President of Uruguay facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay
Uruguayan coat of arms
Incumbent Yamandú Orsi since 1 March 2025
Style	Mr. President (spoken) President of the Republic (official)
Residence	Residencia de Suárez
Seat	Executive Tower, Montevideo
Appointer	Direct Popular Vote (two rounds if necessary)
Term length	Five years, renewable non consecutively
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Uruguay (1830)
Inaugural holder	Fructuoso Rivera
Formation	November 6, 1830 (194 years ago) (1830-11-06)
Deputy	Vice President of Uruguay
Salary	$U403,242/US$ 10,339 per month
Website	presidencia.gub.uy

The president of Uruguay is the main leader of the country. They are officially called the president of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay. This person acts as both the head of state (representing the country) and the head of government (leading the government).

The president is in charge of the Council of Ministers. This means they lead the executive branch of the national government. They are also the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Uruguay, which means they lead the military.

The rules and powers of the president are written in the Constitution of the Republic. The president works with the Secretariat of the Presidency, the Council of Ministers, and the Office of Planning and Budget. Together, they form the executive branch. If the president is away or cannot do their job, the vice president takes over.

Since 1990, the president's term always starts and ends on March 1st. This date has been common for ending presidencies since 1839.

Becoming President

What You Need to Be President

The Constitution sets the rules for who can become president. Article 151 says that a president must be a natural-born citizen of Uruguay. If they were born in another country, one of their parents must have been an Uruguayan citizen.

A person must also be at least 35 years old. They need to be registered in the National Civic Registry.

How the President is Chosen

The president is chosen by a direct vote from the people. They serve for five years. A person can be elected president many times, but they cannot be reelected right away. They must wait at least one term before running again.

The president and vice president run for election together as a team. If no candidate gets more than half of the votes (50% + 1), there is a second vote. This second vote is called a runoff. Only the top two candidates from the first vote can be in the runoff. The candidate who gets the most votes in the runoff wins the election.

President's Jobs and Powers

Article 168 of the Constitution lists the president's jobs. The president works with their ministers or the Council of Ministers to do these things:

1. Keep order and peace inside the country, and ensure safety from outside threats.
2. Lead all the armed forces.
3. Approve all new laws and create special rules to make them work.
4. Give a speech to the General Assembly of Uruguay at the start of their meetings. This speech talks about the state of the country.
5. Have the power to say "no" to laws they do not like (this is called a veto).
6. Suggest new laws or changes to existing laws.
7. Fire public employees if they do their job badly or do not do it at all.
8. Manage how Uruguay deals with other countries. With the approval of the legislature, they can declare war.
9. Declare a state of emergency if it is needed.
10. Prepare the country's budget (how money will be spent).
11. Make agreements with other countries, but the legislature must approve them.

Who Takes Over if the President Can't Serve

Article 153 of the Constitution explains what happens if the president or vice president cannot do their job. This could be due to being away, quitting, being removed, or dying. In such cases, the presidency goes to the first senator on the list from the political party that won the most votes in the election.

Where the President Lives

The Suárez Residence in Montevideo is the official home of the president. This house was built in the 1920s. In 1947, Luis Batlle Berres, who was president at the time, chose this mansion as the official residence.

The Anchorena Presidential Estate is the president's country home. It is in the Colonia Department, about 208 kilometers from Montevideo. This large property was given to the Uruguayan government by Aarón de Anchorena. The mansion mixes Norman and Tudor styles.

The president also has a vacation home in Punta del Este. It is called "Woodland’s." This home was given to the Uruguayan government by an Argentine businessman named Mauricio Litman.

• Presidential residences
• 

  Residencia de Suárez, the official residence

• 

  Anchorena Presidential Estate, the official retreat

See also

Robot icon

In Spanish: Presidente de Uruguay para niños

• History of Uruguay
• Politics of Uruguay
• List of presidents of Uruguay