List of Presidents of the Dominican Republic

See also: President 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.

During the 175 years since its independence, the Dominican Republic has counted 53 people in the presidential office, whether constitutional, provisional or interim, divided into 66 periods of government. Likewise, there are also those periods in which the head of the State has been exercised by collegiate bodies (such as triumvirates, military juntas or councils of state).

Presidents of the Dominican Republic (1844–present) ^[1]

First Republic (1844–1861)

Central Government Junta ^{[2] [3] [4]}

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
			Start	End
		Francisco del Rosario Sánchez (1817–1861)	28 February 1844	1 March 1844	Interim president of the Central Government Junta.
		Tomás Bobadilla (1795–1871)	1 March 1844	9 June 1844	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	President of the Central Government Junta. Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	12 July 1844	14 November 1844	President of the Central Government Junta.

Presidents ^[5]

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Elections	Notes
			Start	End
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	14 November 1844	4 August 1848	1844	Resigned.
		Manuel Jimenes (1808–1854)	8 September 1848	29 May 1849	1848	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	30 May 1849	23 September 1849	—	He hold the title "Jefe Supremo" (meaning "Supreme Chief" or "Supreme Boss" in English).
		Santiago Espaillat (1785–185?)	President-elect Espaillat never took office.	—	July 1849	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)	24 September 1849	15 February 1853	Aug. 1849
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	15 February 1853	26 May 1856	1853	Resigned.
		Manuel de Regla Mota (1795–1864)	2 January 1855	30 May 1855	—	Vice-president under Pedro Santana. Acting president.
			2 July 1855	5 September 1855	—	Vice-president under Pedro Santana. Acting president.
			26 May 1856	8 October 1856	—	Vice-president under Pedro Santana, assumed the presidency after his resignation. Resigned.
		Buenaventura Báez (1812–1884)	8 October 1856	12 June 1858	—	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	—	Self-appointed president in Santiago de los Caballeros.
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	13 June 1858	31 January 1859	—
			31 January 1859	18 March 1861	1859	Approved the annexation of the country to Spain.

Spanish annexation (1861–1865)

Main article: Spanish occupation of the Dominican Republic

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notes
			Start	End
		Pedro Santana (1801–1864)	18 March 1861	20 July 1862	Captain-General of Santo Domingo. Resigned. Created 1st Marquess of Las Carreras in 1862.
		Felipe Ribero y Lemoyne (1797–1873)	20 July 1862	22 October 1863	Captain-General of Santo Domingo.
		Carlos de Vargas Machuca y Cerveto (1803–1879)	23 October 1863	30 March 1864	Captain-General of Santo Domingo.
		José de la Gándara y Navarro (1820–1885)	31 March 1864	11 July 1865	Captain-General of Santo Domingo.

Dominican Restoration War (1863–1865)

Main article: Dominican Restoration War

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notes
			Start	End
		José Antonio Salcedo (1816–1864)	14 September 1863	10 October 1864
		Gaspar Polanco (1801–1864)	10 October 1864	24 January 1865
		Benigno Filomeno de Rojas (1821–1865)	24 January 1865	24 March 1865
		Pedro Antonio Pimentel (1830–1874)	25 March 1865	11 July 1865	Spain concedes defeat and orders a withdraw from the island.

Presidents of the Second Republic (1865–1916)

•    Blue Party
•    Red Party
•   Green Party
•   No political party

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Elections	Political party	Notes
			Start	End
		Pedro Antonio Pimentel (1830–1874)	11 July 1865	4 August 1865	—	—	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		José María Cabral (1816–1899)	4 August 1865	15 November 1865	—	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	—	—	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)	8 December 1865	29 May 1866	1865	Red	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Triumvirate	29 May 1866	22 August 1866	—	—	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	—	Blue	Interim president.
			29 September 1866	31 January 1868	1866	Blue	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	—	—
		Junta of Generals	13 February 1868	2 May 1868	—	—	Members: José Antonio Hungría, Francisco Antonio Gómez Báez, José Ramón Luciano y Franco.
		Buenaventura Báez (1812–1884)	2 May 1868	2 January 1874	1868	Red	Ousted from office by defeat in the Six Years' War.
		Ignacio María González (1838–1915)	25 November 1873	21 January 1874	—	Green	Supreme chief.
		Ignacio María González (1838–1915) Manuel Altagracia Cáceres (1838–1878)	21 January 1874	5 February 1874	—	—	Generals in charge of the Supreme Power of the Nation.
		Ignacio María González (1838–1915)	5 February 1874	23 February 1876	1874	Green	Resigned.
		Council of Secretaries of State	23 February 1876	29 April 1876	—	—	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)	29 April 1876	5 October 1876	1876	Blue	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Superior Governing Junta	5 October 1876	11 November 1876	—	—	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	—	Green	Resigned.
		Marcos Antonio Cabral (1842–1903)	10 December 1876	26 December 1876	—	—	President of the Provisional Government Junta.
		Buenaventura Báez (1812–1884)	27 December 1876	2 March 1878	—	Red	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Ignacio María González (1838–1915)	1 March 1878	3 May 1878	—	Green	President of the Provisional Government of the National Movement.
		Council of Secretaries of State	2 March 1878	5 March 1878	—	—	Members: José María Cabral, Joaquín Montolío.
		Cesáreo Guillermo (1847–1885)	5 March 1878	6 July 1878	—	Red	Interim president.
		Ignacio María González (1838–1915)	6 July 1878	2 September 1878	1878	Green	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Superior Leaders of the Revolutionary Movement	2 September 1878	6 September 1878	—	—	Members: Ulises Heureaux, Cesáreo Guillermo.
		Jacinto de Castro (1811–1896)	7 September 1878	29 September 1878	—	—	President of the Supreme Court of Justice. Resigned.
		Council of Secretaries of State	30 September 1878	27 February 1879	—	—	Members: Cesáreo Guillermo, Alejandro Angulo Guridi, Pedro María Aristy.
		Cesáreo Guillermo (1847–1885)	27 February 1879	6 December 1879	1879	Red	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Gregorio Luperón (1839–1897)	6 October 1879	1 September 1880	—	Blue
		Fernando Arturo de Meriño (1833–1906)	1 September 1880	1 September 1882	1880	Blue
		Ulises Heureaux (1845–1899)	1 September 1882	1 September 1884	1882	Blue
		Francisco Gregorio Billini (1844–1898)	1 September 1884	16 May 1885	1884	Blue	Resigned.
		Alejandro Woss y Gil (1856–1932)	16 May 1885	6 January 1887	—	Blue	Vice-president under Francisco Gregorio Billini, assumed the presidency after his resignation.
		Ulises Heureaux (1845–1899)	6 January 1887	27 February 1889	1886	Blue
			27 February 1889	27 February 1893	1888	Blue
			27 February 1893	27 February 1897	1892	Blue
			27 February 1897	26 July 1899	1896	Blue	Assassinated.
		Wenceslao Figuereo (1834–1910)	26 July 1899	30 August 1899	—	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		—	—	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	—	—	Members: Mariano Cestero, Álvaro Logroño, Arístides Patiño, Pedro María Mejía.
		Horacio Vásquez (1860–1936)	4 September 1899	15 November 1899	—	Red	Interim president.
		Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (1846–1919)	15 November 1899	2 May 1902	1899	Blue	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Horacio Vásquez (1860–1936)	26 April 1902	23 April 1903	—	Red	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Alejandro Woss y Gil (1856–1932)	23 March 1903	1 August 1903	—	Blue	Interim president.
			1 August 1903	24 November 1903	1903	Blue	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Carlos Felipe Morales (1868–1914)	24 November 1903	17 June 1904	—	Red	Interim president.
			17 June 1904	24 December 1905	1904	Red	Resigned.
		Council of Secretaries of State	24 December 1905	29 December 1905	—	—	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	—	Red	Vice-president under Carlos Felipe Morales, assumed the presidency after his resignation.
			1 July 1908	19 November 1911	1908	Red	Assassinated at the start of the 1911–12 Civil War.
		Council of Secretaries of State	19 November 1911	5 December 1911	—	—	Members: Miguel Antonio Román, José María Cabral.
		Eladio Victoria (1864–1939)	5 December 1911	27 February 1912	—	—	Interim president appointed by the Congress.
			27 February 1912	30 November 1912	1912	—	Resigned.
		Adolfo Alejandro Nouel (1862–1937)	1 December 1912	13 April 1913	—	—	Archbishop of Santo Domingo, interim president appointed by the Congress. Resigned.
		José Bordas Valdez (1874–1968)	14 April 1913	15 June 1914	—	—	Interim president appointed by the Congress.
			15 June 1914	27 August 1914	June 1914	—	Resigned.
		Ramón Báez (1858–1929)	28 August 1914	5 December 1914	—	—	Interim president.
		Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (1846–1919)	6 December 1914	4 May 1916	Oct. 1914	Blue

United States occupation (1916–1924)

Main article: United States occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916–24)

•    Blue Party
•   No political party
•   Military Governor

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notes
			Start	End
		Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra (1846–1919)	4 May 1916	7 May 1916	Resigned due to the United States occupation.
		Council of Secretaries of State	7 May 1916	31 July 1916	Members: Jaime Mota, Bernardo Pichardo, Federico Velásquez y Hernández.
		Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal (1859–1935)	31 July 1916	29 November 1916	Interim president appointed by the Congress. Removed by the United States.
		Harry Shepard Knapp (1856–1923)	29 November 1916	18 November 1918	Military Governor.
		Edwin Anderson Jr. (1860–1933)	23 August 1917	11 September 1917	Acting Military Governor.
		Joseph Henry Pendleton (1860–1942)	5 February 1918	17 March 1918	Acting Military Governor.
			6 April 1918	1 June 1918	Acting Military Governor.
			2 July 1918	1 September 1918	Acting Military Governor.
		Ben Hebard Fuller (1870–1937)	18 November 1918	25 February 1919	Military Governor.
		Thomas Snowden (1857–1930)	25 February 1919	3 June 1921	Military Governor.
		Samuel Shelburne Robison (1867–1952)	3 June 1921	21 October 1922	Military Governor.
		Harry Lee (1872–1935)	3 January 1922	19 February 1922	Acting Military Governor.
			14 June 1922	24 July 1922	Acting Military Governor.
		Juan Bautista Vicini Burgos (1871–1935)	21 October 1922	12 July 1924	Interim president.

Presidents of the Third Republic (1924–1965)

•    Red Party (Red)
•   Republican Party (Republican)
•    Dominican Party (PD)
•   Rafael Trujillo and his puppet presidents
•   No political party
•    Military
•    Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD)

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)		Term of office		Elections	Political party	Notes
				Start	End
		Horacio Vásquez (1860–1936)		12 July 1924	3 March 1930	1924	Red	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
			Rafael Estrella Ureña (1889–1945)	3 March 1930	16 August 1930	—	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)	16 August 1930	16 August 1934	1930	Confederation of Parties
				16 August 1934	16 August 1938	1934	PD
			Jacinto Peynado (1878–1940)	16 August 1938	7 March 1940	1938	PD	Died in office. Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
			Manuel de Jesús Troncoso (1878–1955)	7 March 1940	18 May 1942	—	PD	Vice-president under Jacinto Peynado, assumed the presidency after his death. Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
			Rafael Trujillo (1891–1961)	18 May 1942	16 August 1947	1942	PD	Finished the presidential term of Jacinto Peynado ending on 16 August 1942.
				16 August 1947	16 August 1952	1947	PD
			Héctor Trujillo (1908–2002)	1 March 1951	1 October 1951	—	PD	Acting president.
				16 August 1952	16 August 1957	1952	PD	Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
				16 August 1957	3 August 1960	1957	PD	Resigned. Puppet president of Rafael Trujillo.
			Joaquín Balaguer (1906–2002)	3 August 1960	31 December 1961	—	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		1 January 1962	16 January 1962	—	—	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		16 January 1962	18 January 1962	—	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		18 January 1962	27 February 1963	—	—	Members: Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly (President), Eduardo Read Barreras, Eliseo Pérez Sánchez, Nicolás Pichardo, Luis Amiama Tió, Antonio Imbert Barrera, Donald Reid Cabral.
		Juan Bosch (1909–2004)		27 February 1963	25 September 1963	1962	PRD	Ousted from office by a coup d'état.
		Víctor Elby Viñas Román (1925–2004)		25 September 1963	26 September 1963	—	Military	President of the Provisional Government Junta.
	—	Triumvirate		26 September 1963	23 December 1963	—	Military	Members: Emilio de los Santos (President), Manuel Enrique Tavares Espaillat, Ramón Tapia Espinal.
	—	Triumvirate		23 December 1963	25 April 1965	—	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)

Main article: Dominican Civil War

	Faction	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Notes
				Start	End
	—	—	Revolutionary Committee	25 April 1965		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	Resigned.
		Vacant 27 April 1965 – 4 May 1965
			Francisco Caamaño (1932–1973)	4 May 1965	3 September 1965	President appointed by the Congress. Resigned.
	Loyalist (Government)	Vacant 25 April 1965 – 1 May 1965
		—	Military Junta	1 May 1965	7 May 1965	Members: Pedro Bartolomé Benoit (President), Olgo Santana Carrasco, Enrique Apolinar Casado Saladín. Resigned.
		—	Government of National Reconstruction	7 May 1965	30 August 1965	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	Interim President.

Presidents of the Fourth Republic (1966–present)

•    Social Christian Reformist Party (PRSC)
•    Dominican Revolutionary Party (PRD)
•    Dominican Liberation Party (PLD)

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Elections	Political party	Notes
			Start	End
		Joaquín Balaguer (1906–2002)	1 July 1966	16 August 1970	1966	PRSC
			16 August 1970	16 August 1974	1970	PRSC
			16 August 1974	16 August 1978	1974	PRSC
		Antonio Guzmán Fernández (1911–1982)	16 August 1978	4 July 1982	1978	PRD	Committed suicide.
		Jacobo Majluta Azar (1934–1996)	4 July 1982	16 August 1982	—	PRD	Vice-president under Antonio Guzmán, assumed the presidency after his suicide.
		Salvador Jorge Blanco (1926–2010)	16 August 1982	16 August 1986	1982	PRD
		Joaquín Balaguer (1906–2002)	16 August 1986	16 August 1990	1986	PRSC
			16 August 1990	16 August 1994	1990	PRSC
			16 August 1994	16 August 1996	1994	PRSC	After fraud charges in the elections, an agreement known as the Pact for Democracy (Pacto por la Democracia) was reached, which shortened the presidential term to two years.
		Leonel Fernández (1953–)	16 August 1996	16 August 2000	1996	PLD
		Hipólito Mejía (1941–)	16 August 2000	16 August 2004	2000	PRD
		Leonel Fernández (1953–)	16 August 2004	16 August 2008	2004	PLD
			16 August 2008	16 August 2012	2008	PLD
		Danilo Medina (1951–)	16 August 2012	16 August 2016	2012	PLD
			16 August 2016	Incumbent	2016	PLD

See also

• President of the Dominican Republic
• Vice President of the Dominican Republic
• Politics of the Dominican Republic

References

1. Castillo, Junior A. (2014). República Dominicana - Gobiernos y gobernantes desde 1844 hasta 2016. Monografías. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
2. Marcano, José E. (2009–2014). Independencia dominicana III; Conociendo mi país República Dominicana. Aspectos Históricos . Retrieved February 27, 2017.
3. Vega, Wenceslao (2008). "La labor legislativa de la Junta Central Gubernativa, marzo-octubre de 1844" (PDF). Clío, 175(12). Academia Dominicana de Historia. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
4. Tineo, Héctor (2014). Junta declara a Duarte y a un grupo de trinitarios traidores e infieles a la Patria. Vanguardia del Pueblo. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
5. Archonthology (2009). Heads of State: 1844-1861. Dominican Republic . Archonthology. Retrieved February 27, 2017.