Order Code 98-684
Updated July 26, 2006
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
Latin America and the Caribbean:
Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections
Mark P. Sullivan
Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Trade Division
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Knowledge Services Group
This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America,
Mexico, and the Caribbean, and provides the dates of the last and next election for head
of government. It also provides the national independence date for each country.
Table 1. South America
Independence
Country
Head of Government
Last Election
Next Election
Date
Argentina
July 9, 1816
KIRCHNER, Néstor
Apr. 27, 2003
2007
Bolivia
Aug. 6, 1825
MORALES, Evo
Dec. 18, 2005
2011
DA SILVA, Luis Inácio
Brazil
Sept. 7, 1822
Oct. 2002
Oct. 1, 2006
Lula
Dec. 11, 2005/
Chile
Sept. 18, 1810 BACHELET, Michelle
2010
Jan. 15, 2006
Colombia
July 20, 1810
URIBE, Alvaro
May 28, 2006
May 2010
Oct. 15/Nov. 26,
Ecuador
May 24, 1822 PALACIO, Alfredoa
Oct./Nov. 2002
2006
DUARTE FRUTOS,
Paraguay
May 14, 1811
Apr. 27, 2003
Apr. 2008
Nicanor
Peru
July 28, 1821
TOLEDO, Alejandrob
Apr.9, 2006/
Apr. 2011
June 4, 2006
Uruguay
Aug. 25, 1825 VÁZQUEZ, Tabaré
Oct. 31, 2004
Oct. 2009
Venezuela
July 5, 1811
CHÁVEZ, Hugo
July 2000
Dec. 3, 2006
a. Lucio Gutierrez, elected in November 2002, was removed from office by Ecuador’s Congress on April 20, 2005,
following weeks of popular protests, and was succeeded by Vice President Alfredo Palacio.
b. Alan García won the June 4, 2006, presidential election, and will be inaugurated on July 28, 2006.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

---

CRS-2
Table 2. Mexico and Central America
Independence
Country
Head of Government
Last Election
Next Election
Date
Mexico
Sept. 16, 1810
FOX, Vicentea
July 2, 2006
July 2012
Costa Rica
Sept. 15. 1821
ARIAS, Oscar
Feb. 5, 2006
Feb. 2010
SACA, Elías Antonio
El Salvador
Sept. 15, 1821
Mar. 21, 2004
Mar. 2009
(Tony)
Guatemala
Sept. 15, 1821
BERGER, Oscar
Nov./Dec. 2003
Nov. 2007
Honduras
Sept. 15, 1821
ZELAYA, Manuel
Nov. 27, 2005
Nov. 2009
Nicaragua
Sept. 15, 1821
BOLANOS, Enrique
Nov. 2001
Nov. 5, 2006
Panama
Nov. 3, 1903
TORRIJOS, Martin
May 2, 2004
May 2009
a. According to the official vote count, Felipe Calderón of the National Action Party received 35.89% of the vote in
the July 2, 2006, presidential election, while Andrés Manuel López Obrador of the Party of the Democratic
Revolution received 35.31%. López Obrador has petitioned the Federal Judicial Electoral Tribunal for a full
manual recount, which has until Sept. 6, 2006, to certify the results. The presidential inauguration is to be held
on December 1, 2006.
Table 3. Caribbean
Independence
Country
Head of Government
Last Election
Next Election
Date
Antigua &
Nov. 1, 1981
SPENCER, Baldwin
Mar. 23, 2004
by Mar. 2009
Barbuda
Bahamas
July 10, 1973
CHRISTIE, Perry
May 2002
by May 2007
Barbados
Nov. 30, 1966
ARTHUR, Owen
May 21, 2003
by May 2008
Belize
Sept. 21, 1981 MUSA, Said
Mar. 5, 2003
by Mar. 2008
Cuba
May 20, 1902
CASTRO, Fidel
a
a
Dominica
Nov. 3, 1978
SKERRITT, Roosevelt
May 5, 2005
by May 2010
Dominican
Feb. 27, 1844
FERNANDEZ, Leonel
May 16, 2004
May 2008
Republic
Grenada
Feb. 7, 1974
MITCHELL, Keith
Nov. 27, 2003
by Nov. 2008
Guyana
May 26, 1966
BHARRAT, Jagdeo
Mar. 2001
Aug. 28, 2006
Haiti
Jan. 1, 1804
PRÉVAL, Réne
Feb. 7, 2006
2011
Jamaica
Aug. 6, 1962
SIMPSON MILLER, Portiab
Oct. 2002
by Oct. 2007
St. Kitts &
Sept. 19, 1983 DOUGLAS, Denzil
Oct. 25, 2004
by Oct. 2009
Nevis
St. Lucia
Feb. 22, 1979
ANTHONY, Kenny
Dec. 2001
by Dec.2, 2006
St. Vincent &
Oct. 27, 1979
GONSALVES, Ralph
Dec. 7, 2005
by Mar. 7, 2010
the Grenadines
Suriname
Nov. 25, 1975
VENETIAAN, Ronald
May 25, 2005
May 2010
Trinidad &
Aug. 31, 1962
MANNING, Patrick
Oct. 7, 2002
by Oct. 2007
Tobago
a. Castro has served as head of government since the 1959 Cuban Revolution. Since that time, there have been no
elections for head of government.
b. Portia Simpson Miller was sworn in as Prime Minister on March 30, 2006, after replacing out going Prime Minster
P.J. Patterson as leader of the ruling People’s National Party.

---