This report provides the results of recent elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables organized by region, including the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next election. Information in this report was gathered from numerous sources, including the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) World Fact Book, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and other news sources.
Country |
Independence |
Head of |
Last |
Next |
Argentina |
July 9, 1816 |
MACRI, Mauricio |
Oct. 25, 2015 |
Oct. 2019 |
Bolivia |
Aug. 6, 1825 |
MORALES-AYMA, Juan Evo |
Oct. 12, 2014 |
Oct. 2019 |
Brazil |
Sept. 7, 1822 |
ROUSSEFF, Dilma |
Oct. 5, 2014/ |
Oct. 2018 |
Chile |
Sept. 18, 1810 |
BACHELET, Michelle |
Nov. 17, 2013/ |
Nov. 2017 |
Colombia |
July 20, 1810 |
SANTOS, Juan Manuel |
May 25, 2014/ |
May 2018 |
Ecuador |
May 24, 1822 |
CORREA, Rafael |
Feb. 17, 2013 |
Feb. 2017 |
Guyana |
May 26, 1966 |
GRANGER, David |
May 11, 2015 |
May 2020 |
Paraguay |
May 14, 1811 |
CARTES, Horacio |
Apr. 21, 2013 |
Apr. 2018 |
Peru |
July 28, 1821 |
HUMALA, Ollanta |
Apr. 10, 2011/ |
Apr. 10, 2016 |
Suriname |
Nov. 25, 1975 |
BOUTERSE, Desiré Delano |
May 25, 2015 |
May 25, 2020 |
Uruguay |
Aug. 25, 1825 |
VÁZQUEZ, Tabaré |
Oct. 26, 2014/ Nov. 30, 2014 |
Oct. 2019 |
Venezuela |
July 5, 1811 |
MADURO, Nicolás |
Apr. 14, 2013 |
Dec. 2018 |
Source: The Congressional Research Service (CRS).
Country |
Independence |
Head of |
Last |
Next |
Mexico |
Sept. 16, 1810 |
PEÑA NIETO, Enrique |
July 1, 2012 |
July 2018 |
Belize |
Sept. 21, 1981 |
BARROW, Dean |
Mar. 7, 2012 |
by June 2017 |
Costa Rica |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
SOLĺS, Luís Guillermo |
Feb. 2, 2014/ |
Feb. 2018 |
El Salvador |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
SÁNCHEZ CERÉN, Salvador |
Feb. 2, 2014/ |
Feb. 2019 |
Guatemala |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
MORALES, Jimmy |
Sept. 2019 |
|
Honduras |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
HERNÁNDEZ, Juan Orlando |
Nov. 24, 2013 |
Nov. 2017 |
Nicaragua |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
ORTEGA, Daniel |
Nov. 6, 2011 |
Nov. 6, 2016 |
Panama |
Nov. 3, 1903 |
VARELA, Juan Carlos |
May 4, 2014 |
May 2019 |
Source: CRS.
Country |
Independence |
Head of |
Last |
Next |
Antigua and Barbuda |
Nov. 1, 1981 |
BROWNE, Gaston |
June 12, 2014 |
by Mar. 2019 |
Bahamas |
July 10, 1973 |
CHRISTIE, Perry |
May 7, 2012 |
by May 2017 |
Barbados |
Nov. 30, 1966 |
STUART, Freundel |
Feb. 21, 2013 |
by Feb. 2018 |
Cuba |
May 20, 1902 |
CASTRO, Raúl |
||
Dominica |
Nov. 3, 1978 |
SKERRIT, Roosevelt |
Dec. 8, 2014 |
by Dec. 2019 |
Dominican Republic |
Feb. 27, 1844 |
MEDINA, Danilo |
May 20, 2012 |
May 15, 2016 |
Grenada |
Feb. 7, 1974 |
MITCHELL, Keith |
Feb. 19, 2013 |
by Feb. 2018 |
Haiti |
Jan. 1, 1804 |
PRIVERT, Jocelermeb |
Oct. 25, 2015/ |
Apr. 24, 2016 |
Jamaica |
Aug. 6, 1962 |
HOLNESS, Andrew |
Feb. 25, 2016 |
by Feb. 2021 |
St. Kitts and Nevis |
Sept. 19, 1983 |
HARRIS, Timothy |
Feb. 16, 2015 |
by Feb. 2020 |
St. Lucia |
Feb. 22, 1979 |
ANTHONY, Kenny |
Nov. 28, 2011 |
by Dec. 2016 |
St. Vincent and the Grenadines |
Oct. 27, 1979 |
GONSALVES, Ralph E. |
Dec. 9, 2015 |
by Dec. 2020 |
Trinidad and Tobago |
Aug. 31, 1962 |
ROWLEY, Keith |
Sept. 7, 2015 |
by 2020 |
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. Former Haitian President Michel Martelly stepped down from office per the country's constitutional calendar on February 7, 2016, without elections having been held to replace him. Runoff elections originally scheduled for December 27, 2015, were cancelled. As per an agreement between Martelly and the Haitian parliament, the parliament chose Privert as interim president on February 14, 2016. The parliament and the president chose a consensus Prime Minister, Fritz Jean on February 26, 2016. The interim government is to organize new elections to be held on April 24, 2016, and swear in a new president on May 14, 2016.