List of presidents of Uruguay facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Uruguay is a country where the President is the main leader, acting as both the head of state (the country's symbol) and head of government (the person in charge of running the country). This list shows all the people who have been President of Uruguay since November 6, 1830, when Uruguay's first constitution was put in place.

The first president on this list is Fructuoso Rivera. He was president twice and also part of a group of three leaders called the Triumvirate from 1853 to 1854.

For a long time, most presidents of Uruguay belonged to the Colorado Party. This party was started by Fructuoso Rivera in 1836. However, there hasn't been a Colorado president since Jorge Batlle finished his term in 2005. The first truly free and democratic elections for president happened in 1922.

The current president is Yamandú Orsi from the Broad Front party. He was elected in the 2024 presidential election and took office on March 1, 2025.

Early Leaders of Uruguay
Leaders of Independent Uruguay
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Early Leaders of Uruguay

Before Uruguay became fully independent, it was a province with different governors.

Oriental Province (1814–1817)

This was a province that was part of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.

Nicolás Rodríguez Peña (July 9, 1814 – August 25, 1814): He was a governor appointed by the Supreme Director of the United Provinces.
Miguel Estanislao Soler (August 25, 1814 – February 25, 1815): Another governor.
Fernando Otorgués [es] (February 26, 1815 – July 1815): Appointed by José Gervasio Artigas, an important leader.
Miguel Barreiro [es] (July 1815 – January 20, 1817): Also appointed by José Gervasio Artigas.

Cisplatine Province (1817–1828)

After Portugal took over the area, it became a province of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves. Later, in 1822, it became a province of the Empire of Brazil.

Carlos Frederico Lecor (January 20, 1817 – February 3, 1826): He was the governor during this time.
Francisco de Paula Magessi Tavares de Carvalho [pt] (February 3, 1826 – August 27, 1828): Another governor.

Oriental Province (1825–1828)

During this period, the Oriental Province declared its independence from the Empire of Brazil. It then joined back with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.

Juan Antonio Lavalleja (September 19, 1825 – July 5, 1826): Appointed as governor by the Congress of Florida.
Joaquín Suárez (July 5, 1826 – October 12, 1827): Served as governor.
Luis Eduardo Pérez (October 12, 1827 – August 27, 1828): Appointed by Juan Antonio Lavalleja.

Leaders of Independent Uruguay

Provisional Government (1828–1830)

After a special agreement called the Preliminary Peace Convention, the Oriental Province became truly independent from both the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.

Luis Eduardo Pérez (August 27, 1828 – December 1, 1828): He was a provisional governor.
Joaquín Suárez (December 2, 1828 – December 22, 1828): Another provisional governor.
José Rondeau (December 22, 1828 – April 17, 1830): He was a provisional governor but resigned.
Juan Antonio Lavalleja (April 17, 1830 – June 28, 1830): He also served as a provisional governor.

Oriental State of Uruguay (1830–1919)

The Constitution of 1830 officially began, setting up the rules for the new country.

Juan Antonio Lavalleja (June 28, 1830 – October 24, 1830): Continued as provisional governor.
Luis Eduardo Pérez (October 24, 1830 – November 6, 1830): He was the President of the Senate and took over executive power temporarily.
Fructuoso Rivera (November 6, 1830 – October 24, 1834): He was the first official President of Uruguay, elected by the General Assembly. He later resigned.
Carlos Anaya (October 24, 1834 – March 1, 1835): As President of the Senate, he temporarily held executive power.
Manuel Oribe (March 1, 1835 – October 24, 1838): The second official President, elected by the General Assembly. He resigned.
Gabriel Antonio Pereira (October 24, 1838 – March 1, 1839): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Fructuoso Rivera (March 1, 1839 – March 1, 1843): He became president again, elected by the General Assembly.
Manuel Oribe (February 16, 1843 – October 8, 1851): During the Uruguayan Civil War, he declared himself president of a group called the Gobierno del Cerrito.
Joaquín Suárez (March 1, 1843 – February 15, 1852): He was the President of the Senate and led the Gobierno de la Defensa during the Civil War.
Bernardo Prudencio Berro (February 15, 1852 – March 1, 1852): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Juan Francisco Giró (March 1, 1852 – September 25, 1853): The fourth official President, elected by the General Assembly. He was removed from office by a coup d'état (a sudden, illegal takeover of power).
Venancio Flores (September 25, 1853 – March 12, 1854): Part of a three-person leadership group called the Triumvirate.
Fructuoso Rivera (September 25, 1853 – January 13, 1854): Also part of the Triumvirate. He died while in office.
Juan Antonio Lavalleja (September 25, 1853 – October 22, 1853): The third member of the Triumvirate. He also died in office.
Venancio Flores (March 12, 1854 – September 10, 1855): The fifth official President, elected by the General Assembly. He resigned.
Luis María Lamas (August 29, 1855 – September 10, 1855): He declared himself president after a rebellion.
Manuel Basilio Bustamante (September 10, 1855 – February 15, 1856): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
José María Plá [es] (February 15, 1856 – March 1, 1856): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Gabriel Antonio Pereira (March 1, 1856 – March 1, 1860): The sixth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Bernardo Prudencio Berro (March 1, 1860 – March 1, 1864): The seventh official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Atanasio Cruz Aguirre (March 1, 1864 – February 15, 1865): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge. He resigned after an invasion by Brazil.
Tomás Villalba (February 15, 1865 – February 20, 1865): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge. He also resigned after the Brazilian invasion.
Venancio Flores (February 20, 1865 – February 15, 1868): He became the leader after the Brazilian invasion, acting as a provisional governor.
Pedro Varela (February 15, 1868 – March 1, 1868): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Lorenzo Batlle (March 1, 1868 – March 1, 1872): The eighth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Tomás Gomensoro Albín (March 1, 1872 – March 1, 1873): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
José Eugenio Ellauri (March 1, 1873 – January 22, 1875): The ninth official President, elected by the General Assembly. He resigned.
Pedro Varela (January 22, 1875 – March 10, 1876): The tenth official President, appointed after Ellauri resigned. He was removed by a coup.
Lorenzo Latorre (March 10, 1876 – March 15, 1880): He started as a provisional governor and later became the eleventh official President, elected by the General Assembly. He resigned.
Francisco Antonino Vidal (March 15, 1880 – March 1, 1882): The twelfth official President, appointed to finish a presidential term. He resigned.
Máximo Santos (March 1, 1882 – March 1, 1886): The thirteenth official President, appointed for a four-year term.
Francisco Antonino Vidal (March 1, 1886 – May 24, 1886): The fourteenth official President, elected by the General Assembly. He resigned.
Máximo Santos (May 24, 1886 – November 18, 1886): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge. He resigned.
Máximo Tajes (November 18, 1886 – March 1, 1890): The fifteenth official President, appointed to finish a presidential term.
Julio Herrera y Obes (March 1, 1890 – March 1, 1894): The sixteenth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Duncan Stewart (March 1, 1894 – March 21, 1894): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Juan Idiarte Borda (March 21, 1894 – August 25, 1897): The seventeenth official President, elected by the General Assembly. He was assassinated.
Juan Lindolfo Cuestas (August 25, 1897 – February 15, 1899): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge. He later became a de facto (in practice, but not legally) president after a self-coup and then resigned.
José Batlle y Ordóñez (February 15, 1899 – March 1, 1899): President of the Senate, temporarily in charge.
Juan Lindolfo Cuestas (March 1, 1899 – March 1, 1903): The eighteenth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
José Batlle y Ordóñez (March 1, 1903 – March 1, 1907): The nineteenth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Claudio Williman (March 1, 1907 – March 1, 1911): The twentieth official President, elected by the General Assembly.
José Batlle y Ordóñez (March 1, 1911 – March 1, 1915): The twenty-first official President, elected by the General Assembly.
Feliciano Viera (March 1, 1915 – March 1, 1919): The twenty-second official President, elected by the General Assembly.

Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1919–present)

The Constitution of 1918 came into effect. This new constitution said that the president would be chosen directly by the people for a five-year term. A president could be re-elected later, but not right away.

1918 Constitution (1918–1933)

Baltasar Brum (March 1, 1919 – March 1, 1923): The twenty-third official President. During this time, the President worked alongside a group called the National Council of Administration.
José Serrato (March 1, 1923 – March 1, 1927): The twenty-fourth official President. He also worked with the National Council of Administration.
Juan Campisteguy (March 1, 1927 – March 1, 1931): The twenty-fifth official President. He also worked with the National Council of Administration.
Gabriel Terra (March 1, 1931 – March 31, 1933): The twenty-sixth official President. He also worked with the National Council of Administration.

Terrist Regime (1933–1942)

Gabriel Terra (March 31, 1933 – June 19, 1938): He became a de facto president after a self-coup. Later, he was elected provisional president by a special convention.
Alfredo Baldomir (June 19, 1938 – March 1, 1943): The twenty-seventh official President. He also became a de facto president after a self-coup for a short period.

1942 Constitution (1943–1952)

Juan José de Amézaga (March 1, 1943 – March 1, 1947): The twenty-eighth official President.
Tomás Berreta (March 1, 1947 – August 2, 1947): The twenty-ninth official President. He died while in office.
Luis Batlle Berres (August 2, 1947 – March 1, 1951): The thirtieth official President. He was the Vice President and took over after President Berreta died.
Andrés Martínez Trueba (March 1, 1951 – March 1, 1952): The thirty-first official President. After his term, the role of President was replaced by the National Council of Government.

1952 Constitution (1952–1967)

During this period, Uruguay was led by a group called the National Council of Government, instead of a single president. The Council had a president who rotated each year.

National Council of Government 1952–1955 (March 1, 1952 – March 1, 1955): Led by Andrés Martínez Trueba.
National Council of Government 1955–1959 (March 1, 1955 – March 1, 1959): Led by different presidents each year, including Luis Batlle Berres, Alberto Fermín Zubiría, Arturo Lezama, and Carlos Fischer.
National Council of Government 1959–1963 (March 1, 1959 – March 1, 1963): Led by Martín Echegoyen, Benito Nardone, Eduardo Víctor Haedo, and Faustino Harrison.
National Council of Government 1963–67 (March 1, 1963 – March 1, 1967): Led by Daniel Fernández Crespo, Luis Giannattasio, Washington Beltrán, and Alberto Héber Usher.

1967 Constitution (1967–1973)

The 1967 Constitution brought back the single President role.

Óscar Diego Gestido (March 1, 1967 – December 6, 1967): The thirty-second official President. He died while in office.
Jorge Pacheco Areco (December 6, 1967 – March 1, 1972): The thirty-third official President. He was the Vice President and took over after Gestido died.
Juan María Bordaberry (March 1, 1972 – June 27, 1973): The thirty-fourth official President.

Civic-Military Dictatorship (1973–1985)

This was a period when the military had control of the government.

Juan María Bordaberry (June 27, 1973 – June 12, 1976): He was removed from office during the 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état, which started the dictatorship.
Alberto Demicheli (June 12, 1976 – September 1, 1976): Appointed by the Armed Forces.
Aparicio Méndez (September 1, 1976 – September 1, 1981): Appointed by the Armed Forces for a five-year term.
Gregorio Álvarez (September 1, 1981 – February 12, 1985): Appointed by the Armed Forces. He resigned.
Rafael Addiego (February 12, 1985 – March 1, 1985): He was the President of the Supreme Court and was appointed by the Armed Forces for a short time.

Democratic Restoration (1985–present)

Uruguay returned to being a democratic country.

Julio María Sanguinetti (March 1, 1985 – March 1, 1990): The thirty-fifth official President. He was the first democratic president after the dictatorship.
Luis Alberto Lacalle (March 1, 1990 – March 1, 1995): The thirty-sixth official President.
Julio María Sanguinetti (March 1, 1995 – March 1, 2000): The thirty-seventh official President. He served a second term.
Jorge Batlle (March 1, 2000 – March 1, 2005): The thirty-eighth official President.
Tabaré Vázquez (March 1, 2005 – March 1, 2010): The thirty-ninth official President.
José Mujica (March 1, 2010 – March 1, 2015): The fortieth official President.
Tabaré Vázquez (March 1, 2015 – March 1, 2020): The forty-first official President. He also served a second term.
Luis Lacalle Pou (March 1, 2020 – March 1, 2025): The forty-second official President.
Yamandú Orsi (March 1, 2025 – Incumbent): The forty-third official President.