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
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Bolivia (2009)
Inaugural holder	Simón Bolívar
Formation	August 11, 1825 (200 years ago) (1825-08-11)
First holder	Simón Bolívar
Deputy	Vice President of Bolivia
Salary	24,251 bolivianos/US$3,561 per month
Website	www.presidencia.gob.bo

The President of Bolivia is the leader of the country. This person is both the head of state (the main representative of the country) and the head of government (the person in charge of running the government). The president is also the top commander of Bolivia's Armed Forces.

The president is chosen by the people in an election. They serve for five years. A president can be re-elected only once right after their first term. If no candidate wins more than 50% of the votes, or at least 40% with a 10% lead over the second-place candidate, the top two candidates have a second election called a runoff.

Luis Arce is the current president of Bolivia. He became president on 8 November 2020. He is the 67th person to hold this important position.

History of the Presidency

How the Presidency Started

Bolivia became an independent country on 6 August 1825. Simón Bolívar was declared the head of state. He arrived on 12 August and officially ruled the country.

There's a bit of a debate among historians about whether Bolívar was the first president. Some say Antonio José de Sucre was the first. This is because Bolívar was never officially called "president" in legal papers. He also gave up the title to Sucre in December 1825. Sucre, on the other hand, was president when Bolivia's first Constitution was created in November 1826.

However, many historians, like Carlos Mesa, believe Bolívar was indeed the first president. They say the word "president" wasn't commonly used in legal 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, from 1826, said the president would serve for life. This president could also choose their successor. But this changed during the time of Andrés de Santa Cruz. In 1831, a new Constitution was made. It said the president would serve for four years and could be re-elected many times.

The 2009 Constitution

A new Constitution was approved in 2009. This changed the country's official name from "Republic of Bolivia" to "Plurinational State of Bolivia." Because of this, Evo Morales was the last President of the Republic and the first President of the Plurinational State.

The 2009 Constitution also changed the presidential term from four to five years. It kept the rule that a president could only serve two terms in a row. In 2016, there was a vote to remove this term limit, but it failed. However, in 2017, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice decided that elected officials could run for office as many times as they wanted. They based this decision on human rights agreements.

Before 2009, if no candidate won more than half the votes, the president was chosen by lawmakers. This sometimes meant that the person who got the second or even third most votes from the public became president. The 2009 Constitution changed this to a two-round system. Now, if no one wins enough votes in the first round, the top two candidates have a second election.

About the President's Job

When the President's Job is Empty

Throughout Bolivia's history, many presidents have left office unexpectedly. Some died while in office, and others left for different reasons. For example, Pedro Blanco Soto and Agustín Morales died tragically. Gualberto Villarroel also died in a violent event. Other presidents like Germán Busch and René Barrientos also died unexpectedly.

Who Takes Over?

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

In the past, there were times when there was no vice president. During those times, the president of the Senate was next in line.

Temporary Presidents

Sometimes, a president takes office temporarily until new elections can be held. These are called interim presidents. People like Lidia Gueiler Tejada and Jeanine Áñez became interim presidents when the previous president resigned or left office. They held the position until a new president could be properly elected.

Acting President

If the president is temporarily unable to perform their duties or is out of the country, another official can become the "Acting President." In 2012, Senate president Gabriela Montaño became the first woman to serve as Acting President.

Where the President Lives and Works

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

The Palacio Quemado, which means "Burnt Palace," was the official home and office of the president in La Paz from 1853 to 2018. It got its nickname because it was set on fire by rebels in 1875. It has been rebuilt many times, but the name stuck. It is now a museum.

In 2018, President Evo Morales moved the official residence to the Casa Grande del Pueblo, meaning "Great House of the People." This new building houses the president and many government offices. Interim President Jeanine Áñez briefly moved back to the Palacio Quemado in 2019. However, when Luis Arce became president in 2020, the Casa Grande del Pueblo became the official residence again.

Presidential Travel

The Colorados of Bolivia in their traditional uniform.

The president travels using special aircraft and helicopters. The Bolivian Presidential Air Group, part of the Bolivian Air Force, is in charge of this. They use an EC145 helicopter for shorter trips and a Falcon 900EX EASY aircraft for longer national and international travel.

Presidential Protection

The president is protected by the 1st Bolivian Colorados infantry regiment. This military unit's job is to keep the president safe. They also guard the government palace and other presidential properties.

The regiment has two battalions located in La Paz. They have training centers where soldiers learn important skills like protection and first aid. Some soldiers also stay overnight at the Casa Grande del Pueblo to guard the palace.

Important Presidents in History

Since Bolivia became independent in 1825, it has had many different types of leaders. These include independence heroes, military leaders, and democratically elected presidents. Presidents are often grouped into "Constitutional" (those who came to power legally or later became legal) and "De Facto" (those who took power by military force and were never made legal). Interim presidents are a third group, holding office temporarily.

Throughout history, there have been times when Bolivia had no head of state. There were also times when the country was ruled by a group of three leaders, called a triumvirate. In 1965, for a short period, Bolivia even had two presidents ruling at the same time!

In 1983, a newspaper asked people to name the most important historical presidents. The "winners" were:

• Antonio José de Sucre: He helped create the first Constitution.
• Andrés de Santa Cruz: He united Bolivia with Peru to form the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, which was a powerful time for Bolivia.
• Manuel Isidoro Belzu: He was a popular leader who tried to modernize the country.
• Mariano Melgarejo: His time as leader was known for being very strict.
• Aniceto Arce and Ismael Montes: They were important leaders during different political periods after the War of the Pacific.
• Víctor Paz Estenssoro: He led a big revolution in 1952 and greatly influenced Bolivian politics in the second half of the 20th century.

Indigenous Presidents

Evo Morales, Bolivia's first indigenous president.

Evo Morales is widely known as Bolivia's first indigenous president. This means he was the first president to come from the native peoples of the region. While some people debate his exact background, most Bolivians see him as the first indigenous president. In Bolivia, being indigenous is often about cultural identity, not just genetics.

Women Presidents

Lidia Gueiler Tejada was Bolivia's first female president.

Two women have served as president of Bolivia. Lidia Gueiler Tejada became the first female president on 16 November 1979. She was the second woman in all of the Americas to hold such a high office. Jeanine Áñez was the second female president, serving from 12 November 2019 to 8 November 2020. Both women became president temporarily 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