List of presidents of Colombia facts for kids

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The House of Nariño, where the president lives and works.

In Colombia, the President is the country's main leader. They are both the head of state (the official face of the country) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the country). The president is also the top commander of Colombia's military.

People in Colombia vote directly for their president. A president serves for four years. Before 2015, a president could be elected twice. But now, a person can only be elected president once. If a president dies, resigns, or is removed from office, the Vice President takes over. To become president, a person must be at least 30 years old and born in Colombia.

Early Leaders of Colombia (1810–1819)

Before Colombia became fully independent in 1819, there were leaders who governed different parts of the country. These leaders are often seen as early presidents. They led during a time when people were fighting for freedom from Spain.

Some of these leaders were part of the Supreme Governing Junta of Santa Fe. Others led the Free and Independent State of Cundinamarca or the United Provinces of New Granada. These groups often disagreed, leading to a complicated period in Colombia's history.

• Antonio José Amar y Borbón (1810)
• José Miguel Pey (1810–1811)
• Jorge Tadeo Lozano (1811)
• Antonio Nariño (1811–1813)
• Manuel Bernardo Álvarez (1813–1814)

Leaders of Gran Colombia (1819–1831)

After Colombia gained independence, a large country called Gran Colombia was formed. It included what is now Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The first president of Gran Colombia was General Simón Bolívar y Palacios. He was a hero who led the fight for independence.

The Constitution of Cúcuta in 1821 set up the rules for this new country. While Bolívar was away fighting to free other Spanish colonies, the vice president, Francisco de Paula Santander y Omaña, often managed the country. Gran Colombia eventually broke apart into separate countries in 1831.

• Republic of Colombia •
No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		Simón Bolívar	1819, 1821, 1825	15 February 1819	4 May 1830	11 years, 78 days	Independent
	2		Joaquín de Mosquera	1830	4 May 1830	4 September 1830	123 days	Independent
3		Rafael Urdaneta		4 September 1830	30 April 1831	238 days	Independent
4		Francisco de Paula Santander	1832	10 March 1832	1 April 1837	5 years, 22 days	no party

Presidents of New Granada (1832–1858)

After Gran Colombia split up, the country became the Republic of New Granada. A new constitution was created in 1832. Presidents were chosen through elections, except for one who took power by force.

Francisco de Paula Santander y Omaña was the first president of this new republic. He served the longest, for over five years. The vice president and president were elected separately. This sometimes caused confusion about who would take over if the president couldn't serve.

Political parties

     Conservative      Liberal

• Republic of New Granada •
No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		Francisco de Paula Santander	1832, 1833	10 March 1832	1 April 1837	5 years, 22 days	Independent
2		José Ignacio de Márquez	1837	1 April 1837	1 April 1841	4 years	Independent
3		Pedro Alcántara Herrán	1841	1 April 1841	1 April 1845	4 years	Independent
4		Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera	1845	1 April 1845	1 April 1849	4 years	Independent
5		José Hilario López	1849	1 April 1849	1 April 1853	4 years	Liberal
6		José María Obando	1853	1 April 1853	17 April 1854	1 year, 16 days	Liberal
7		José María Melo	—	17 April 1854	4 December 1854	231 days	Liberal
8		Mariano Ospina Rodríguez	1857	1 April 1857	1 April 1861	4 years	Conservative

Presidents of the Granadine Confederation (1858–1863)

In 1858, the country changed its name again to the Granadine Confederation. A new constitution removed the Vice President role. Instead, there were "Presidential Designates" chosen each year to take over if the president was away.

This period was marked by a civil war between the Conservative and Liberal parties. Because of the war, it was hard to elect and swear in new presidents. Sometimes, different people claimed to be the rightful president at the same time. This made the government very unstable until the war ended in 1863.

Political parties

     Conservative      Liberal

• Granadine Confederation •
No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		Mariano Ospina Rodríguez	1857	1 April 1857	1 April 1861	4 years	Conservative
2		Bartolomé Calvo	1861	1 April 1861	18 July 1861	108 days	Conservative
3		Juan José Nieto Gil	—	25 January 1861	18 July 1861	174 days	Liberal
4		Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera	—	18 July 1861	4 February 1863	1 year, 201 days	Liberal

Presidents of the United States of Colombia (1863–1886)

In 1863, Colombia became the United States of Colombia. This was a time when the country was organized more like a group of states, similar to the United States of America. Presidents served for two years.

Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera y Arboleda was the first president under this new system. He had also been a leader during the Granadine Confederation. Rafael Núñez Moledo served the longest during this period. The system of "Presidential Designates" continued, meaning there was no Vice President.

Political parties

      Liberal

• United States of Colombia •
No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera	1860	14 May 1863	1 April 1864	323 days	Liberal
2		Manuel Murillo Toro	1864	1 April 1864	1 April 1866	2 years	Liberal
3		Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera	1866	1 April 1866	23 May 1867	1 year, 52 days	Liberal
4		Santos Acosta Castillo	—	23 May 1867	1 April 1868	314 days	Liberal
5		Santos Gutiérrez Prieto	1868	1 April 1868	1 April 1870	2 years	Liberal
6		Eustorgio Salgar	1870	1 April 1870	1 April 1872	2 years	Liberal
7		Manuel Murillo Toro	1872	1 April 1872	1 April 1874	2 years	Liberal
8		Santiago Pérez	1874	1 April 1874	1 April 1876	2 years	Liberal
9		Aquileo Parra	1876	1 April 1876	1 April 1878	2 years	Liberal
10		Julián Trujillo	1878	1 April 1878	1 April 1880	2 years	Liberal
11		Rafael Núñez	1880	1 April 1880	1 April 1882	2 years	Liberal
12		Francisco Javier Zaldúa	1882	1 April 1882	21 December 1882	264 days	Liberal
13		José Eusebio Otálora	—	21 December 1882	1 April 1884	1 year, 102 days	Liberal
14		Rafael Núñez	1884	1 April 1884	1 April 1886	2 years	Liberal

Presidents of the Republic of Colombia (1886–Present)

Since 1886, Colombia has been known as the Republic of Colombia, with a new constitution that year. This is the modern era of Colombian presidents.

Rafael Núñez Moledo was the first president under this new constitution. He served the longest in this period. The Vice President role was removed in 1905 but brought back in 1991. Since 2015, a president can only serve one term.

Political parties

     National      Conservative      Liberal      Republican Union      Military rule      Colombia First      National Unity      Democratic Center      Humane Colombia

• Republic of Colombia •
No.	Portrait	Name	Elected	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Political party
1		Rafael Núñez	1886, 1892	1 April 1886	18 September 1894	8 years, 170 days	National
2		Miguel Antonio Caro	—	18 September 1894	7 August 1898	3 years, 323 days	National
3		Manuel Antonio Sanclemente	1898	7 August 1898	31 July 1900	1 year, 358 days	National
4		José Manuel Marroquín	—	31 July 1900	7 August 1904	4 years, 7 days	Conservative
5		Rafael Reyes	1904	7 August 1904	27 July 1909	4 years, 354 days	Conservative
6		Ramón González Valencia	—	7 August 1909	7 August 1910	1 year	Conservative
7		Carlos Eugenio Restrepo	1910	7 August 1910	7 August 1914	4 years	Republican Union
8		José Vicente Concha	1914	7 August 1914	7 August 1918	4 years	Conservative
9		Marco Fidel Suárez	1918	7 August 1918	11 November 1921	3 years, 96 days	Conservative
10		Jorge Holguín	—	11 November 1921	7 August 1922	269 days	Conservative
11		Pedro Nel Ospina	1922	7 August 1922	7 August 1926	4 years	Conservative
12		Miguel Abadía Méndez	1926	7 August 1926	7 August 1930	4 years	Conservative
13		Enrique Olaya Herrera	1930	7 August 1930	7 August 1934	4 years	Liberal
14		Alfonso López Pumarejo	1934	7 August 1934	7 August 1938	4 years	Liberal
15		Eduardo Santos Montejo	1938	7 August 1938	7 August 1942	4 years	Liberal
16		Alfonso López Pumarejo	1942	7 August 1942	7 August 1945	3 years	Liberal
—		Alberto Lleras Camargo	—	7 august 1945	7 august 1946	1 year	Liberal
17		Mariano Ospina Pérez	1946	7 August 1946	7 August 1950	4 years	Conservative
18		Laureano Gómez Castro	1949	7 August 1950	13 June 1953	2 years, 310 days	Conservative
19		Gustavo Rojas Pinilla	1954	13 June 1953	10 May 1957	3 years, 331 days	Military
—		Military Junta	—	10 May 1957	7 August 1958	1 year, 89 days	Military
20		Alberto Lleras Camargo	1958	7 August 1958	7 August 1962	4 years	Liberal
21		Guillermo León Valencia	1962	7 August 1962	7 August 1966	4 years	Conservative
22		Carlos Lleras Restrepo	1966	7 August 1966	7 August 1970	4 years	Liberal
23		Misael Pastrana Borrero	1970	7 August 1970	7 August 1974	4 years	Conservative
24		Alfonso López Michelsen	1974	7 August 1974	7 August 1978	4 years	Liberal
25		Julio César Turbay Ayala	1978	7 August 1978	7 August 1982	4 years	Liberal
26		Belisario Betancur	1982	7 August 1982	7 August 1986	4 years	Conservative
27		Virgilio Barco Vargas	1986	7 August 1986	7 August 1990	4 years	Liberal
28		César Gaviria	1990	7 August 1990	7 August 1994	4 years	Liberal
29		Ernesto Samper	1994	7 August 1994	7 August 1998	4 years	Liberal
30		Andrés Pastrana	1998	7 August 1998	7 August 2002	4 years	Conservative
31		Álvaro Uribe Vélez	2002, 2006	7 August 2002	7 August 2010	8 years	Colombia First
32		Juan Manuel Santos	2010, 2014	7 August 2010	7 August 2018	8 years	National Unity
			33						Iván Duque Márquez	2018	7 August 2018	7 August 2022	4 years	Democratic Center
34		Gustavo Petro Urrego	2022	7 August 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 321 days	Humane Colombia

Timeline of Presidents

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Presidentes de Colombia para niños

• List of vice presidents of Colombia
• List of presidential designates of Colombia
• List of viceroys of New Granada

Images for kids

• 

  Flag of the Revolution of 1810

• 

  Coat of Arms of Bogota

• 

  Antonio José Amar y Borbón

• 

  José Miguel Pey

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  Flag of Cundinamarca

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  Coat of Arms of Cundinamarca

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  Jorge Tadeo Lozano

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  Antonio Nariño

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  Manuel Bernardo Álvarez

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  Coat of arms of United Provinces of New Granada

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  Jorge Tadeo Lozano

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  Antonio Nariño y Álvarez

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  Manuel Benito de Castro Arcaya

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  Antonio Nariño y Álvarez

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  Felipe de Vergara Azcárate y Caycedo

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  Camilo Torres Tenorio

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  José Fernández Madrid

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  José Joaquín Camacho

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  Custodio García Rovira

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  Manuel Rodríguez Torices

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  Crisanto Valenzuela

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  Antonio Villavicencio y Verastegui

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  Camilo Torres Tenorio

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  José Fernández Madrid

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  Liborio Mejía Gutiérrez

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  Fernando Serrano Uribe

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  Flag of Gran Colombia

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  Coat of arms of Gran Colombia (1821)

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  Francisco de Paula Santander y Omaña

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  Estanislao Vergara y Sanz de Santamaría

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  Domingo Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría

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  Domingo Caycedo y Sanz de Santamaría

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  José María Obando del Campo

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  José Ignacio de Márquez Barreto

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  Juan José Nieto Gil

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  José Gregorio Ignacio Gutiérrez Vergara

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  Bartolomé Calvo Díaz

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  Manuel Antonio Sanclemente Sanclemente

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  José Manuel Marroquín Ricaurte

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  Rafael Reyes Prieto

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  Ramón González Valencia

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  Carlos Eugenio Restrepo Restrepo

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  José Vicente Concha Ferreira

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  Marco Fidel Suárez

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  Jorge Holguín Mallarino

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  Pedro Nel Ospina Vázquez

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  Miguel Abadía Méndez

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  Enrique Olaya Herrera

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  Alfonso López Pumarejo

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  Eduardo Santos Montejo

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  Mariano Ospina Pérez

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  Laureano Gómez Castro

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  Gustavo Rojas Pinilla

• 

  Guillermo León Valencia Muñoz

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  Carlos Lleras Restrepo

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  Misael Pastrana Borrero

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  Alfonso López Michelsen

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  Julio César Turbay Ayala

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  Belisario Betancur Cuartas

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  Virgilio Barco Vargas

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  César Gaviria Trujillo

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  Ernesto Samper Pizano

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  Andrés Pastrana Arango

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  Álvaro Uribe Vélez

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  Juan Manuel Santos Calderón

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  Iván Duque Márquez

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  Gustavo Petro Urrego