzer | Cardoso | Frei | Samper | Mahuad | Wasmosy | Fujimori | Sanguinetti | Caldera |
| 1998 | Menem | Banzer | Cardoso | Frei | Pastrana | Mahuad | Cubas | Fujimori | Sanguinetti | Caldera |
| 1999 | Menem // de la Rua |
Banzer | Cardoso | Frei | Pastrana | Mahuad | Gonzalez Macchi | Fujimori | Sanguinetti | Caldera // Chavez (Feb.) |
| 2000 | de la Rua | Banzer | Cardoso | Frei // Lagos | Pastrana | #C# Noboa | Gonzalez Macchi | Fujimori \\ Paniagua |
Batlle | Chavez |
| 2001 | de la Rua \\ Saa |
Banzer \ Quiroga |
Cardoso | Lagos | Pastrana | Noboa | Gonzalez Macchi | Paniagua // Toledo |
Batlle | Chavez |
| 2002 | \\ Duhalde | Quiroga // Sanchez de Losada | Cardoso | Lagos | Pastrana // Uribe | Noboa | Gonzalez Macchi | Toledo | Batlle | Chavez |
| 2003 | Duhalde // Kirchner |
Sanchez de Losada | // da Silva | Lagos | Uribe | Gutierrez | Gonzalez Macchi | Toledo | Batlle | Chavez |
| 2004 | Kirchner | Mesa | da Silva | Lagos | Uribe | Gutierrez | Duarte | Toledo | Batlle | Chavez |
| 2005 | Kirchner | Rodriguez | da Silva | Lagos | Uribe | Palacio | Duarte | Toledo | Vazquez | Chavez |
| 2006 | Kirchner | Morales | da Silva | Lagos // Bachelet | Uribe // | Palacio | Duarte | Toledo // Garcia (July) |
Vazquez | Chavez |
| 2007 | Kirchner // Fern. K. (Dec.) |
Morales | // da Silva | Bachelet | Uribe | Correa | Duarte | Garcia | Vazquez | Chavez |
| 2008 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | da Silva | Bachelet | Uribe | Correa | Duarte | Garcia | Vazquez | Chavez |
| 2009 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | da Silva | Bachelet | Uribe | Correa | Lugo | Garcia | Vazquez | Chavez |
| 2010 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | da Silva | Bachelet // Piñera |
Uribe // Santos | Correa | Lugo | Garcia | Vazquez // Mujica |
Chavez |
| 2011 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | // Rousseff | Piñera | Santos | Correa | Lugo | Garcia // Humala |
Mujica | Chavez |
| 2012 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | Rousseff | Piñera | Santos | Correa | Lugo // Franco Gomez |
Humala | Mujica | Chavez |
| 2013 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | Rousseff | Piñera | Santos | Correa | Franco Gomez // H. Cartes |
Humala | Mujica | Chavez #D# Maduro |
| 2014 | C. Fernandez de Kirchner | Morales | Rousseff | Piñera // Bachelet | Santos // | Correa | H. Cartes | Humala | Mujica | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2015 | Fernandez de Kirchner // Macri | Morales | // Rousseff | Bachelet | Santos | Correa | H. Cartes | Humala | Mujica // Vazquez |
Maduro |
| 2016 | Macri | Morales | Rousseff \\ Temer |
Bachelet | Santos | Correa | H. Cartes | Humala // Kuczynski |
Vazquez | Maduro |
| 2017 | Macri | Morales | Temer | Bachelet | Santos | Correa // Moreno |
H. Cartes | Kuczynski | Vazquez | Maduro |
| 2018 | Macri | Morales | Temer | Bachelet // Piñera |
Santos // Duque |
Moreno | H. Cartes // Abdo Benitez |
Kuczynski \\ Vizcarra |
Vazquez | Maduro |
| 2019 | Macri // A. Fernandez |
Morales #R# J. Añez |
Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno | M. Abdo Benitez | Vizcarra | Vazquez | Maduro |
| 2020 | Alberto Fernandez | J. Añez // Arce |
Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno | M. Abdo Benitez | Vizcarra \\ Merino |
Vazquez // Lacalle Pou |
Maduro |
| 2021 | Alberto Fernandez | Luis A. Arce | Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno // Lasso |
M. Abdo Benitez | Merino // Castillo |
Lacalle Pou | Maduro |
| 2022 | Alberto Fernandez | Luis A. Arce | Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera // Gabriel Boric |
Duque // G. F. Petro |
Guillermo Lasso | M. Abdo Benitez | Jose Pedro Castillo | Lacalle Pou | Maduro |
| Year | Argentina | Bolivia | Brazil | Chile | Colombia | Ecuador | Paraguay | Peru | Uruguay | Venezuela |
| KEY | military | left wing | moderate left | centrist, undefined, or changed | moderate right | right wing | #C# : coup, #R# : revolution #D# : death of leader #A# : assassination |
// : normal democ. succession (incl. reelection) |
|| : transition to democracy |
\\ : removal via impeachment |
Top ~ South America ~ South America (latter) ~ Central America ~ Central America (latter)
NOTE: Political leanings of each president are based on party affiliation and judgment as to policy direction. They are preliminary in some cases, and should not be considered definitive. See the color key at the bottom of the table. For each year, the person holding the office as of June 1 is shown. Normal month/day of inauguration is shown below each country name. Click on the flags to go to the respective countries' background information pages.
| Year |  Costa Rica 4 (May) |
 Cuba ?? (!) |
 Dominican Rep. 5? (Aug.) |
 El Salvador 5 (June) |
 Guatemala 4 (Jan.) |
 Haiti 4 () |
 Honduras 4 (Jan.) |
 Mexico 6 (Dec.) |
 Nicaragua 5 (Jan.) |
 Panama 5 (Sept.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Carazo | F. Castro | Guzman | Duarte | Lucas Garcia | Duvalier, J-C | Paz Garcia | Lopez Portillo | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1981 | Carazo | F. Castro | Guzman | Duarte | Lucas Garcia | Duvalier, J-C | Paz Garcia | Lopez Portillo | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1982 | Monge | F. Castro | Blanco | Magaña | #C# Rios Montt | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1983 | Monge | F. Castro | Blanco | Magaña | #C# Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1984 | Monge | F. Castro | Blanco | Duarte | Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1985 | Monge | F. Castro | Blanco | Duarte | Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1986 | Arias | F. Castro | Balaguer | Duarte | Cerezo | Namphy | Azcona | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1987 | Arias | F. Castro | Balaguer | Duarte | Cerezo | Namphy | Azcona | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1988 | Arias | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | Avril | Azcona | Salinas | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1989 | Arias | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | Avril | Azcona | Salinas | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1990 | Calderon | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | Avril | Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1991 | Calderon | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | Aristide | Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1992 | Calderon | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | #C# Cedras | Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1993 | Calderon | F. Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | Cedras | Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1994 | Figueres | F. Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | De Leon Carpio | Cedras | Reina | Zedillo | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1995 | Figueres | F. Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | De Leon Carpio | Aristide | Reina | Zedillo | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1996 | Figueres | F. Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Preval | Reina | Zedillo | Aleman | Endara |
| 1997 | Figueres | F. Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Preval | Reina | Zedillo | Aleman | Endara |
| 1998 | Rodriguez | F. Castro | Fernandez | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Preval | C. Flores | Zedillo | Aleman | Endara |
| 1999 | Rodriguez | F. Castro | Fernandez | Calderon Sol // Flores |
Arzu | Preval | C. Flores | Zedillo | Aleman | Endara |
| 2000 | Rodriguez | F. Castro | Fernandez | Flores | Portillo | Preval | C. Flores | Fox | Aleman | Moscoso |
| 2001 | Rodriguez | F. Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Aristide | C. Flores | Fox | Aleman | Moscoso |
| 2002 | Pacheco | F. Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Aristide | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso |
| 2003 | Pacheco | F. Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Aristide | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso |
| 2004 | Pacheco | F. Castro | Mejia // Fernandez |
Flores // Saca | Berger | #R# Alexandre | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso |
| 2005 | Pacheco | F. Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | Alexandre | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Torrijos, M. |
| 2006 | Arias | F. Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | Preval | Zelaya | Fox // Calderon (Dec.) |
Bolaños | Torrijos, M. |
| 2007 | Arias | F. Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | Preval | Zelaya | Calderon | Ortega | Torrijos, M. |
| 2008 | Arias | Raul Castro | Fernandez // | Saca | Colom | Preval | Zelaya | Calderon | Ortega | Torrijos, M. |
| 2009 | Arias | R. Castro | Fernandez | Saca // Funes | Colom | Preval | Zelaya #C# \\ | Calderon | Ortega | Torrijos, M. // Martinelli |
| 2010 | Arias // Chinchilla |
R. Castro | Fernandez | Funes | Colom | Preval | Lobo | Calderon | Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2011 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Fernandez | Funes | Colom | Martelly | Lobo | Calderon | Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2012 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Fernandez // Medina |
Funes | Perez Molina | Martelly | Lobo | Calderon // Peña Nieto (Dec.) |
Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2013 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Medina | Funes | Perez Molina | Martelly | Lobo | Peña Nieto | Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2014 | Chinchilla // Solis |
R. Castro | Medina | Funes // Sanchez Ceren |
Perez Molina | Martelly | // Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Ortega | Martinelli // Varela |
| 2015 | Solis | R. Castro | Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Perez Molina #C# Aguirre | Martelly | Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Ortega | Varela |
| 2016 | Solis | R. Castro | Medina // | Sanchez Ceren | // Morales | Martelly // / Privert |
Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Ortega // | Varela |
| 2017 | Solis | R. Castro | Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Morales | Privert // Moise | Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Ortega | Varela |
| 2018 | Solis // Alvarado | R. Castro , Diaz-Canel |
Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Morales | Moise | // Hernandez | Peña Nieto // Lopez Obrador |
Ortega | Varela |
| 2019 | Alvarado | (Miguel) Diaz-Canel | Medina | Sanchez Ceren // Bukele |
Morales | Moise | Hernandez | (A. M.) Lopez Obrador | Ortega | Varela // Cortizo |
| 2020 | Alvarado | Diaz-Canel | Medina // Abinader |
(Nayib A.) Bukele | Morales // Giammattei |
Moise | Hernandez | Lopez Obrador | Ortega | (Laurentino) Cortizo |
| 2021 | Alvarado | Diaz-Canel | (Luis R.) Abinader | Bukele | (Alej.) Giammattei | Moise #A# (vacant) | Hernandez | Lopez Obrador | Ortega | Cortizo |
| 2022 | Alvarado // (Rodrigo) Chaves |
Diaz-Canel | Abinader | Bukele | Giammattei | (P.M. Ariel Henry) | // Iris X. Castro de Zelaya | Lopez Obrador | Ortega | Cortizo |
| Year | Costa Rica | Cuba | Dominican Rep. | El Salvador | Guatemala | Haiti | Honduras | Mexico | Nicaragua | Panama |
| KEY | military | left wing | moderate left | centrist, undefined, or changed | moderate right | right wing | #C# : coup, #R# : revolution #D# : death of leader #A# : assassination |
// : normal democ. succession (incl. reelection) |
|| : transition to democracy |
\\ : removal via impeachment |
SOURCES: Wiarda and Kline (2000); Skidmore and Smith (1997); Mainwaring and Scully (1995); World Almanac and Book of Facts, 2017 & 2022; Washington Post; The World Factbook (CIA)
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