List of presidents of Ecuador facts for kids

Ecuador has had many presidents since it became independent from Gran Colombia in 1830. This article lists all the leaders who have served as president of Ecuador from then until today.

How Presidents Were Chosen

Juan José Flores was Ecuador's first official president. He helped Ecuador become its own country, separate from Gran Colombia. Since then, Ecuador has always had a president as its leader.

In the early days, from 1830 to 1845, presidents were not chosen directly by the people. Instead, they were picked by the country's lawmakers. Many early presidents were also chosen by special meetings called "Constituent Assemblies." These meetings were held to create or change the country's rules, like its Constitution. Ecuador has had 20 different Constitutions! This often happened when a new president wanted to make their rule official.

Since 1869, people in Ecuador have voted directly for their president. However, in the 1800s, only men who had enough money and a good job were allowed to vote. Francisco Robles was the first president chosen by direct popular vote under these rules.

Between 1906 and 1944, elections sometimes had problems like fraud. So, 1944 is often seen as the start of true democracy in Ecuador. For a while, there was no Vice President. Then, from 1947 to 1970, the president and vice president were elected separately. Since 1979, people vote for both the president and vice president on the same ballot. Today, a candidate can win if they get more than 40% of the votes and are at least 10% ahead of the second-place candidate.

Ecuador's history has seen many changes in its leaders. Sometimes, presidents didn't stay in power for their full term. This is why Ecuador has had many different leaders, including acting or interim presidents. There were also two times when the military ruled the country (1963–1966 and 1972–1979). After that, democracy returned with the election of Jaime Roldós Aguilera.

Some presidents have served for a long time. José María Velasco Ibarra was president five times, serving for over 12 years in total! More recently, Rafael Correa was president for over 10 years, which was a very stable period for the country.

List of Presidents

Presidents of the State of Ecuador (1830–1835)
No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party		Elected	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
—		Juan José Flores (1800–1864)	3 May 1830	14 August 1830	103 days		Independent	—
1			14 August 1830	10 September 1834	4 years, 27 days			1830
2		Vicente Rocafuerte (1783–1847)	10 September 1834	8 August 1835	332 days		Independent	—
Presidents of the Republic of Ecuador (1835–present)
(2)		Vicente Rocafuerte (1783–1847)	8 August 1835	31 January 1839	3 years, 176 days		Independent	1835
(1)		Juan José Flores (1800–1864)	1 February 1839	6 March 1845 (deposed)	6 years, 136 days		Independent	1839 1843
—		José Joaquín de Olmedo (1780–1847) President of the triumvirate	6 March 1845	8 December 1845	174 days		Independent	—
3		Vicente Ramón Roca (1792–1858)	8 December 1845	15 October 1849	3 years, 311 days		Independent	1843
—		Manuel de Ascásubi (1804–1876) acting	15 October 1849	7 December 1850	1 year, 53 days		Independent	—
—		Diego Noboa (1789–1870)	8 December 1850	25 February 1851	79 days		Independent	—
4			25 February 1851	12 September 1851	199 days			1851
5		José María Urvina (1808–1891)	24 July 1851	17 July 1852	359 days		Independent	—
			17 July 1852	15 October 1856	4 years, 90 days			1852
6		Francisco Robles (1811–1893)	16 October 1856	31 August 1859	2 years, 319 days		Independent	1856
—		Gabriel García Moreno (1821–1875)	17 January 1861	2 April 1861	75 days		Conservative Party	—
7			2 April 1861	30 August 1865	4 years, 150 days			1861
—		Rafael Carvajal (1818–1881) acting	31 August 1865	7 September 1865	7 days		Conservative Party	—
8		Jerónimo Carrión (1804–1873)	7 September 1865	6 November 1867	2 years, 60 days		Conservative Party	1865
—		Pedro José de Arteta (1797–1873) acting	7 November 1867	20 January 1868	74 days		Conservative Party	—
9		Javier Espinosa (1815–1870)	20 January 1868	19 January 1869	365 days		Conservative Party	1868
—		Gabriel García Moreno (1821–1875) acting	19 January 1869	19 May 1869	120 days		Conservative Party	—
—		Manuel de Ascásubi (1804–1876) acting	19 May 1869	10 August 1869	83 days		Conservative Party	—
(7)		Gabriel García Moreno (1821–1875)	10 August 1869	6 August 1875 †	5 years, 361 days		Conservative Party	1869 1875 (May)
—		Francisco Xavier León (1832–1880) acting	6 August 1875	15 September 1875	40 days		Conservative Party	—
—		José Javier Eguiguren (1816–1884) acting	15 September 1875	9 December 1875	85 days		Conservative Party	—
10		Antonio Borrero (1827–1911)	9 December 1875	18 December 1876	1 year, 9 days		Conservative Party	1875 (Oct.)
11		Ignacio de Veintemilla (1828–1908)	18 December 1876	26 January 1878	1 year, 39 days		Military	—
			21 April 1878	26 March 1882	3 years, 339 days			1878
			26 March 1882	9 July 1883	1 year, 105 days			—
—		Luis Cordero Crespo (1833–1912) Government of the Restoration	1 July 1892	16 April 1895	2 years, 289 days		Republican Union Party	—
—		José Plácido Caamaño (1837–1900)	15 October 1883	10 February 1884	118 days		Conservative Party	—
12			10 February 1884	30 June 1888	4 years, 141 days			1884
—		Pedro José Cevallos (1830–1892) acting	1 July 1888	17 August 1888	47 days		Conservative Party	—
13		Antonio Flores Jijón (1833–1915)	17 August 1888	10 June 1892	3 years, 298 days		Republican Union Party	1888
14		Luis Cordero Crespo (1833–1912)	1 July 1892	16 April 1895	2 years, 289 days		Republican Union Party	1892
—		Vicente Lucio Salazar (1832–1896) acting	16 April 1895	5 June 1895	50 days		Conservative Party	—
15		Eloy Alfaro (1842–1912)	5 June 1895	9 October 1896	1 year, 126 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
			9 October 1896	31 August 1901	4 years, 326 days			1897
16		Leónidas Plaza (1865–1932)	1 September 1901	31 August 1905	3 years, 364 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1901
17		Lizardo García (1844–1937)	1 September 1905	15 January 1906	136 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1905
(15)		Eloy Alfaro (1842–1912)	16 January 1906	9 October 1906	266 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
			9 October 1906	11 August 1911	4 years, 306 days			1906
—		Carlos Freile Zaldumbide (1851–1928) acting	11 August 1911	31 August 1911	20 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
18		Emilio Estrada (1855–1911)	1 September 1911	21 December 1911	111 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1911
—		Carlos Freile Zaldumbide (1851–1928) acting	22 December 1911	5 March 1912	74 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Francisco Andrade Marín (1841–1935) acting	6 March 1912	1 August 1912	148 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Alfredo Baquerizo (1859–1951) acting	1 August 1912	1 September 1912	31 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
(16)		Leónidas Plaza (1865–1932)	1 September 1912	31 August 1916	3 years, 364 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1912
19		Alfredo Baquerizo (1859–1951)	1 September 1916	31 August 1920	3 years, 364 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1916
20		José Luis Tamayo (1858–1947)	1 September 1920	31 August 1924	3 years, 364 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1920
21		Gonzalo Córdova (1863–1928)	1 September 1924	9 July 1925	311 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1924
		First Provisional Government collective leadership	10 July 1925	6 January 1926	180 days			—
		Second Provisional Government collective leadership	10 January 1926	31 March 1926	80 days			—
—		Isidro Ayora (1879–1978)	3 April 1926	17 April 1929	3 years, 14 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
22			17 April 1929	24 August 1931	2 years, 129 days			1929
—		Luis Larrea Alba (1894–1979) acting	24 August 1931	15 October 1931	52 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Alfredo Baquerizo (1859–1951) acting	15 October 1931	28 August 1932	318 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Carlos Freile Larrea (1876–1942) acting	28 August 1932	1 September 1932	4 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Alberto Guerrero Martínez (1878–1941) acting	2 September 1932	4 December 1932	93 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
23		Juan de Dios Martínez (1875–1955)	5 December 1932	19 October 1933	318 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1932
—		Abelardo Montalvo (1876–1950) acting	20 October 1933	31 August 1934	315 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
24		José María Velasco Ibarra (1893–1979)	1 September 1934	21 August 1935	354 days		Independent	1934
—		Antonio Pons (1897–1980) acting	21 August 1935	25 September 1935	35 days		Conservative Party	—
—		Federico Páez (1877–1974) Jefe Supremo	26 September 1935	23 October 1937	2 years, 27 days		Independent	—
—		Alberto Enríquez Gallo (1894–1962) Jefe Supremo	23 October 1937	10 August 1938	291 days		Military	—
—		Manuel María Borrero (1883–1975) acting	10 August 1938	1 December 1938	113 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
25		Aurelio Mosquera (1883–1939)	2 December 1938	17 November 1939	350 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1938
—		Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río (1893–1969) acting	18 November 1939	10 December 1939	22 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Andrés Córdova (1892–1983) acting	11 December 1939	10 August 1940	243 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
—		Julio Enrique Moreno (1879–1952) acting	10 August 1940	31 August 1940	21 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
26		Carlos Alberto Arroyo del Río (1893–1969)	1 September 1940	28 May 1944	3 years, 270 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	1940
—		Julio Teodoro Salem (1900–1968) acting	29 May 1944	31 May 1944	2 days		Ecuadorian Radical Liberal Party	—
(24)		José María Velasco Ibarra (1893–1979)	1 June 1944	23 August 1947	3 years, 83 days		Independent	1944 1946
—		Carlos Mancheno Cajas (1902–1996) Jefe Supremo	23 August 1947	2 September 1947	10 days		Military	—
27		Mariano Suárez Veintimilla (1897–1980)	2 September 1947	17 September 1947	15 days		Conservative Party	1946
28		C. J. Arosemena Tola (1888–1952)	17 September 1947	31 August 1948	349 days		Independent	1947
29		Galo Plaza (1906–1987)	1 September 1948	31 August 1952	3 years, 364 days		National Democratic Civic Movement	1948
(24)		José María Velasco Ibarra (1893–1979)	1 September 1952	31 August 1956	3 years, 364 days		Velaquista National Federation	1952
30		Camilo Ponce Enríquez (1912–1976)	1 September 1956	31 August 1960	3 years, 364 days		Social Christian Party	1956
(24)		José María Velasco Ibarra (1893–1979)	1 September 1960	7 November 1961	1 year, 67 days		Velaquista National Federation	1960
31		C. J. Arosemena Monroy (1919–2004)	7 November 1961	11 July 1963	1 year, 246 days		Independent	—
—		Admiral Ramón Castro Jijón (1915–1984) Chairman of the Military Junta of 1963	11 July 1963	29 March 1966	2 years, 261 days		Military	—
—		General Telmo Vargas (1912–2013) Acting Chairman of the Military Junta of 1963	29 March 1966	29 March 1966	0 days		Military	—
–		Clemente Yerovi (1904–1981) acting	30 March 1966	16 November 1966	231 days		Institutionalist Democratic Coalition	—
—		Otto Arosemena (1925–1984)	16 November 1966	25 May 1967	190 days		Institutionalist Democratic Coalition	—
32			25 May 1967	31 August 1968	1 year, 98 days			—
(24)		José María Velasco Ibarra (1893–1979)	1 September 1968	15 February 1972	3 years, 167 days		Velaquista National Federation	1968
—		General Guillermo Rodríguez Lara (born 1923) Chairman of the Council of Government	15 February 1972	11 January 1976	3 years, 330 days		Military	—
—		Vice Admiral Alfredo Poveda (1926–1990) President of the Supreme Council of Government	11 January 1976	10 August 1979	3 years, 211 days		Military	—
33		Jaime Roldós Aguilera (1940–1981)	10 August 1979	24 May 1981	1 year, 287 days		Concentration of People's Forces	1979
34		Osvaldo Hurtado (born 1939)	24 May 1981	10 August 1984	3 years, 78 days		Popular Democracy	—
35		León Febres Cordero (1931–2008)	10 August 1984	10 August 1988	4 years		Social Christian Party	1984
36		Rodrigo Borja Cevallos (born 1935)	10 August 1988	10 August 1992	4 years		Democratic Left	1988
37		Sixto Durán Ballén (1921–2016)	10 August 1992	10 August 1996	4 years		Republican Unity Party	1992
38		Abdalá Bucaram (born 1952)	10 August 1996	6 February 1997	180 days		Ecuadorian Roldosist Party	1996
—		Fabián Alarcón (born 1947) acting	6 February 1997	9 February 1997	3 days		Alfarista Radical Front	—
39		Rosalía Arteaga (born 1956)	9 February 1997	11 February 1997	2 days		MIRA Movement	—
40		Fabián Alarcón (born 1947)	11 February 1997	10 August 1998	1 year, 180 days		Alfarista Radical Front	—
41		Jamil Mahuad (born 1949)	10 August 1998	21 January 2000	1 year, 164 days		Popular Democracy	1998
42		Gustavo Noboa (1937–2021)	22 January 2000	15 January 2003	2 years, 358 days		Independent	—
43		Lucio Gutiérrez (born 1957)	15 January 2003	20 April 2005	2 years, 95 days		Patriotic Society Party	2002
44		Alfredo Palacio (born 1939)	20 April 2005	15 January 2007	1 year, 270 days		Independent	—
45		Rafael Correa (born 1963)	15 January 2007	24 May 2017	10 years, 129 days		PAIS Alliance	2006 2009 2013
46		Lenín Moreno (born 1953)	24 May 2017	24 May 2021	4 years		PAIS Alliance	2017
47		Guillermo Lasso (born 1955)	24 May 2021	23 November 2023	2 years, 183 days		Creating Opportunities	2021
48		Daniel Noboa (born 1987)	23 November 2023	Incumbent	1 year, 204 days		National Democratic Action	2023 2025

Timeline of Ecuadorian Presidents

See also

• President of Ecuador
• History of Ecuador