President of Bolivia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Plurinational state of Bolivia
Coat of arms of Bolivia
Incumbent Luis Arce since 8 November 2020
Style	The Most Excellent (Formal) His Excellency (Diplomatic)
Residence	Casa Grande del Pueblo
Seat	La Paz
Nominator	Plurinational Electoral Organ
Appointer	Direct popular vote (two rounds if necessary)
Term length	Five years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	Simón Bolívar
Formation	11 August 1825
First holder	Simón Bolívar Evo Morales
Deputy	Vice President of Bolivia
Salary	24,251 bolivianos/US$3,561 per month
Website	www.presidencia.gob.bo

The president of Bolivia (Spanish: Presidente de Bolivia) is the top leader of Bolivia. This person is both the head of state (the main representative of the country) and the head of government (the one who runs the country's daily business). The president is also the commander of the Armed Forces of Bolivia.

The Bolivian Constitution says that the president is chosen by a public vote. They serve for five years and can be re-elected once. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the votes, or at least 40% with a 10% lead over the second candidate, the top two candidates have a second election.

Luis Arce is the current president of Bolivia. He became president on 8 November 2020.

History of the Presidency

Further information: Constitutional history of Bolivia

How the Presidency Started

Bolivia became an independent country on 6 August 1825. Simón Bolívar was named the leader. Some historians debate if he was the first president. He was the official ruler from 12 August 1825.

Historian Isaac Sandoval says Antonio José de Sucre was the first president. This is because Bolívar was not called "president" in official papers. He also gave up the title to Sucre in December 1825. Sucre was president when Bolivia's first Constitution was created in 1826.

However, historian Carlos Mesa believes Bolívar was the first president. He says the term "president" was not commonly used in documents back then. A decree from August 1825 called Bolívar "liberator" and gave him "Supreme Executive Power." Most people today agree that Simón Bolívar was Bolivia's first president.

The first Constitution in 1826 said the president would serve for life. They could also choose their replacement. This changed under President Andrés de Santa Cruz in 1831. After that, presidents served four-year terms and could be re-elected many times.

The 2009 Constitution

The 2009 Political Constitution changed Bolivia's official name. It went from "Republic of Bolivia" to "the Plurinational State of Bolivia." Evo Morales was the last President of the Republic and the first President of the Plurinational State.

This new Constitution also changed the presidential term from four to five years. It set a limit of two terms. In 2016, people voted against removing term limits. However, in 2017, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice decided that elected officials could run for office without limits. They based this on human rights agreements.

Before 2009, if no one won more than half the votes, Congress would choose the president. This sometimes meant the person who lost the popular vote became president. Now, Bolivia uses a two-round system. If no one wins a majority in the first round, the top two candidates have a second election.

About the President's Job

When the President's Job is Empty

Out of 67 presidents, 13 have died in tragic ways. Five died while in office, and three were assassinated.

Who Takes Over?

If the president cannot do their job, the vice president takes over. If the vice president is also unavailable, the president of the Senate steps in. If that person is also unavailable, the president of the Chamber of Deputies takes charge. In this last case, new elections must be held within 90 days.

In the past, the vice president's job was sometimes empty or didn't exist. During those times, the president of the Senate was next in line.

Temporary Presidents

Sometimes, a president steps down, is removed, or dies. Then, an interim president takes over until new elections can be held. These temporary presidents do not finish the previous president's term. Examples include Lidia Gueiler Tejada and Jeanine Áñez.

An "acting president" (Spanish: Presidente en ejercicio) is someone who takes over when the president is temporarily unable to work or is out of the country. In 2012, Senate president Gabriela Montaño became the first woman to be an acting president.

Where the President Lives and Works

The Casa Grande del Pueblo is the current residence of the president of Bolivia.

The Palacio Quemado, or "Burnt Palace," was the official home and office of the president in La Paz from 1853 to 2018. It got its name because it was burned down by rebels in 1875. It has been rebuilt many times. In 2018, it became a museum.

In 2018, President Evo Morales moved the official residence to the Casa Grande del Pueblo, or "Great House of the People." This new building houses the president and many government offices. After a brief return to the Palacio Quemado, the Casa Grande became the president's residence again when Luis Arce took office in 2020.

Presidential Travel

The Colorados of Bolivia in their traditional uniform.

The Bolivian Presidential Air Group handles the president's travel. For short trips within Bolivia, they use an EC145 helicopter. For longer national and international travel, they use a Falcon 900EX EASY aircraft. These planes are part of the Bolivian Air Force.

Presidential Protection

The president's safety is handled by the 1st Bolivian Colorados infantry regiment. This military unit protects the president and guards the government buildings, like the Casa Grande.

The regiment has two battalions in La Paz. They have barracks for soldiers and a training center. Soldiers also stay in the Casa Grande del Pueblo to guard the palace at night.

Political History of Bolivia

Further information: List of presidents of Bolivia

Since gaining independence in 1825, Bolivia has had many different types of leaders. These include independence heroes, war leaders, wealthy aristocrats, military dictators, and democratically elected presidents.

Presidents in Bolivia are often divided into two groups:

• Constitutional presidents: These leaders came to power legally or became legal after a revolution or coup.
• De facto presidents: These leaders took power by military force and were never officially recognized by the constitution.

A third group is interim presidents, who are placed in power temporarily until a new president is chosen.

Throughout history, there have been times when Bolivia had no head of state. Also, some governments were led by three people, called triumvirates.

In 1983, a newspaper asked people to name the seven most important historical presidents. The "winners" were Antonio José de Sucre, Andrés de Santa Cruz, Manuel Isidoro Belzu, Mariano Melgarejo, Aniceto Arce, Ismael Montes, and Víctor Paz Estenssoro.

• Antonio José de Sucre helped create the first Constitution.
• Andrés de Santa Cruz united Bolivia with Peru to form the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. This made Bolivia very powerful in South America for a time.
• Manuel Isidoro Belzu was a popular leader who tried to modernize the country.
• Mariano Melgarejo was a dictator known for harsh rule.
• Aniceto Arce and Ismael Montes were important leaders during the Conservative and Liberal eras.
• Víctor Paz Estenssoro led the 1952 National Revolution and founded a major political party.

Indigenous Presidents

Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Evo Morales is widely known as Bolivia's first indigenous president. Some people have debated this, saying he might have some European background. However, in Bolivia, being indigenous is about cultural identity, not just genetics. Most Bolivians see Morales as the first indigenous president. Other presidents, like Enrique Peñaranda and Andrés de Santa Cruz, also had indigenous roots.

Women Presidents

Lidia Gueiler Tejada was Bolivia's first female president.

Two women have served as presidents of Bolivia. Lidia Gueiler Tejada became the first female president on 16 November 1979. She was the second woman president in the history of the Americas. Jeanine Áñez was the second female president, serving from 2019 to 2020. Both women became interim presidents as members of Congress. So far, no woman has been elected president by a popular vote in Bolivia.

Elections

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de Bolivia para niños

• List of presidents of Bolivia
• History of Bolivia
• Politics of Bolivia