Order Code 98-684
Updated August 26, 2008
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
FERNANDEZ DE
Argentina
July 9, 1816
Oct. 28, 2007
Oct. 2011
KIRCHNER, Cristina
Bolivia
Aug. 6, 1825
MORALES, Evo
Dec. 18, 2005
Dec. 2010
DA SILVA, Luis Inácio
Oct. 1/ Oct. 29,
Brazil
Sept. 7, 1822
Oct. 2010
Lula
2006
Dec. 11, 2005/
Chile
Sept. 18, 1810
BACHELET, Michelle
Dec. 2009
Jan. 15, 2006
Colombia
July 20, 1810
URIBE, Alvaro
May 28, 2006
May 2010
Oct. 15/Nov. 26,
Ecuador
May 24, 1822
CORREA, Rafael
Oct. 2010
2006
Paraguay
May 14, 1811
LUGO, Fernando
Apr. 20, 2008
Apr. 2013
Apr. 9, 2006/
Peru
July 28, 1821
GARCIA, Alan
Apr. 2011
June 4, 2006
Uruguay
Aug. 25, 1825
VÁZQUEZ, Tabaré
Oct. 31, 2004
Oct. 2009
Venezuela
July 5, 1811
CHÁVEZ, Hugo
Dec. 3, 2006
Dec. 2012
CRS-2
Table 2. Mexico and Central America
Independence
Country
Head of Government
Last Election
Next Election
Date
Mexico
Sept. 16, 1810
CALDERÓN, Felipe
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)
Sept. 9, 2007/
Guatemala
Sept. 15, 1821
COLOM, Alvaro
by Nov. 2011
Nov. 4, 2007
Honduras
Sept. 15, 1821
ZELAYA, Manuel
Nov. 27, 2005
Nov. 2009
Nicaragua
Sept. 15, 1821
ORTEGA, Daniel
Nov. 5, 2006
Nov. 2011
Panama
Nov. 3, 1903
TORRIJOS, Martin
May 2, 2004
May 2009
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
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
February 2013
Cuba
May 20, 1902
CASTRO RUZ, Raúl
a
a
Dominica
Nov. 3, 1978
SKERRITT, Roosevelt
May 5, 2005
by May 2010
Dominican
Feb. 27, 1844
FERNANDEZ, Leonel
May 16, 2008
May 2012
Republic
Grenada
Feb. 7, 1974
THOMAS, Tillman
July 8, 2008
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 &
Sept. 19, 1983
DOUGLAS, Denzil
Oct. 25, 2004
by Oct. 2009
Nevis
St. Lucia
Feb. 22, 1979
KING, Stephensonb
Dec. 11, 2006
by Dec. 2011
St. Vincent &
Oct. 27, 1979
GONSALVES, Ralph
Dec. 7, 2005
by Dec. 2010
the Grenadines
Suriname
Nov. 25, 1975
VENETIAAN, Ronald
May 25, 2005
May 2010
Trinidad &
Aug. 31, 1962
MANNING, Patrick
Nov. 5, 2007
by Nov. 2012
Tobago
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.