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Pr
epared for Members and Committees of Congress

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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.

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Table 1. South America ................................................................................................................... 1
Table 2. Mexico and Central America ............................................................................................. 1
Table 3. Caribbean........................................................................................................................... 2

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Author Contact Information ............................................................................................................ 2

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Table 1. South America
Country
Independence
Head of
Last
Next
Date
Government
Election
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. 2010
Chile
Sept. 18, 1810
BACHELET, Michelle
Dec. 11, 2005/
Jan. 15, 2006
Dec.11, 2009
Colombia
July 20, 1810
URIBE, Alvaro
May 28, 2006
May 2010
Ecuador
May 24, 1822
CORREA, Rafael
Oct. 15/Nov. 26,
2006
Apr. 26, 2009
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. 25, 2009
Venezuela
July 5, 1811
CHÁVEZ, Hugo
Dec. 3, 2006
Dec. 2012

Table 2. Mexico and Central America
Country
Independence
Head of
Last
Next
Date
Government
Election
Election
Mexico
Sept. 16, 1810
CALDERÓN, Felipe
July 2, 2006
July 2012
Costa Rica
Sept. 15. 1821
ARIAS, Oscar
Feb. 5, 2006
Feb. 2010
El Salvador
Sept. 15, 1821
SACA, Elías Antonio (Tony)
Mar. 21, 2004
Mar. 15, 2009
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 3, 2009

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Table 3. Caribbean
Country
Independence Head of
Last
Next
Date
Government
Election
Election
Antigua and
Barbuda
Nov. 1, 1981
SPENCER, Baldwin
Mar. 23, 2004
March 12, 2009
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
Republic
Feb. 27, 1844
FERNANDEZ, Leonel
May 16, 2008
May 2012
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 and
Nevis
Sept. 19, 1983
DOUGLAS, Denzil
Oct. 25, 2004
by Oct. 2009
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 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.

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Mark P. Sullivan
Julissa Gomez-Granger
Specialist in Latin American Affairs
Information Research Specialist
msullivan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7689
jgomezgranger@crs.loc.gov, 7-8981

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