Home page >> Latin America Intro page >> Latin America Presidential chronology Last updated:
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 |  Argentina |
 Bolivia |
 Brazil |
 Chile |
 Colombia |
 Ecuador |
 Paraguay |
 Peru |
 Uruguay |
 Venezuela |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Nicolas Maduro |
| 2016 | Macri | Morales | Rousseff \\ Temer |
Bachelet | Santos | Correa | H. Cartes | Humala // Kuczynski |
Vazquez | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2017 | Macri | Morales | Temer | Bachelet | Santos | Correa // Moreno |
H. Cartes | Kuczynski | Vazquez | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2018 | Macri | Morales | Temer | Bachelet // Piñera |
Santos // Duque |
Moreno | H. Cartes // Abdo Benitez |
Kuczynski \\ Vizcarra |
Vazquez | Nicolas Maduro // |
| 2019 | Macri // A. Fernandez |
Morales #R# J. Añez |
Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno | M. Abdo Benitez | Vizcarra | Vazquez | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2020 | Alberto Fernandez | J. Añez // Arce |
Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno | M. Abdo Benitez | Vizcarra \\ Merino / Sagasti |
Vazquez // Lacalle Pou |
Nicolas Maduro |
| 2021 | Alberto Fernandez | Luis A. Arce | Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera | Duque | Moreno // Lasso |
M. Abdo Benitez | Sagasti // Castillo |
Luis Lacalle Pou | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2022 | Alberto Fernandez | Luis A. Arce | Jair Bolsonaro | Piñera // Gabriel Boric |
Duque // Petro |
Guillermo Lasso | M. Abdo Benitez | Jose Pedro Castillo \\ | Luis Lacalle Pou | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2023 | Alberto Fernandez // | Luis A. Arce | "Lula" da Silva | Gabriel Boric | Gustavo Petro | Guillermo Lasso // | M. Abdo Benitez // Peña | Dina Boluarte | Luis Lacalle Pou | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2024 | Javier Milei | Luis A. Arce | "Lula" da Silva | Gabriel Boric | Gustavo Petro | Daniel Noboa | Santiago Peña | Dina Boluarte | Luis Lacalle Pou | Nicolas Maduro /? |
| 2025 | Javier Milei | Arce / Paz | "Lula" da Silva | Gabriel Boric | Gustavo Petro | Daniel Noboa | Santiago Peña | Boluarte \\ Jose Jeri | Lacalle Pou / Orsi | Nicolas Maduro |
| 2026 | Javier Milei | Rodrigo Paz Pereira | "Lula" da Silva | Boric // Jose Antonio Kast |
Gustavo Petro // A. de la Espriella |
Daniel Noboa | Santiago Peña | Jeri \\ // Keiko Fujimori |
Yamandu Orsi | # U.S. intervention #: Delcy Rodriguez |
| Year (month of election & inaug.) |
Argentina 5 year term (Oct. / Nov.) |
Bolivia 4 year term (Oct. / Nov.) |
Brazil 4 year term (Oct. / Jan.) |
Chile 4 year term (Nov. / Mar.) |
Colombia 4 year term (May / Aug.) |
Ecuador 4 year term (Feb. / May) |
Paraguay 5 year term (Apr. / Aug.) |
Peru 5 year term (May / July) |
Uruguay 5 year term (Oct. / Mar.) |
Venezuela 6 year term (May / June) |
| KEY | military | left wing | moderate left | centrist, undefined, or changed | authoritarian populist |
moderate right | right wing | #C# : coup, #R# : revolution #D# : leader death #A# : assass. |
// : 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 |
 Cuba |
 Dominican Rep. |
 El Salvador |
 Guatemala |
 Haiti |
 Honduras |
 Mexico |
 Nicaragua |
 Panama |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Carazo | Fidel Castro | Guzman | Duarte | Lucas Garcia | Duvalier, J-C | Paz Garcia | Lopez Portillo | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1981 | Carazo | Fidel Castro | Guzman | Duarte | Lucas Garcia | Duvalier, J-C | Paz Garcia | Lopez Portillo | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1982 | Monge | Fidel Castro | Blanco | Magaña | #C# Rios Montt | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1983 | Monge | Fidel Castro | Blanco | Magaña | #C# Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Torrijos, O |
| 1984 | Monge | Fidel Castro | Blanco | Duarte | Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1985 | Monge | Fidel Castro | Blanco | Duarte | Mejia Victores | Duvalier, J-C | Suazo Cordova | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1986 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Duarte | Cerezo | Namphy | Azcona | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1987 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Duarte | Cerezo | Namphy | Azcona | de la Madrid | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1988 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | Namphy ;; Avril | Azcona | Salinas | Ortega | Noriega |
| 1989 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | (Prosper) Avril | Azcona | Salinas | Ortega | Noriega # U.S. invasion # |
| 1990 | Calderon | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Cerezo | Avril ;; E. Pascal-Trouillot |
Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1991 | Calderon | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | E. P.-T. || Aristide #C# Cedras |
Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1992 | Calderon | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | Cedras | Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1993 | Calderon | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Cristiani | Serrano | Cedras || Aristide |
Callejas | Salinas | Chamorro | Endara |
| 1994 | Figueres | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | De Leon Carpio | Aristide | Reina | Zedillo | Chamorro | Endara // Balladares |
| 1995 | Figueres | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | De Leon Carpio | Aristide | Reina | Zedillo | Chamorro | Balladares |
| 1996 | Figueres | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Aristide // Preval |
Reina | Zedillo | Aleman | Balladares |
| 1997 | Figueres | Fidel Castro | Balaguer | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Rene Preval | Reina | Zedillo | Aleman | Balladares |
| 1998 | Rodriguez | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Calderon Sol | Arzu | Preval | C. Flores | Zedillo | Aleman | Balladares |
| 1999 | Rodriguez | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Calderon Sol // Flores |
Arzu | Preval | C. Flores | Zedillo | Aleman | Balladares // Moscoso |
| 2000 | Rodriguez | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Flores | Portillo | Preval | C. Flores | Fox | Aleman | Mireya Moscoso |
| 2001 | Rodriguez | Fidel Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Preval // Aristide |
C. Flores | Fox | Aleman | Moscoso |
| 2002 | Pacheco | Fidel Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Aristide | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso |
| 2003 | Pacheco | Fidel Castro | Mejia | Flores | Portillo | Aristide | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso |
| 2004 | Pacheco | Fidel Castro | Mejia // Fernandez |
Flores // Saca | Berger | Aristide #C# Alexandre |
Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | Moscoso // Torrijos |
| 2005 | Pacheco | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | Alexandre | Maduro | Fox | Bolaños | (Martin) Torrijos |
| 2006 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | (Rene) Preval | Zelaya | Fox // Calderon |
Bolaños | (Martin) Torrijos |
| 2007 | Arias | Fidel Castro | Fernandez | Saca | Berger | Preval | Zelaya | Calderon | Daniel Ortega | (Martin) Torrijos |
| 2008 | Arias | Raul Castro | Fernandez // | Saca | Colom | Preval | Zelaya | Calderon | Daniel Ortega | (Martin) Torrijos |
| 2009 | Arias | R. Castro | Fernandez | Saca // Funes | Colom | Preval | Zelaya #COUP# | Calderon | Daniel Ortega | Torrijos // Martinelli |
| 2010 | Arias // Chinchilla |
R. Castro | Fernandez | Funes | Colom | Preval | Lobo | Calderon | Daniel Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2011 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Fernandez | Funes | Colom | Preval // Martelly |
Lobo | Calderon | Daniel Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2012 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Fernandez // Medina |
Funes | Perez Molina | (Michel) Martelly | Lobo | Calderon // Peña Nieto |
Daniel Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2013 | Chinchilla | R. Castro | Medina | Funes | Perez Molina | Martelly | Lobo | Peña Nieto | Daniel Ortega | Martinelli |
| 2014 | Chinchilla // L. G. Solis |
R. Castro | Medina | Funes // Sanchez Ceren |
Perez Molina | Martelly | // Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Daniel Ortega | Martinelli // Varela |
| 2015 | Luis Guillermo Solis | R. Castro | Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Perez Molina #COUP# Aguirre |
Martelly | Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Daniel Ortega | Varela |
| 2016 | Luis Guillermo Solis | R. Castro | Medina // | Sanchez Ceren | // Jimmy Morales | Martelly // / Privert |
Hernandez | Peña Nieto | // Daniel Ortega | Varela |
| 2017 | Luis Guillermo Solis | Raul Castro | Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Jimmy Morales | Privert // Moise | Hernandez | Peña Nieto | Daniel Ortega | Varela |
| 2018 | L.G. Solis // C. Alvarado | Raul Castro ;; Diaz-Canel |
Medina | Sanchez Ceren | Jimmy Morales | Moise | // Hernandez | Peña Nieto // A. M. Lopez Obrador |
Daniel Ortega | Varela |
| 2019 | Carlos Alvarado | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Medina | Sanchez Ceren // Bukele |
Jimmy Morales | (Jovenal) Moise | Hernandez | A. M. Lopez Obrador | Daniel Ortega | Varela // Cortizo |
| 2020 | Carlos Alvarado | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Medina // Abinader |
Nayib Bukele | // Alejandro Giammattei | Moise | Hernandez | A. M. Lopez Obrador | Daniel Ortega | Laurentino Cortizo |
| 2021 | Carlos Alvarado | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader | Nayib Bukele | Alejandro Giammattei | Moise #A# (vacant) | Hernandez | A. M. Lopez Obrador | // Daniel Ortega | Laurentino Cortizo |
| 2022 | C. Alvarado // R. Chaves |
Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader | Nayib Bukele | Alejandro Giammattei | (P.M. Ariel Henry) | // Xiomara Castro | A. M. Lopez Obrador | Daniel Ortega | Laurentino Cortizo |
| 2023 | Rodrigo Chaves | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader | Nayib Bukele | Alejandro Giammattei | (P.M. Ariel Henry) | Xiomara Castro | A. M. Lopez Obrador | Daniel Ortega | Laurentino Cortizo |
| 2024 | Rodrigo Chaves | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader // | Nayib Bukele / | // Bernardo Arevalo | (P.M. Ariel Henry / Leslie Voltaire (trans.) | Xiomara Castro | A. M. Lopez Obrador // C. Sheinbaum |
Daniel Ortega | L. Cortizo // J. R. Mulino |
| 2025 | Rodrigo Chaves | Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader | Nayib Bukele | Bernardo Arevalo | (P.M. Alix Didier Fils-Aime) | Xiomara Castro | Claudia Sheinbaum | Daniel Ortega | Jose Raul Mulino |
| 2026 | R. Chaves // Laura Fernandez |
Miguel Diaz-Canel | Luis Abinader | Nayib Bukele | Bernardo Arevalo | (P.M. Alix Didier Fils-Aime) | // Nasry Asfura | Claudia Sheinbaum | Daniel Ortega | Jose Raul Mulino |
| Year (month of election & inaug.) |
Costa Rica 4 year term (Feb. / May) |
Cuba 5 year term (Apr. / ? ) |
Dominican Rep. 4 year term (May / Aug.) |
El Salvador 5 year term (Feb. / June) |
Guatemala 4 year term (June / Jan.) |
Haiti 5 year term (Feb. / May?) |
Honduras 4 year term (Nov. / Jan.) |
Mexico 6 year term (July / Dec.) |
Nicaragua 5 year term (Nov. / Jan.) |
Panama 5 year term (May / Sept.) |
| KEY | military | left wing | moderate left | centrist, undefined, or changed | authoritarian populist |
moderate right | right wing | #C# : coup, #R# : revolution #D# : leader death #A# : assass. |
// : 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); Wikipedia
NOTES: Presidents are generally classified according to ideology, which in many cases is hard to pin down, hence the large number of gray cells in the above table, denoting centrist ideology. Military rulers often have had a conservative political orientation, but this may not be the case with some of them. The classification of "authoritarian populist" refers to leaders who appealed to a large segment of the population while defying traditional democratic norms, usually claiming to be "anti-establishment" or nationalistic. Unlike traditional conservativism, they do not rely upon the business elite or property-owning classes as their primary base of support. Their authoritarian leanings may or may not have been acted upon in practice.
Top ~ South America ~ South America (latter) ~ Central America ~ Central America (latter)