Vice president of the Dominican Republic facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vice President of the Dominican Republic
Incumbent Raquel Peña de Antuña since 16 August 2020
Appointer	Universal suffrage election
Term length	Four years, with one re-election allowed
Inaugural holder	Benigno Filomeno de Rojas
Formation	7 July 1857

The Vice President of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: Vicepresidente de la República Dominicana) is the second most important political job in the Dominican Republic. This person is next in line to become president. If the president leaves office because of death, resignation, or removal, the vice president steps in. So far, there have been thirty-nine vice presidents in the Dominican Republic. The Constitution of the Dominican Republic says that the vice president is elected at the same time as the president.

From 1844 to 1865, during what is called the First Republic, there was no official vice president role in the constitution. However, there were people who acted as vice presidents during this time. This happened when Pedro Santana was in charge.

A Brief History of the Vice President Role

After the Dominican Republic became independent, a group called the Central Governing Junta led the country. Because of this, there was no need for a vice president right away. However, many believe the first person to act as vice president was Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante. Pedro Santana chose him to act as vice president when Santana had to travel abroad.

The rules for the Vice President's job have changed many times over the years. Sometimes, the role was even removed from the government, only to be brought back later. When the job was removed, if the president needed to leave the country, someone else was chosen to act as president. This created a temporary second-in-command. For example, from 1905 to 1911, the vice president's office was removed.

During the 31-year rule of Rafael Trujillo, the vice president's job was also removed or left empty several times.

Since 1966, which is known as the start of the Fourth Republic, the Vice President of the Dominican Republic has been a permanent position. Also, the vice president must be elected by the people along with the president. They are no longer chosen by the president alone.

Vice Presidents from 1844 to 1861

This table shows the people who served as vice president during the early years of the Dominican Republic.

Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	President
	Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante	1853	1853	Pedro Santana
	Manuel de Regla Mota	15 February 1854	26 May 1856
	Antonio Abad Alfau Bustamante	1856	1856	Manuel de Regla Mota
	Buenaventura Báez	6 October 1856	8 October 1856	Manuel de Regla Mota
	Domingo Daniel Pichardo Pró	1857	1858	Buenaventura Báez
	Benigno Filomeno de Rojas	1858	1861	Pedro Santana

During the Annexation by Spain (1861–1865)

This table lists vice presidents during the time the Dominican Republic was under Spanish rule and the Dominican Restoration War.

Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	President
	Matías Ramón Mella	1863	1864	José Antonio Salcedo
	Ulises Francisco Espaillat	1864	1864	José Antonio Salcedo

Vice Presidents from 1865 to 1924

Here are the vice presidents who served between 1865 and 1924.

Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	President
	Gregorio Luperón	24 January 1865	24 March 1865	Benigno Filomeno de Rojas
	Benigno Filomeno de Rojas	24 March 1865	4 August 1865	Pedro Antonio Pimentel
	Francisco Antonio Gómez y Báez	1865	1866	Buenaventura Báez
	Manuel Altagracia Cáceres	1868	1871	Buenaventura Báez
	Juan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy	1871	1874	Buenaventura Báez
	Francisco Gregorio Billini	5 March 1878	8 July 1878	Cesareo Guillermo
	Casimiro Nemesio de Moya	1882	1884	Ulises Heureaux
	Alejandro Woss y Gil	1884	1885	Francisco Gregorio Billini
	Segundo Francisco Imbert del Monte	1887	1889	Ulises Heureaux
	Manuel María Gautier	1889	1893	Ulises Heureaux
	Wenceslao Figuereo	1893	26 July 1899	Ulises Heureaux
	Horacio Vásquez	15 November 1899	2 May 1902	Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra
	Eugenio Deschamps Peña	March 1903	November 1903	Alejandro Woss y Gil
	Ramón Cáceres	24 November 1903	29 December 1905	Carlos Felipe Morales
Abolished (29 December 1905 – 12 July 1924)

Vice Presidents from 1924 to 1965

This section lists the vice presidents who served from 1924 to 1965.

Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	President
	Federico Velázquez	12 July 1924	16 August 1928	Horacio Vásquez
	José Dolores Alfonseca	16 August 1928	3 March 1930	Horacio Vásquez
Vacant (3 March 1930 – 16 August 1930)
	Rafael Estrella Ureña	16 August 1930	December 1931	Rafael Trujillo
Vacant (December 1931 – 16 August 1934)
	Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado	16 August 1934	16 August 1938	Rafael Trujillo
	Manuel de Jesús Troncoso de la Concha	16 August 1938	24 February 1940	Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado
Vacant (7 March 1940 – 18 May 1942; The Minister of the Armed Force was third in line)
Position abolished (18 May 1942 – 16 August 1957)
	Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo	16 August 1957	3 August 1960	Héctor Trujillo
	Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly	3 August 1960	18 January 1962	Joaquín Balaguer
	Eduardo Read Barreras	18 January 1962	1962	Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly
	Nicolás Pichardo	1962	27 February 1963
	Armando González Tamayo	27 February 1963	25 September 1963	Juan Bosch
None (Triumvirate) (26 September 1963 – 25 April 1965; chaired from December 29, 1963 by Donald Reid Cabral)
Vacant (May 1965 – 3 September 1965)
	Manuel Joaquín Castillo	3 September 1965	1 July 1966	Héctor García-Godoy

Vice Presidents from 1966 to Today

This table shows the vice presidents who have served from 1966 until the present day.

Picture	Name	Began office	Left office	President
	Francisco Augusto Lora	1 July 1966	16 August 1970	Joaquín Balaguer
	Carlos Rafael Goico Morales	16 August 1970	16 August 1978
	Jacobo Majluta Azar	16 August 1978	4 July 1982	Antonio Guzmán Fernández
Vacant (4 July 1982 – 16 August 1982)
	Manuel Fernández Mármol	16 August 1982	20 January 1983	Salvador Jorge Blanco
Vacant (20 January 1983 – 16 August 1986)
	Carlos Morales Troncoso	16 August 1986	16 August 1994	Joaquín Balaguer
	Jacinto Peynado Garrigosa	16 August 1994	16 August 1996
	Jaime David Fernández Mirabal	16 August 1996	16 August 2000	Leonel Fernández
	Milagros Ortiz Bosch	16 August 2000	16 August 2004	Hipólito Mejía
	Rafael Alburquerque	16 August 2004	16 August 2012	Leonel Fernández
	Margarita Cedeño de Fernández	16 August 2012	16 August 2020	Danilo Medina
	Raquel Peña de Antuña	16 August 2020	Incumbent	Luis Abinader

See also

• List of current vice presidents