Latin America and the Caribbean: fact sheet on leaders and elections.

September 2, 2011

Summary

This fact sheet tracks the current heads of government in Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean. It provides the dates of the last and next elections for the head of government and the national independence date for each country.

Author Contact Information

Julissa Gomez-Granger

Information Research Specialist

jgomezgranger@crs.loc.gov, 7-8981

Mark P. Sullivan

Specialist in Latin American Affairs

msullivan@crs.loc.gov, 7-7689

Table 1. South America

Country     Independence     Head of
            Date             Government

Argentina   July 9, 1816     FERNANDEZ DE
                             KIRCHNER, Cristina

Bolivia     Aug. 6, 1825     MORALES, Evo

Brazil      Sept. 7, 1822    ROUSSEFF, Dilma

Chile       Sept. 18, 1810   PINERA, Sebastian

Colombia    July 20, 1810    SANTOS,
                             Juan Manuel

Ecuador     May 24, 1822     CORREA, Rafael

Paraguay    May 14, 1811     LUGO, Fernando

Peru        July 28, 1821    HUMALA, Ollanta

Uruguay     Aug. 25, 1825    MUJICA, Jose

Venezuela   July 5, 1811     CHAVEZ, Hugo

Country     Last             Next
            Election         Election

Argentina   Oct. 28, 2007    Oct. 23, 2011
                             Nov. 20, 2011
                             (potential 2nd
                             round)

Bolivia     Dec. 6, 2009     Dec. 2014

Brazil      Oct. 3, 2010/    Oct. 2014
            Oct. 31, 2010

Chile       Dec. 13, 2009/   Dec. 2013
            Jan. 17, 2010

Colombia    May 30, 2010/    May 2014
            June 20, 2010

Ecuador     Apr. 26, 2009    Apr. 2013

Paraguay    Apr. 20, 2008    Apr. 2013

Peru        Apr. 10, 2011/   Apr. 2016
            June 5, 2011
            (2nd round)

Uruguay     Oct. 25, 2009/   Oct. 2014
            Nov. 29, 2009

Venezuela   Dec. 3, 2006     Dec. 2012

Table 2. Mexico and Central America

Country       Independence     Head of
              Date             Government

Mexico        Sept. 16, 1810   CALDERON, Felipe

Costa Rica    Sept. 15. 1821   CHINCHILLA
                               Miranda, Laura

El Salvador   Sept. 15, 1821   FUNES, Mauricio

Guatemala     Sept. 15, 1821   COLOM, Alvaro

Honduras      Sept. 15, 1821   LOBO SOSA, Porfirio

Nicaragua     Sept. 15, 1821   ORTEGA, Daniel

Panama        Nov. 3, 1903     MARTINELLI, Ricardo

Country       Last             Next
              Election         Election

Mexico        July 2, 2006     July 2012

Costa Rica    Feb. 7, 2010     Feb. 2014

El Salvador   Mar. 15, 2009    Mar. 2014

                               Sep. 11, 2011
Guatemala     Sept. 9, 2007/   (potential 2nd
              Nov. 4, 2007     round Nov. 6,
                               2011)

Honduras      Nov. 29, 2009    Nov. 2013

Nicaragua     Nov. 5, 2006     Nov. 6, 2011

Panama        May 3, 2009      May 2014

Table 3. Caribbean

Country           Independence     Head of
                  Date             Government

Antigua and       Nov. 1, 1981     SPENCER, Baldwin
Barbuda

Bahamas           July 10, 1973    INGRAHAM, Hubert

Barbados          Nov. 30, 1966    THOMPSON, David

Belize            Sept. 21, 1981   BARROW, Dean

Cuba              May 20, 1902     CASTRO RUZ, Raul

Dominica          Nov. 3, 1978     SKERRITT, Roosevelt

Dominican         Feb. 27, 1844    FERNANDEZ, Leonel
Republic

Grenada           Feb. 7, 1974     THOMAS, Tillman

Guyana            May 26, 1966     BHARRAT, Jagdeo

Haiti             Jan. 1, 1804     MARTELLY, Michel

Jamaica           Aug. 6, 1962     GOLDING, Bruce

St. Kitts and     Sept. 19, 1983   DOUGLAS, Denzil
Nevis

St. Lucia         Feb. 22, 1979    KING, Stephensonb

St. Vincent and   Oct. 27, 1979    GONSALVES, Ralph
the Grenadines

Suriname          Nov. 25, 1975    BOUTERSE, Desic

Trinidad and      Aug. 31, 1962    PERSAD-BISSESSAR, Kamla
Tobago

Country           Last             Next
                  Election         Election

Antigua and       Mar. 12, 2009    by July 20l4
Barbuda

Bahamas           May 2, 2007      by Aug. 20l2

Barbados          Jan. 15, 2008    by May 20l3

Belize            Feb. 7, 2008     by June 20l3

Cuba              (a)              (a)

Dominica          Dec. 18, 2009    by Mar. 20l5

Dominican         May 16, 2008     May 20l2
Republic

Grenada           July 8, 2008     by July 20l3

Guyana            Aug. 28, 2006    by Dec. 28, 20ll

Haiti             Nov. 28, 2010/   late 20l5
                  March 20, 2011

Jamaica           Sept. 3, 2007    by Sept. 20l2

St. Kitts and     Jan. 25, 2010    by Jan. 20l5
Nevis

St. Lucia         Dec. 11, 2006    by Dec. 20ll

St. Vincent and   Dec. 13, 2010    by Dec. 20l5
the Grenadines

Suriname          May 25, 20l0c    May 2015

Trinidad and      May 24, 2010     by May 20l5
Tobago

(a.) On February 24, 2008, Raul Castro was selected by Cuba's
legislature as president of the Council of State, a position that
makes him head of state and government. Raul had been serving as
acting president since July 3l, 2006, when Cuba's long-serving
communist leader, Fidel Castro, stepped down provisionally
because of poor health. Since the l959 Cuban Revolution, there
have been no elections for head of government.

(b.) Stephenson King was sworn in as prime minister on September
l0, 2007, following the death of Prime Minister John Compton, who
had been elected in December 2006.

(c.) Suriname held National Assembly elections on May 25, 20l0,
but under Suriname's system of government, the country's
president is not elected directly by voters, but by a two-thirds
majority vote of the Assembly (or failing that, by a majority of
the United People's Assembly comprised of more than 800 regional
and municipal officials). On July l9, 20l0, the National Assembly
elected Desi Bouterse as president, with 36 out of 5l votes.

Article Details

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Author:	Gomez-Granger, Julissa; Sullivan, Mark P.
Publication:	Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports and Issue Briefs
Article Type:	Table
Geographic Code:	0LATI
Date:	Sep 1, 2011
Words:	765
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Topics:	Elections Analysis Heads of state