List of presidents of the Dominican Republic

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The National Palace is the president's official workplace, the center of the administration, and a prominent symbol of the office.

Since independence in 1844, the Dominican Republic has counted 54 people in the presidential office, whether constitutional, provisional, or interim, divided into 66 periods of government. Likewise, there are also periods in which the head of state role has been exercised by collegiate bodies (such as triumvirates, military juntas, or councils of state).[1][2]

First Republic (1844–1861)[edit]

Central Government Junta[3][4][5][edit]

The Central Government Junta was the first body of a collegiate and provisional nature to exercise the executive, legislative and judicial powers of the nascent Dominican state. It was provisionally constituted on 28 February 1844 and subsequently formalized on 1 March 1844; it went through two coups d'état, and finally dissolved with the proclamation of the first Constitution on 6 November 1844.

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
(1817–1861)
28 February 1844 1 March 1844 2 days Interim president of the Central Government Junta.
Tomás Bobadilla
(1785–1871)
1 March 1844 9 June 1844 100 days President of the Central Government Junta. Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Francisco del Rosario Sánchez
(1817–1861)
9 June 1844 12 July 1844 33 days President of the Central Government Junta. Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
12 July 1844 14 November 1844 125 days President of the Central Government Junta.

Presidents[6][edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
1844 14 November 1844 4 August 1848 3 years, 264 days Resigned.
Manuel Jimenes
(1808–1854)
1848 8 September 1848 29 May 1849 263 days Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
30 May 1849 23 September 1849 116 days He held the title "Jefe Supremo" (meaning "Supreme Chief" or "Supreme Boss" in English).
Santiago Espaillat
(1785–185?)
July
1849
President-elect Espaillat never took office. Espaillat was senator for Santiago when he was elected President by the electoral college, but he did not accept the office as he was afraid that his predecessor (Santana) would undermine his ability to govern.
Election results: S. Espaillat, 45 votes; P. Santana, 31 votes; R. B. Báez, 12 votes; José María Medrano, 3 votes; Pedro Ramón de Mena, 2 votes; José de la Concepción Taveras, 2 votes; L. de Velazco, 2 votes...
Buenaventura Báez
(1812–1884)
Aug.
1849
24 September 1849 15 February 1853 3 years, 144 days
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
1853 15 February 1853 26 May 1856 3 years, 101 days Resigned.
Manuel de Regla Mota
(1795–1864)
2 January 1855 5 September 1855 246 days Vice-president under Pedro Santana. Acting president.
26 May 1856 8 October 1856 135 days Vice-president under Pedro Santana, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Resigned.
Buenaventura Báez
(1812–1884)
8 October 1856 12 June 1858 1 year, 247 days Vice-president under Manuel de Regla Mota, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Resigned.
José Desiderio Valverde
(1822–1903)
7 July 1857 31 August 1858 1 year, 55 days Self-appointed president in Santiago de los Caballeros.
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
13 June 1858 31 January 1859 2 years, 278 days Approved the annexation of the country to Spain.
1859 31 January 1859 18 March 1861

Spanish annexation (1861–1865)[edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Pedro Santana
(1801–1864)
18 March 1861 20 July 1862 1 year, 124 days Captain-General of Santo Domingo. Resigned.
Created 1st Marquess of Las Carreras in 1862.
Felipe Ribero y Lemoine
(1797–1873)
20 July 1862 22 October 1863 1 year, 94 days Captain-General of Santo Domingo.
Carlos de Vargas y Cerveto [es]
(1803–1879)
23 October 1863 30 March 1864 159 days
José de la Gándara y Navarro
(1820–1885)
31 March 1864 11 July 1865 1 year, 102 days

Dominican Restoration War (1863–1865)[edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
José Antonio Salcedo
(1816–1864)
14 September 1863 10 October 1864 1 year, 26 days
Gaspar Polanco
(1801–1867)
10 October 1864 24 January 1865 106 days
Benigno Filomeno de Rojas
(1821–1865)
24 January 1865 24 March 1865 59 days
Pedro Antonio Pimentel
(1830–1874)
25 March 1865 11 July 1865 108 days Spain concedes defeat and orders a withdraw from the island.

Second Republic (1865–1916)[edit]

  •   Green Party
  •   No political party
Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political
party
Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Pedro Antonio Pimentel
(1830–1874)
11 July 1865 4 August 1865 24 days Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
José María Cabral
(1816–1899)
4 August 1865 15 November 1865 103 days Blue Cabral was proclaimed "Protector of the Republic" until the election of a new president by the National Convention.
Pedro Guillermo
(1814–1867)
15 November 1865 8 December 1865 23 days Guillermo was appointed as Interim President until the arrival to the Dominican Republic of Buenaventura Báez, who was exiled in Curaçao.
Buenaventura Báez
(1812–1884)
1865 8 December 1865 29 May 1866 172 days Red Ousted from office by a coup d'état.

Triumvirate 29 May 1866 22 August 1866 85 days Members: Pedro Antonio Pimentel, Gregorio Luperón, Federico de Jesús García.
The Electoral College system was abolished and replaced by universal direct suffrage.
José María Cabral
(1816–1899)
22 August 1866 29 September 1866 1 year, 162 days Blue Interim president.
1866 29 September 1866 31 January 1868 Cabral was the first Dominican president elected by universal direct suffrage. Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Manuel Altagracia Cáceres
(1838–1878)
31 January 1868 13 February 1868 13 days
Junta of Generals 13 February 1868 2 May 1868 79 days Members: José Antonio Hungría, Francisco Antonio Gómez Báez, José Ramón Luciano y Franco.
Buenaventura Báez
(1812–1884)
1868 2 May 1868 2 January 1874 5 years, 245 days Red Ousted from office by defeat in the Six Years' War.
Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)
25 November 1873 21 January 1874 57 days Green Supreme chief.

Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)

Manuel Altagracia Cáceres
(1838–1878)
21 January 1874 5 February 1874 15 days Generals in charge of the Supreme Power of the Nation.
Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)
1874 5 February 1874 23 February 1876 2 years, 18 days Green Resigned.
Council of Secretaries of State 23 February 1876 29 April 1876 66 days Members: Pedro Tomás Garrido Matos, José de Jesús Eduardo de Castro Álvarez, Pedro Pablo de Bonilla y Correa-Cruzado, Juan Bautista Zafra y Miranda, Pablo López Villanueva (until 7 March 1876), Jacinto Peynado y Tejón (since 7 March 1876).
Ulises Francisco Espaillat
(1823–1878)
1876 29 April 1876 5 October 1876 159 days Blue Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Superior Governing Junta 5 October 1876 11 November 1876 37 days Members: Pedro Tomás Garrido Matos, José de Jesús Eduardo de Castro Álvarez, Juan Bautista Zafra y Miranda, Pablo López Villanueva, José Caminero Matías, Fidel Rodríguez Urdaneta, Juan Esteban Ariza Matos.
Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)
11 November 1876 9 December 1876 28 days Green Resigned.
Marcos Antonio Cabral
(1842–1903)
10 December 1876 26 December 1876 16 days President of the Provisional Government Junta.
Buenaventura Báez
(1812–1884)
27 December 1876 2 March 1878 1 year, 65 days Red Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)
1 March 1878 3 May 1878 63 days Green President of the Provisional Government of the National Movement.
Council of Secretaries of State 2 March 1878 5 March 1878 3 days Members: José María Cabral, Joaquín Montolío.
Cesáreo Guillermo
(1847–1885)
5 March 1878 6 July 1878 123 days Red Interim president.
Ignacio María González
(1838–1915)
1878 6 July 1878 2 September 1878 58 days Green Ousted from office by a coup d'état.

Superior Leaders of the Revolutionary Movement 2 September 1878 6 September 1878 4 days Members: Ulises Heureaux, Cesáreo Guillermo.
Jacinto de Castro
(1811–1896)
7 September 1878 29 September 1878 22 days President of the Supreme Court of Justice. Resigned.

Council of Secretaries of State 30 September 1878 27 February 1879 150 days Members: Cesáreo Guillermo, Alejandro Angulo Guridi, Pedro María Aristy.
Cesáreo Guillermo
(1847–1885)
1879 27 February 1879 6 December 1879 282 days Red Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Gregorio Luperón
(1839–1897)
6 October 1879 1 September 1880 331 days Blue
Fernando Arturo de Meriño
(1833–1906)
1880 1 September 1880 1 September 1882 2 years Blue
Ulises Heureaux
(1845–1899)
1882 1 September 1882 1 September 1884 2 years Blue
Francisco Gregorio Billini
(1844–1898)
1884 1 September 1884 16 May 1885 257 days Blue Resigned.
Alejandro Woss y Gil
(1856–1932)
16 May 1885 6 January 1887 1 year, 235 days Blue Vice-president under Francisco Gregorio Billini, assumed the presidency after his resignation.
Ulises Heureaux
(1845–1899)
1886 6 January 1887 27 February 1889 12 years, 201 days Blue
1888 27 February 1889 27 February 1893
1892 27 February 1893 27 February 1897
1896 27 February 1897 26 July 1899 Assassinated.
Wenceslao Figuereo
(1834–1910)
26 July 1899 30 August 1899 35 days Blue Vice-president under Ulises Heureaux, assumed the presidency after his assassination. Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Council of Secretaries of State 31 August 1899 0 days Members: Tomás Demetrio Morales, Arístides Patiño, Enrique Henríquez y Alfau, Jaime R. Vidal, Braulio Álvarez.
People's Revolutionary Governing Junta 31 August 1899 4 September 1899 4 days Members: Mariano Cestero, Álvaro Logroño, Arístides Patiño, Pedro María Mejía.
Horacio Vásquez
(1860–1936)
4 September 1899 15 November 1899 72 days Red Interim president.
Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra
(1846–1919)
1899 15 November 1899 2 May 1902 2 years, 168 days Blue Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Horacio Vásquez
(1860–1936)
26 April 1902 23 April 1903 362 days Red Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Alejandro Woss y Gil
(1856–1932)
23 March 1903 1 August 1903 246 days Blue Interim president.
1903 1 August 1903 24 November 1903 Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Carlos Felipe Morales
(1868–1914)
24 November 1903 17 June 1904 2 years, 30 days Red Interim president.
1904 17 June 1904 24 December 1905 Resigned.
Council of Secretaries of State 24 December 1905 29 December 1905 5 days Members: Manuel Lamarche García, Emiliano Tejera, Andrés Julio Montolío, Francisco Leonte Vásquez Lajara, Carlos Ginebra, Eladio Victoria, Federico Velásquez y Hernández.
Ramón Cáceres
(1866–1911)
29 December 1905 1 July 1908 5 years, 325 days Red Vice-president under Carlos Felipe Morales, assumed the presidency after his resignation.
1908 1 July 1908 19 November 1911 Assassinated at the start of the 1911–1912 Civil War.
Council of Secretaries of State 19 November 1911 5 December 1911 16 days Members: Miguel Antonio Román, José María Cabral.
Eladio Victoria
(1864–1939)
5 December 1911 27 February 1912 361 days Interim president appointed by the Congress.
1912 27 February 1912 30 November 1912 Resigned at the end of the 1911–1912 Civil War.
Adolfo Alejandro Nouel
(1862–1937)
1 December 1912 13 April 1913 133 days Archbishop of Santo Domingo, interim president appointed by the Congress. Resigned.
José Bordas Valdez
(1874–1968)
14 April 1913 15 June 1914 1 year, 134 days Interim president appointed by the Congress.
June
1914
15 June 1914 27 August 1914 Resigned at the end of the 1914 Civil War.
Ramón Báez
(1858–1929)
28 August 1914 5 December 1914 99 days Interim president.
Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra
(1846–1919)
Oct.
1914
6 December 1914 4 May 1916 1 year, 150 days Blue

United States occupation (1916–1924)[edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Political
party
Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra
(1846–1919)
4 May 1916 7 May 1916 3 days Blue Resigned due to the United States occupation.
Council of Secretaries of State 7 May 1916 31 July 1916 85 days Members: Jaime Mota, Bernardo Pichardo, Federico Velásquez y Hernández.
Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal
(1859–1935)
31 July 1916 29 November 1916 121 days Interim president appointed by the Congress. Removed by the United States.
Vacant
29 November 1916 – 21 October 1922
Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos
(1871–1935)
21 October 1922 12 July 1924 1 year, 265 days Interim president.

Third Republic (1924–1965)[edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political
party
Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Horacio Vásquez
(1860–1936)
1924 12 July 1924 3 March 1930 5 years, 234 days Red Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Rafael Estrella Ureña
(1889–1945)
3 March 1930 16 August 1930 166 days Republican Minister of Interior and Police under Horacio Vásquez, assumed the presidency after coup d'état.
Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
Rafael Trujillo
(1891–1961)
1930 16 August 1930 16 August 1934 8 years Confederation of Parties
1934 16 August 1934 16 August 1938 PD
Jacinto Peynado
(1878–1940)
1938 16 August 1938 7 March 1940 1 year, 204 days PD Died in office.
Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
Manuel de Jesús Troncoso
(1878–1955)
7 March 1940 18 May 1942 2 years, 72 days PD Vice-president under Jacinto Peynado, assumed the presidency after his death.
Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
Rafael Trujillo
(1891–1961)
1942 18 May 1942 16 August 1947 10 years, 90 days PD Finished the presidential term of Jacinto Peynado ending on 16 August 1942.
1947 16 August 1947 16 August 1952
Héctor Trujillo
(1908–2002)
1 March 1951 1 October 1951 9 years, 155 days PD Acting president.
1952 16 August 1952 16 August 1957 Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
1957 16 August 1957 3 August 1960 Resigned.
Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
Joaquín Balaguer
(1906–2002)
3 August 1960 31 December 1961 1 year, 150 days PD Vice-president under Héctor Trujillo, assumed the presidency after his resignation.
Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo until the assassination of Trujillo on 30 May 1961.
Resigned.
Council of State
under
President Joaquín Balaguer
1 January 1962 16 January 1962 15 days Members: Joaquín Balaguer (President), Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly (Vice-president), Eduardo Read Barreras (Second Vice-president), Eliseo Pérez Sánchez, Nicolás Pichardo, Luis Amiama Tió, Antonio Imbert Barrera.
Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Civic-Military Junta
under
President Huberto Bogaert
16 January 1962 18 January 1962 2 days Military Members: Huberto Bogaert (President), Armando Óscar Pacheco, Luis Amiama Tió, Antonio Imbert Barrera, Enrique Valdez Vidaurre, Wilfredo Medina Natalio, Neit Rafael Nivar Seijas.
Council of State
under
President Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly
18 January 1962 27 February 1963 1 year, 40 days Members: Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly (President), Eduardo Read Barreras, Eliseo Pérez Sánchez, Nicolás Pichardo, Luis Amiama Tió, Antonio Imbert Barrera, Donald Reid Cabral.
Juan Bosch
(1909–2001)
1962 27 February 1963 25 September 1963 210 days PRD Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
Víctor Elby Viñas Román
(1925–2004)
25 September 1963 26 September 1963 1 day Military President of the Provisional Government Junta.
Triumvirate
under
President Emilio de los Santos
26 September 1963 23 December 1963 88 days Military Members: Emilio de los Santos (President), Manuel Enrique Tavares Espaillat, Ramón Tapia Espinal.
Triumvirate
under
President Donald Reid Cabral
23 December 1963 25 April 1965 1 year, 123 days Military Members: Donald Reid Cabral (President), Ramón Tapia Espinal (resigned on 8 April 1964), Ramón Cáceres Troncoso (since 8 April 1964), Manuel Enrique Tavares Espaillat (resigned on 27 June 1964).
Deposed during the Dominican Civil War.

Dominican Civil War (1965)[edit]

Faction Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Term of office Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Revolutionary Committee 25 April 1965 0 days Members: Vinicio Fernández Pérez, Giovanni Gutiérrez Ramírez, Francisco Caamaño, Eladio Ramírez Sánchez, Pedro Bartolomé Benoit.
Constitutionalist
(Pro-Juan Bosch)
José Rafael Molina Ureña
(1921–2000)
25 April 1965 27 April 1965 2 days Resigned.
Vacant
27 April 1965 – 4 May 1965
Francisco Caamaño
(1932–1973)
4 May 1965 3 September 1965 122 days President appointed by the Congress.
Resigned.
Loyalist
(Government)
Vacant
25 April 1965 – 1 May 1965
Military Junta 1 May 1965 7 May 1965 6 days Members: Pedro Bartolomé Benoit (President), Olgo Santana Carrasco, Enrique Apolinar Casado Saladín.
Resigned.
Government of National Reconstruction 7 May 1965 30 August 1965 115 days Members: Antonio Imbert Barrera (President), Carlos Grisolía Poloney, Alejandro Zeller Cocco, Pedro Bartolomé Benoit, Julio Desiderio Postigo Arias (resigned on 10 August 1965), Leonte Bernard Vásquez (since 10 August 1965).
Resigned.
Vacant
30 August 1965 – 3 September 1965
Transitional Government Héctor García-Godoy
(1921–1970)
3 September 1965 1 July 1966 301 days Interim President.

Fourth Republic (1966–present)[edit]

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Elected Term of office Political
party
Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
Joaquín Balaguer
(1906–2002)
1966 1 July 1966 16 August 1970 12 years, 46 days PRSC
1970 16 August 1970 16 August 1974
1974 16 August 1974 16 August 1978
Antonio Guzmán Fernández
(1911–1982)
1978 16 August 1978 4 July 1982 3 years, 322 days PRD Committed suicide.
Jacobo Majluta Azar
(1934–1996)
4 July 1982 16 August 1982 43 days PRD Vice-president under Antonio Guzmán, assumed the presidency to finish his term.
Salvador Jorge Blanco
(1926–2010)
1982 16 August 1982 16 August 1986 4 years PRD
Joaquín Balaguer
(1906–2002)
1986 16 August 1986 16 August 1990 10 years PRSC After fraud charges in the elections of 1994, an agreement known as the Pact for Democracy (Pacto por la Democracia) was reached, which limited consecutive presidential terms to two terms.
1990 16 August 1990 16 August 1994
1994 16 August 1994 16 August 1996
Leonel Fernández
(born 1953)
1996 16 August 1996 16 August 2000 4 years PLD
Hipólito Mejía
(born 1941)
2000 16 August 2000 16 August 2004 4 years PRD
Leonel Fernández
(born 1953)
2004 16 August 2004 16 August 2008 8 years PLD
2008 16 August 2008 16 August 2012
Danilo Medina
(born 1951)
2012 16 August 2012 16 August 2016 8 years PLD
2016 16 August 2016 16 August 2020
Luis Abinader
(born 1967)
2020 16 August 2020 Incumbent 3 years, 224 days PRM [7]

Timeline from 1965[edit]

Luis AbinaderDanilo MedinaLeonel FernándezHipólito MejíaLeonel FernándezJoaquín BalaguerSalvador Jorge BlancoJacobo MajlutaAntonio GuzmánJoaquín BalaguerHéctor García Godoy

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Castillo, Junior A. (2014). República Dominicana - Gobiernos y gobernantes desde 1844 hasta 2016. Monografías. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  2. ^ "Sin título".
  3. ^ Marcano, José E. (2009–2014). Independencia dominicana III; Conociendo mi país República Dominicana. Aspectos Históricos. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  4. ^ Vega, Wenceslao (2008). "La labor legislativa de la Junta Central Gubernativa, marzo-octubre de 1844" (PDF). Clío, 175(12). Academia Dominicana de Historia. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  5. ^ Tineo, Héctor (2014). Junta declara a Duarte y a un grupo de trinitarios traidores e infieles a la Patria. Vanguardia del Pueblo. Retrieved 27 February 2017.
  6. ^ Archonthology (2009). Heads of State: 1844-1861. Archonthology. Retrieved 27 February 2017. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  7. ^ "Luis Abinader Sworn in as Dominican Leader; Pompeo Attends". U.S. News. Associated Press. 16 August 2020. Retrieved 16 August 2020.