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
AprilJune 2, 2010
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 ........................................................................................................2
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. 6, 2009
Dec. 2014
Brazil
Sept. 7, 1822
DA SILVA, Luis Inácio Lula
Oct. 1, 2006 /
Oct. 29, 2006
Oct. 3, 2010
Chile
Sept. 18, 1810
PIÑERA, Sebastián
Dec. 13, 2009 /
Jan. 17, 2010
Dec. 2013
Colombia
July 20, 1810
URIBE, Alvaro
May 28, 2006
May 30, 201030, 2010a
June 20, 2010a
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
MUJICA, José
Oct. 25, 2009 /
Nov. 29, 2009
Oct. 2014
Venezuela
July 5, 1811
CHÁVEZ, Hugo
Dec. 3, 2006
Dec. 2012
a.
Colombia will have a second round presidential runoff on June 20 between Antanas Mockus of the Green
Party and Juan Manuel Santos of the National Unity Party. No candidate obtained over 50% of votes needed
to win in the first round on May 30, 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
Feb. 5, 2006
Feb. 7, 2010
Costa Rica
Sept. 15. 1821
ARIAS,Costa Rica
Sept. 15. 1821
CHINCHILLA Miranda, Laura
Feb. 7, 2010
Feb. 2014
El Salvador
Sept. 15, 1821
FUNES, Mauricio
Mar. 15, 2009
Mar. 2014
Guatemala
Sept. 15, 1821
COLOM, Alvaro
Sept. 9, 2007/
Nov. 4, 2007
Sept. 2011
Honduras
Sept. 15, 1821
LOBO SOSA, Porfirio
Nov. 29, 2009
Nov. 2013
Nicaragua
Sept. 15, 1821
ORTEGA, Daniel
Nov. 5, 2006
Nov. 2011
Panama
Nov. 3, 1903
MARTINELLI, Ricardo
May 3, 2009
May 2014
a.
Oscara
Laura Chinchilla won the February 7, 2010, election, and will be inaugurated as president on May 8, 2010.
Congressional Research Service
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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
Mar. 12, 2009
by July 2014
Bahamas
July 10, 1973
INGRAHAM, Hubert
May 2, 2007
by Aug. 2012
Barbados
Nov. 30, 1966
THOMPSON, David
Jan. 15, 2008
by May 2013
Belize
Sept. 21, 1981
BARROW, Dean
Feb. 7, 2008
by June 2013
Cuba
May 20, 1902
CASTRO RUZ, Raúl
a
a
Dominica
Nov. 3, 1978
SKERRITT, Roosevelt
Dec. 18, 2009
by Mar. 2015
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 Dec. 2011
Haiti
Jan. 1, 1804
PRÉVAL, Réne
Feb. 7, 2006
by Feb 2011
Jamaica
Aug. 6, 1962
GOLDING, Bruce
Sept. 3, 2007
by Sept. 2012
St. Kitts and
Nevis
Sept. 19, 1983
DOUGLAS, Denzil
Jan. 25, 2010
by Jan. 2015
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, RonaldRonaldc
May 25, 20052010c
May 25, 20102015
Trinidad and
Tobago
Aug. 31, 1962
MANNING, Patrick
Nov. 5, 2007
by Mar. 2013PERSAD-BISSESSAR, Kamla
May 24, 2010
by May 2015
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 Presidentpresident since July
31,
2006, when Cuba’s long-serving communist leader, Fidel Castro, stepped down provisionally because of poor
poor health. Since the 1959 Cuban Revolution, there have been no elections for head of government.
b.
Stephenson King was sworn in as Prime Ministerprime minister on September 10, 2007, following the death of Prime Minister
John Compton, who had been elected in December 2006.
Minister John Compton, who had been elected in December 2006.
c.
Suriname held National Assembly elections on May 25, 2010, but the Assembly has not yet elected the next
president. Under Suriname’s system of government, the country’s president is not elected directly by
voters, but by a two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly, or failing that, by a majority of the United
People’s Assembly comprised of more than 800 regional and municipal officials.
Author Contact Information
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Information Research Specialist
jgomezgranger@crs.loc.gov, 7-8981
Congressional Research Service
Mark P. Sullivan
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
msullivan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7689
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