This report provides the results of recent presidential elections in Latin America and the Caribbean. Below are three tables organized by region, that include the date of each country's independence, the name of the newly elected president or prime minister, and the projected dates of the most recent and next presidential 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 Presidential |
Next Presidential |
|
Argentina |
July 9, 1816 |
MACRI, Mauricio |
Oct. 25, 2015/ |
Oct. 27, 2019 |
|
Bolivia |
Aug. 6, 1825 |
MORALES, Juan Evo |
Oct. 12, 2014 |
Oct. 27, 2019 |
|
Brazil |
Sept. 7, 1822 |
BOLSONARO, Jair |
Oct. 7, 2018/ |
Oct. 2022 |
|
Chile |
Sept. 18, 1810 |
PIÑERA, Sebastián |
Nov. 19, 2017/ |
Nov. 2021 |
|
Colombia |
July 20, 1810 |
DUQUE, Iván |
May 27, 2018/ June 17, 2018 |
May 2022 |
|
Ecuador |
May 24, 1822 |
MORENO, Lenín |
Feb. 19, 2017 |
Feb. 2021 |
|
Guyana |
May 26, 1966 |
GRANGER, David |
May 11, 2015 |
Sept. 2020a |
|
Paraguay |
May 14, 1811 |
ABDO BENITEZ, Mario |
Apr. 22, 2018 |
Apr. 2023 |
|
Peru |
July 28, 1821 |
VIZCARRA, Martínb |
Apr. 10, 2016 /June 5, 2016 |
Apr. 2021 |
|
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. 27, 2019 |
|
Venezuela |
July 5, 1811 |
MADURO, Nicolás |
May 20, 2018 |
May 2024c |
Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).
a. On June 18, 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice upheld a December 2018 no-confidence vote by Guyana's National Assembly. Subsequently, President Granger announced that elections would be held in late November 2019 to provide enough time for Guyana's electoral body to create a new registry of voters; the political opposition has called for the election to be held sooner. See "Court Ruling Sends Guyana to New Elections, As First Oil Output Looms," Reuters, June 18, 2019.
b. Pedro Pablo Kuczynski was elected president of Peru in June 2016, but resigned on March 21, 2018, just ahead of a vote on impeachment. First Vice President Martín Vizcarra constitutionally succeeded him and is set to fulfill the remainder of Kuczynski's term.
c. In a controversial move, Venezuela's presidential election was moved forward from December 2018 to May 20, 2018. Most Venezuelans and much of the international community considered the May 2018 election, in which then-President Nicolás Maduro won reelection, as illegitimate (CRS In Focus IF10230, Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy, by Clare Ribando Seelke). The United States and 53 other countries have recognized Juan Guaidó, elected president of Venezuela's National Assembly in January 2019, as Interim President of Venezuela yet Maduro remains in power (CRS Insight IN11024, Venezuela: U.S. Recognizes Interim Government, by Clare Ribando Seelke).
|
Country |
Independence |
Head of |
Last Presidential |
Next Presidential |
|
Mexico |
Sept. 16, 1810 |
LÓPEZ OBRADOR, Andrés Manuel |
July 1, 2018 |
July 1, 2024 |
|
Belize |
Sept. 21, 1981 |
BARROW, Dean |
Nov. 4, 2015 |
Nov. 2020 |
|
Costa Rica |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
ALVARADO, Carlos |
Feb. 4, 2018/ |
Feb. 2022 |
|
El Salvador |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
BUKELE, Nayib |
Feb. 3, 2019 |
Feb. 4, 2024 |
|
Guatemala |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
MORALES, Jimmya |
June 16, 2019/ Aug. 11, 2019 |
2023 |
|
Honduras |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
HERNÁNDEZ, Juan Orlando |
Nov. 26, 2017 |
Nov. 2021 |
|
Nicaragua |
Sept. 15, 1821 |
ORTEGA, Daniel |
Nov. 6, 2016 |
Nov. 2021 |
|
Panama |
Nov. 3, 1903 |
CORTIZO, Laurentino |
May 5, 2019 |
May 2024 |
|
Country |
Independence |
Head of |
Last Presidential |
Next Presidential |
|
Antigua and Barbuda |
Nov. 1, 1981 |
BROWNE, Gaston |
Mar. 21, 2018 |
by Mar. 2023 |
|
Bahamas |
July 10, 1973 |
MINNIS, Hubert |
May 10, 2017 |
by May 2022 |
|
Barbados |
Nov. 30, 1966 |
MOTTLEY, Mia |
May 25, 2018 |
by May 2023 |
|
Cubaa |
May 20, 1902 |
DÍAZ-CANEL, Miguel |
Apr. 2018 |
Apr. 2023 |
|
Dominica |
Nov. 3, 1978 |
SKERRIT, Roosevelt |
Dec. 8, 2014 |
by Dec. 2019 |
|
Dominican Republic |
Feb. 27, 1844 |
MEDINA, Danilo |
May 15, 2016 |
May 2020 |
|
Grenada |
Feb. 7, 1974 |
MITCHELL, Keith |
Mar. 13, 2018 |
by Mar. 2023 |
|
Haiti |
Jan. 1, 1804 |
MOÏSE, Jovenel |
Nov. 20, 2016 |
Oct. 2021 |
|
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 |
CHASTANET, Allen |
June 6, 2016 |
by June 2021 |
|
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 Sept. 2020 |