President pro tempore of Mercosur

President pro tempore of Mercosur
Presidente pro tempore do Mercosul (Portuguese) Presidente pro tempore de Mercosur (Spanish)
Flag of Mercosur in Spanish and Portuguese
Incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva since 3 July 2025
Style	Mr. President (informal) The Most Excellent (formal) His Excellency (alternative formal, diplomatic)
Term length	Approximately 6 months
Constituting instrument	Treaty of Asunción
Inaugural holder	Carlos Menem
Website	www.mercosur.int

The President pro tempore of Mercosur (PPT) is the highest legal-political representative pro tempore of the Southern Common Market (Mercosul). The office is held for a six-month period by a head of State of one of the State members. It is alternated, in alphabetical order, among the presidents of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela (suspended from the organization).

The ceremonial mallet given to the holders of President pro tempore of Mercosur is a handicraft gavel, which is given to every new holder. ^{[1] [2]}

State members

• President of Argentina
• President of Brazil
• President of Paraguay
• President of Uruguay
• President of Bolivia
• President of Venezuela

(suspended) ^[3]

List

No.	Portrait	President	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Country
1		Carlos Menem (1930–2021)	29 November 1991 (1991-11-29)	1 July 1992 (1992-07-01)	215 days	Argentina
2		Fernando Collor (born 1949)	1 July 1992 (1992-07-01)	1 January 1993 (1993-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
3		Andrés Rodríguez (1923–1997)	1 January 1993 (1993-01-01)	1 July 1993 (1993-07-01)	181 days	Paraguay
4		Luis Alberto Lacalle (born 1941)	1 July 1993 (1993-07-01)	1 January 1994 (1994-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
5		Carlos Menem (1930–2021)	1 January 1994 (1994-01-01)	1 July 1994 (1994-07-01)	181 days	Argentina
6		Itamar Franco (1929–2011)	1 July 1994 (1994-07-01)	1 January 1995 (1995-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
7		Juan Carlos Wasmosy (born 1938)	1 January 1995 (1995-01-01)	1 July 1995 (1995-07-01)	181 days	Paraguay
8		Julio María Sanguinetti (born 1936)	1 July 1995 (1995-07-01)	1 January 1996 (1996-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
9		Carlos Menem (1930–2021)	1 January 1996 (1996-01-01)	1 July 1996 (1996-07-01)	182 days	Argentina
10		Fernando Henrique Cardoso (born 1931)	1 July 1996 (1996-07-01)	1 January 1997 (1997-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
11		Juan Carlos Wasmosy (born 1938)	1 January 1997 (1997-01-01)	1 July 1997 (1997-07-01)	181 days	Paraguay
12		Julio María Sanguinetti (born 1936)	1 July 1997 (1997-07-01)	1 January 1998 (1998-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
13		Carlos Menem (1930–2021)	1 January 1998 (1998-01-01)	1 July 1998 (1998-07-01)	181 days	Argentina
14		Fernando Henrique Cardoso (born 1931)	1 July 1998 (1998-07-01)	1 January 1999 (1999-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
15		Raúl Cubas Grau (born 1943)	1 January 1999 (1999-01-01)	28 March 1999 (1999-03-28)	86 days	Paraguay
16		Luis González Macchi (born 1947)	28 March 1999 (1999-03-28)	1 July 1999 (1999-07-01)	95 days	Paraguay
17		Julio María Sanguinetti (born 1936)	1 July 1999 (1999-07-01)	1 January 2000 (2000-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
18		Fernando de la Rúa (1937–2019)	1 January 2000 (2000-01-01)	1 July 2000 (2000-07-01)	182 days	Argentina
19		Fernando Henrique Cardoso (born 1931)	1 July 2000 (2000-07-01)	1 January 2001 (2001-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
20		Luis González Macchi (born 1947)	1 January 2001 (2001-01-01)	1 July 2001 (2001-07-01)	181 days	Paraguay
21		Jorge Batlle (1927–2016)	1 July 2001 (2001-07-01)	1 January 2002 (2002-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
22		Eduardo Duhalde (born 1941)	1 January 2002 (2002-01-01)	1 July 2002 (2002-07-01)	181 days	Argentina
23		Fernando Henrique Cardoso (born 1931)	1 July 2002 (2002-07-01)	1 January 2003 (2003-01-01)	184 days	Brazil
24		Luis González Macchi (born 1947)	1 January 2003 (2003-01-01)	1 July 2003 (2003-07-01)	181 days	Paraguay
25		Jorge Batlle (1927–2016)	1 July 2003 (2003-07-01)	1 January 2004 (2004-01-01)	184 days	Uruguay
26		Néstor Kirchner (1950–2010)	1 January 2004 (2004-01-01)	1 July 2004 (2004-07-01)	182 days	Argentina
27		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	1 July 2004 (2004-07-01)	1 January 2005 (2005-01-01)	174 days	Brazil
28		Nicanor Duarte (born 1956)	1 January 2005 (2005-01-01)	20 June 2005 (2005-06-20)	170 days	Paraguay
29		Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020)	20 June 2005 (2005-06-20)	9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)	172 days	Uruguay
30		Néstor Kirchner (1950–2010)	9 December 2005 (2005-12-09)	21 July 2006 (2006-07-21)	224 days	Argentina
31		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	21 July 2006 (2006-07-21)	19 January 2007 (2007-01-19)	182 days	Brazil
32		Nicanor Duarte (born 1956)	19 January 2007 (2007-01-19)	29 June 2007 (2007-06-29)	161 days	Paraguay
33		Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020)	29 June 2007 (2007-06-29)	18 December 2007 (2007-12-18)	172 days	Uruguay
34		Cristina Kirchner (born 1953)	18 December 2007 (2007-12-18)	1 July 2008 (2008-07-01)	196 days	Argentina
35		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	1 July 2008 (2008-07-01)	16 December 2008 (2008-12-16)	168 days	Brazil
36		Fernando Lugo (born 1951)	16 December 2008 (2008-12-16)	24 July 2009 (2009-07-24)	220 days	Paraguay
37		Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020)	24 July 2009 (2009-07-24)	8 December 2009 (2009-12-08)	137 days	Uruguay
38		Cristina Kirchner (born 1953)	8 December 2009 (2009-12-08)	3 August 2010 (2010-08-03)	238 days	Argentina
39		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	3 August 2010 (2010-08-03)	17 December 2010 (2010-12-17)	136 days	Brazil
40		Fernando Lugo (born 1951)	17 December 2010 (2010-12-17)	29 June 2011 (2011-06-29)	194 days	Paraguay
41		José Mujica (born 1935)	29 June 2011 (2011-06-29)	20 December 2011 (2011-12-20)	174 days	Uruguay
42		Cristina Kirchner (born 1953)	20 December 2011 (2011-12-20)	29 June 2012 (2012-06-29)	192 days	Argentina
43		Dilma Rousseff (born 1947)	29 June 2012 (2012-06-29)	7 December 2012 (2012-12-07)	161 days	Brazil
44		José Mujica (born 1935)	7 December 2012 (2012-12-07)	12 July 2013 (2013-07-12)	217 days	Uruguay
45		Nicolás Maduro (born 1962)	12 July 2013 (2013-07-12)	29 July 2014 (2014-07-29)	1 year, 17 days	Venezuela
46		Cristina Kirchner (born 1953)	29 July 2014 (2014-07-29)	17 December 2014 (2014-12-17)	141 days	Argentina
47		Dilma Rousseff (born 1947)	17 December 2014 (2014-12-17)	17 July 2015 (2015-07-17)	212 days	Brazil
48		Horacio Cartes (born 1956)	17 July 2015 (2015-07-17)	21 December 2015 (2015-12-21)	157 days	Paraguay
49		Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020)	21 December 2015 (2015-12-21)	29 July 2016 (2016-07-29)	221 days	Uruguay
–		Joint presidency [b] Acting	13 September 2016 (2016-09-13)	14 December 2016 (2016-12-14)	92 days	Argentina Brazil Paraguay Uruguay
50		Mauricio Macri (born 1959)	14 December 2016 (2016-12-14)	21 July 2017 (2017-07-21)	219 days	Argentina
51		Michel Temer (born 1940)	21 July 2017 (2017-07-21)	21 December 2017 (2017-12-21)	153 days	Brazil
52		Horacio Cartes (born 1956)	21 December 2017 (2017-12-21)	18 June 2018 (2018-06-18)	179 days	Paraguay
53		Tabaré Vázquez (1940–2020)	18 June 2018 (2018-06-18)	18 December 2018 (2018-12-18)	183 days	Uruguay
54		Mauricio Macri (born 1959)	18 December 2018 (2018-12-18)	17 July 2019 (2019-07-17)	211 days	Argentina
55		Jair Bolsonaro (born 1955)	17 July 2019 (2019-07-17)	5 December 2019 (2019-12-05)	141 days	Brazil
56		Mario Abdo Benítez (born 1971)	5 December 2019 (2019-12-05)	2 July 2020 (2020-07-02)	210 days	Paraguay
57		Luis Lacalle Pou (born 1973)	2 July 2020 (2020-07-02)	16 December 2020 (2020-12-16)	167 days	Uruguay
58		Alberto Fernández (born 1959)	16 December 2020 (2020-12-16)	8 July 2021 (2021-07-08)	204 days	Argentina
59		Jair Bolsonaro (born 1955)	8 July 2021 (2021-07-08)	17 December 2021 (2021-12-17)	162 days	Brazil
60		Mario Abdo Benítez (born 1971)	17 December 2021 (2021-12-17)	21 July 2022 (2022-07-21)	216 days	Paraguay
61		Luis Lacalle Pou (born 1973)	21 July 2022 (2022-07-21)	6 December 2022 (2022-12-06)	138 days	Uruguay
62		Alberto Fernández (born 1959)	6 December 2022 (2022-12-06)	4 July 2023 (2023-07-04)	210 days	Argentina
63		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	4 July 2023 (2023-07-04)	7 December 2023 (2023-12-07)	156 days	Brazil
64		Santiago Peña (born 1978)	7 December 2023 (2023-12-07)	8 July 2024 (2024-07-08)	214 days	Paraguay
65		Luis Lacalle Pou (born 1973)	8 July 2024 (2024-07-08)	6 December 2024 (2024-12-06)	151 days	Uruguay
66		Javier Milei (born 1970)	6 December 2024 (2024-12-06)	3 July 2025 (2025-07-03)	209 days	Argentina
67		Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (born 1945)	3 July 2025 (2025-07-03)	Incumbent	1 day	Brazil

Notes

2. Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez, appointed by Nicolás Maduro as representative for the presidency, was blocked from assuming office by the others State members. Venezuela was later suspended from the organization on 1 December 2016. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. "Mujica assume presidência do Mercosul e diz que "fará o possível"". Terra (in Brazilian Portuguese). 7 December 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
2. "Em cúpula, Brasil passa ao Uruguai presidência do Mercosul". ExpressoMT (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 5 January 2014. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
3. "Países do Mercosul". Mercosul (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 4 July 2023.
6. "Governo da Venezuela se declara presidente pro tempore do Mercosul". Agência Brasil (in Brazilian Portuguese). 5 August 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
7. "Uruguai encerra presidência do Mercosul sem anunciar transferência". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 29 July 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2023.