Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Latin America and the Caribbean: Fact Sheet on Leaders and Elections

Updated January 30, 2026 (98-684)

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 most recently elected president or prime minister, and the projected date of the next presidential election. Information in this report was compiled from numerous sources, including the U.S. State Department, Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA's) World Factbook, International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), and other news sources.

Table 1. South America: Heads of Government and Election Schedules

Country

Independence
Date

Head of
Government

Last
Election/
Runoff

Next
Election/
Runoff

Argentina

July 9, 1816

MILEI, Javier

Oct. 22, 2023/
Nov. 19, 2023

Oct. 2027/
Nov. 2027

Bolivia

Aug. 6, 1825

PAZ, Rodrigo

Aug. 17, 2025/

Oct. 19, 2025

2030

Brazil

Sept. 7, 1822

DA SILVA, Luiz Inácio (widely known as "Lula")

Oct. 2, 2022/
Oct. 30, 2022

Oct. 4, 2026/Oct. 25, 2026

Chile

Sept. 18, 1810

BORIC, Gabriela

Nov. 16, 2025/
Dec. 14, 2025

Nov. 2029/

Dec. 2029

Colombia

July 20, 1810

PETRO, Gustavo

May 29, 2022/
June 19, 2022

May 31, 2026/
June 21, 2026

Ecuador

May 24, 1822

NOBOA, Daniel

Feb. 9, 2025/Apr. 13, 2025

Feb. 2029/
Apr. 2029

Paraguay

May 14, 1811

PEÑA, Santiago

Apr. 30, 2023

Apr. 2028

Peru

July 28, 1821

BOLUARTE, Dinab

Apr. 11, 2021/
June 6, 2021

Apr. 12, 2026c

Uruguay

Aug. 25, 1825

ORSI, Yamandú

Oct. 27, 2024/Nov. 24, 2024

Oct. 2029/Nov. 2029

Venezuela

July 5, 1811

MADURO, Nicolás

July 28, 2024

Uncertaind

Source: Compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Notes: For information on Guyana and Suriname, see Table 3.

a. In Chile's runoff presidential election, Jeannette Jara won 41.84% of the vote and Jose Antonio Kast won 58.16%. Kast is scheduled to be inaugurated on March 11, 2026.

b. On December 7, 2022, Pedro Castillo attempted to dissolve congress, create a government of exception, and rule by decree. That same day, the Peruvian Congress impeached Castillo, who was arrested shortly afterwards. Also on December 7, Vice President Dina Boluarte was sworn in as president.

c. Despite proposals by President Dina Boluarte and members of the legislature to hold early general elections in late 2023 or early 2024 in response to the impeachment and removal of former President Pedro Castillo, legislators failed to approve early elections in two successive congressional sessions as required by the constitution. Consequently, the electoral calendar remains unchanged, with the next general elections scheduled for April 2026.

d. After a decade of increasingly authoritarian rule, Venezuela held presidential elections that most international observers, including the U.S. Department of State, concluded did not meet international standards. Venezuela's National Electoral Commission (CNE) claimed that Nicolás Maduro won 51.2% of the vote, compared with 44.2% for Edmundo González Urrutia. These results contradict preelection polling, exit polls, and precinct-level vote tabulations published by the opposition. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10230, Venezuela: Political Crisis and U.S. Policy, by Clare Ribando Seelke.

Table 2. Mexico and Central America: Heads of Government and Election Schedules

Country

Independence
Date

Head of
Government

Last
Election/
Runoff

Next
Election/
Runoff

Mexico

Sept. 16, 1810

SHEINBAUM, Claudia

June 2, 2024

June 2030

Costa Rica

Sept. 15, 1821

CHAVES, Rodrigo

Feb. 6, 2022/
Apr. 3, 2022

Feb. 1, 2026/
Apr. 5, 2026

El Salvador

Sept. 15, 1821

BUKELE, Nayib

Feb. 4, 2024

Feb. 2029

Guatemala

Sept. 15, 1821

ARÉVALO, Bernardo

June 25, 2023/
Aug. 20, 2023

by 2027

Honduras

Sept. 15, 1821

ASFURA, Nasry

Nov. 30, 2025

Nov. 2029

Nicaragua

Sept. 15, 1821

ORTEGA, Daniel

Nov. 7, 2021a

Nov. 2026

Panama

Nov. 3, 1903

MULINO, José Raúl

May 5, 2024

May 2029

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Notes: For information on Belize, see Table 3.

a. Prior to the presidential elections, the Ortega government arrested eight people who sought to challenge Ortega in the elections and dozens of political and civil society leaders. Much of the international community, including the United States, rejected the elections; the Organization of American States declared that the elections "were not free, fair or transparent and have no democratic legitimacy." See U.S. Mission to the Organization of American States, "OAS General Assembly Condemns the Ortega-Murillo Regime in Nicaragua," November 12, 2021, https://usoas.usmission.gov/oas-general-assembly-condemns-the-ortega-murillo-regime-in-nicaragua/. See also CRS Report R48294, Nicaragua: In Brief, by Karla I. Rios.

Table 3. Caribbean: Heads of Government and Election Schedules

Country

Independence
Date

Head of
Government

Last
Election/
Runoff

Next
Election/
Runoff

Antigua and Barbuda

Nov. 1, 1981

BROWNE, Gaston

Jan. 18, 2023

by July 2028

Bahamas

July 10, 1973

DAVIS, Philip

Sept. 16, 2021

by Oct. 2026

Barbados

Nov. 30, 1966

MOTTLEY, Mia

Jan. 19, 2022

by Jan. 2027

Belize

Sept. 21, 1981

BRICEÑO, Johnny

Mar. 12, 2025

by 2030

Cubaa

May 20, 1902

DÍAZ-CANEL, Miguel

Apr. 19, 2023

2028

Dominica

Nov. 3, 1978

SKERRIT, Roosevelt

Dec. 6, 2022b

by Mar. 2028

Dominican Republic

Feb. 27, 1844

ABINADER, Luis

May 19, 2024

May 2028

Grenada

Feb. 7, 1974

MITCHELL, Dickon

June 23, 2022c

by June 2027

Guyana

May 26, 1966

ALI, Irfaan

Sept. 1, 2025

by 2030

Haiti

Jan. 1, 1804

DIDIER FILS-AIMÉ, Alixd

Nov. 20, 2016e

Aug. 30, 2026/

Dec. 6, 2026f

Jamaica

Aug. 6, 1962

HOLNESS, Andrew

Sept. 3, 2025

by 2030

St. Kitts and Nevis

Sept. 19, 1983

DREW, Terrance

Aug. 5, 2022

by 2027

St. Lucia

Feb. 22, 1979

PIERRE, Philip

Dec. 1, 2025

by 2030

St. Vincent and the Grenadines

Oct. 27, 1979

FRIDAY, Godwin

Nov. 27, 2025

by 2030

Suriname

Nov. 25, 1975

GEERLINGS-SIMONS, Jennifer

May 25, 2025

by 2030

Trinidad and Tobago

Aug. 31, 1962

PERSAD-BISSESSAR, Kamla

Apr. 28, 2025

Apr. 2030

Source: Compiled by CRS.

Notes: Although Belize is located in Central America and Guyana and Suriname are located in South America, all three are members of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

a. Cuba does not have direct elections for its head of government. Instead, Cuba's legislature selects the members of the 31-member Council of State, with the president of that body serving as Cuba's head of government and head of state. In April 2023, Cuba's legislature selected Miguel Díaz-Canel for another five-year term. Díaz-Canel has served as president of the republic since Cuba's legislature appointed him in October 2019. See Andrea Rodriguez, "Cuba's Parliament Ratifies President Díaz-Canel for New Term," Associated Press, April 19, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/cuba-assembly-president-miguel-diazcanel-7f496a6b05f04aa3d3c7b4a1f3cb45dc.

b. In November 2022, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit called a snap election that was held on December 6, 2022, ahead of elections constitutionally due by March 2025.

c. In May 2022, Prime Minister Keith Mitchell called a snap election held on June 23, 2022, ahead of elections constitutionally due in March 2023.

d. Haiti's President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated on July 7, 2021. Ariel Henry, named by Moïse but not yet sworn in, became de facto prime minister on July 20, 2021. Under the Haitian Constitution, either the Council of Ministers under the prime minister should govern or, in the last year of a presidential term, the legislature should elect a provisional president. There has been no functioning legislature since January 2020, and there are no remaining elected officials. On March 11, 2024, Henry agreed to resign after a transitional council was formed. On April 12, 2024, the Haitian governmental gazette published a decree establishing a nine-person council, effective until February 7, 2026, tasked with naming a new prime minister and cabinet. The transitional council was sworn in on April 25, 2024. See Evens Sanon and Dánica Coto, "Transitional Council in Haiti to Choose New Leaders Is Formally Established Amid Gang Violence," Associated Press, April 12, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/haiti-transitional-council-gang-violence-86ae6d010d0fba2a5742ec82ec05ac25. See also U.S. State Department, "The United States Welcomes Establishment of Haiti's Transitional Presidential Council," press statement, April 12, 2024, https://2021-2025.state.gov/the-united-states-welcomes-establishment-of-haitis-transitional-presidential-council/. The transitional council first selected Garry Conille as prime minister, who was sworn in on June 3, 2024 and later appointed Alix Didier Fils-Aimé on October 11, 2024. See U.S. Department of State, "Designation of a New Prime Minister in Haiti Press Statement," November 12, 2024, https://www.state.gov/designation-of-a-new-prime-minister-in-haiti/. This follows a period of increasing civil unrest in Haiti. See CRS Report R47394, Haiti: Recent Developments and U.S. Policy, by Karla I. Rios and Clare Ribando Seelke. See also CRS Insight IN12331, Haiti in Crisis: Developments Related to the Multinational Security Support Mission, by Karla I. Rios.

e. Haiti held controversial national elections on October 25, 2015. After postponing runoff elections several times, the Provisional Electoral Council announced that new presidential elections would take place instead in October 2016; these were delayed for a month due to Hurricane Matthew.

f. An April 12, 2024, decree created a transitional council that will exercise presidential powers until February 7, 2026, the date by which a new president must be sworn in. The transitional council appointed a provisional electoral commission, a requirement for elections to take place, on September 18, 2024. In late October 2025, the electoral council president said it would be "impossible" to hold elections before the end of transitional council's term. In December 2025, the transitional council adopted an electoral decree and published an electoral calendar, although implementation will depend on meeting numerous prerequisites. See Sarah Morland, "Haiti gang warfare stalls long-awaited elections," Associated Press, updated October 22, 2025, https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/haiti-gang-warfare-stalls-long-awaited-elections-2025-10-22/ See also Juhakenson Blaise, "Inside Haiti's road to 2026 elections: CEP revises calendar, keeps Aug. 30 vote date," Jan. 06, 2026, https://haitiantimes.com/2026/01/06/haiti-cep-maintains-elections-august-30-2026/.