Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet
on Leaders and Elections
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Information Research Specialist
Mark P. Sullivan
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Information Research Specialist
July 10December 2, 2009
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
98-684
CRS Report for Congress
Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Summary
This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico,
and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government
and the national independence date for each country.
Congressional Research Service
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Contents
Tables
Table 1. South America ...............................................................................................................1
Table 2. Mexico and Central America..........................................................................................1
Table 3. Caribbean ......................................................................................................................2
Contacts
Author Contact Information ........................................................................................................32
Congressional Research Service
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Table 1. South America
Country
Independence
Date
Head of
Government
Last
Election
Next
Election
Argentina
July 9, 1816
FERNANDEZ DE KIRCHNER,
Cristina
Oct. 28, 2007
Oct. 2011
Bolivia
Aug. 6, 1825
MORALES, Evo
Dec. 18, 2005
Dec. 6, 2009
Brazil
Sept. 7, 1822
DA SILVA, Luis Inácio Lula
Oct. 1/ Oct. 29,
2006
Oct. 3, 2010
Chile
Sept. 18, 1810
BACHELET, Michelle
Dec. 11, 2005/
Jan. 15, 2006
Dec.11 13, 2009
Colombia
July 20, 1810
URIBE, Alvaro
May 28, 2006
May 30, 2010
Ecuador
May 24, 1822
CORREA, Rafael
Apr. 26, 2009
Apr. 2013
Paraguay
May 14, 1811
LUGO, Fernando
Apr. 20, 2008
Apr. 2013
Peru
July 28, 1821
GARCIA, Alan
Apr. 9, 2006/
June 4, 2006
Apr. 2011
Uruguay
Aug. 25, 1825
VÁZQUEZ, TabaréTabaréa
Oct. 31, 2004
Oct. 25, 200925, 2009/Nov.
29, 2009
Oct. 2012
Venezuela
July 5, 1811
CHÁVEZ, Hugo
Dec. 3, 2006
Dec. 2012
a.
José Mujica won the presidential election for Uruguay on November 29, 2009. He is expected to be
inaugurated on March 1, 2010
Table 2. Mexico and Central America
Country
Independence
Date
Head of
Government
Last
Election
Next
Election
Mexico
Sept. 16, 1810
CALDERÓN, Felipe
July 2, 2006
July 2012
Costa Rica
Sept. 15. 1821
ARIAS, Oscar
Feb. 5, 2006
Feb. 7, 2010
El Salvador
Sept. 15, 1821
FUNES, Mauricio
Mar. 15, 2009
March 2014
Guatemala
Sept. 15, 1821
COLOM, Alvaro
Sept. 9, 2007/
Nov. 4, 2007
Nov. 2011
Honduras
Sept. 15, 1821
ZELAYA, Manuela
Nov. 27, 2005
Nov. 29, 200929, 2009
Nov. 2012
Nicaragua
Sept. 15, 1821
ORTEGA, Daniel
Nov. 5, 2006
Nov. 2011
Panama
Nov. 3, 1903
MARTINELLI, Ricardo
May 3, 2009
May 2014
a.
On June 28, 2009 President Manuel Zelaya was arrested by the Honduran military and taken into exile in
Costa Rica. The Congress voted and agreed to remove Zelaya from office and named Roberto Micheletti
as the president of Honduras for the remainder of Zelaya's term, which ends on January 27, 2010. For
information on the political crisis in Honduras, see CRS Report RL34027, Honduran-U.S. Relations, by Peter J.
MeyerPorfirio Lobo Sosa won the presidential election for Honduras on November 29, 2009. He is expected to
be inaugurated on January 27, 2010.
Congressional Research Service
1
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Table 3. Caribbean
Country
Independence
Date
Head of
Government
Last
Election
Next
Election
Antigua and
Barbuda
Nov. 1, 1981
SPENCER, Baldwin
March 12, 2009
by March 2014
Bahamas
July 10, 1973
INGRAHAM, Hubert
May 2, 2007
by May 2012
Barbados
Nov. 30, 1966
THOMPSON, David
Jan. 15, 2008
by Jan. 2013
Belize
Sept. 21, 1981
BARROW, Dean
Feb.7, 2008
by Feb. 2013
Cuba
May 20, 1902
CASTRO RUZ, Raúl
a
a
Dominica
Nov. 3, 1978
SKERRITT, Roosevelt
May 5, 2005
by MayJuly 2010
Dominican
Republic
Feb. 27, 1844
FERNANDEZ, Leonel
May 16, 2008
May 2012
Grenada
Feb. 7, 1974
THOMAS, Tillman
July 8, 2008
by July 2013
Guyana
May 26, 1966
BHARRAT, Jagdeo
Aug. 28, 2006
by Aug. 2011
Haiti
Jan. 1, 1804
PRÉVAL, Réne
Feb. 7, 2006
2011
Jamaica
Aug. 6, 1962
GOLDING, Bruce
Sept. 3, 2007
by Sept. 2012
St. Kitts and
Nevis
Sept. 19, 1983
DOUGLAS, Denzil
Oct. 25, 2004
by Sept. 2009March 2010
St. Lucia
Feb. 22, 1979
KING, Stephenson b
Dec. 11, 2006
by Dec. 2011
St. Vincent and
the Grenadines
Oct. 27, 1979
GONSALVES, Ralph
Dec. 7, 2005
by Dec. 2010
Suriname
Nov. 25, 1975
VENETIAAN, Ronald
May 25, 2005
May 25, 2010
Trinidad and
Tobago
Aug. 31, 1962
MANNING, Patrick
Nov. 5, 2007
by Nov. 2012
a.
On February 24, 2008, Raúl Castro was selected by Cuba’s legislature as President of the Council of State, a
position that makes him head of state and government. Raúl had been serving as acting President since July
31, 2006, when Cuba’s long-serving communist leader, Fidel Castro, stepped down provisionally because of
poor health. Since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, there have been no elections for head of government.
b.
Stephenson King was sworn in as Prime Minister on September 10, 2007, following the death of Prime
Minister John Compton, who had been elected in December 2006.
Congressional Research Service
2
Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Author Contact Information
Mark P. Sullivan
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
msullivan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7689Author Contact Information
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Information Research Specialist
jgomezgranger@crs.loc.gov, 7-8981
Congressional Research Service
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Information Research Specialist
jgomezgranger@crs.loc.gov, 7-8981
3Mark P. Sullivan
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
msullivan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7689
2