President of Venezuela facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Presidential Standard
Presidential seal
Incumbent Nicolás Maduro since 19 April 2013
Style	Mr. President (Señor Presidente) His Excellency (Su Excelencia)
Member of	Cabinet
Residence	La Casona
Seat	Miraflores Palace, Caracas
Appointer	Popular vote election
Term length	6 years, no term limits
Constituting instrument	Constitution of Venezuela (1999)
Inaugural holder	Cristóbal Mendoza (First Republic) José Antonio Páez (State of Venezuela)
Formation	January 13, 1830 (195 years ago) (1830-01-13)
Deputy	Vice President
Salary	4,068 USD monthly
Website	presidencia.gob.ve

The President of Venezuela is the top leader of the country. This person is both the head of state (representing Venezuela to the world) and the head of government (leading the country's daily operations). The President also serves as the commander-in-chief of Venezuela's armed forces.

Since the 1999 Constitution was adopted, a president's term lasts six years. In 2009, rules about how many terms a president could serve were removed.

The idea of a president in Venezuela began in 1811, when Venezuela declared independence from Spain. The very first president was Cristóbal Mendoza. From 1821 to 1830, Venezuela was part of a larger country called Gran Colombia. When Venezuela became independent again in 1830, the role of president was brought back with José Antonio Páez as the leader. Since then, every leader of Venezuela has been called president.

During the 1800s, Venezuela often had political problems and was led by powerful military leaders. But since 1958, the country has mostly had democratic governments. This was different from many other countries in the region at that time, and it was a period of good economic growth for Venezuela.

Presidential Powers and Duties
- Presidential Benefits and Residence
History of the Presidency
Requirements to be President
Presidential Term Limits
Recall Referendums
Past Presidents
See also

Presidential Powers and Duties

Presidential Standard (used on land).

Presidential Standard (used at sea).

The President of Venezuela has many important powers. The president leads the government, represents Venezuela to other countries, and chooses the cabinet (a group of top advisors). With the approval of the National Assembly, the president also appoints judges for the country's highest court, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. The president is also the top leader of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces.

The main powers and duties of the President are listed in the constitution:

To follow and make sure others follow the Constitution and laws.
To guide the government's activities.
To appoint and remove the Executive Vice-president and the Cabinet Ministers.
To manage Venezuela's international relations and sign agreements with other countries.
To lead the National Armed Forces as their Commander-in-Chief.
To promote military officers and assign them to important positions.
To declare special situations (like emergencies) and limit certain rights if the Constitution allows.
To issue special orders that have the power of law, if approved by the National Assembly.
To call special meetings of the National Assembly.
To create rules for how laws are put into action, without changing the main idea of the laws.
To manage the country's money.
To arrange national loans.
To approve extra money for the budget, with permission from the National Assembly.
To make contracts that benefit the country, following the Constitution and laws.
To appoint the Attorney-General and heads of diplomatic missions, with National Assembly approval.
To appoint and remove other officials as allowed by the Constitution or law.
To give reports or special messages to the National Assembly.
To create the National Development Plan and guide its use, with National Assembly approval.
To grant pardons (forgive people for crimes).
To decide the number and roles of government ministries and other public offices.
To dissolve the National Assembly in certain situations allowed by the Constitution.
To call for public votes (referendums) when the Constitution allows.
To call and lead meetings of the National Defense Council.
Any other duties given by the Constitution and law.

Presidential Benefits and Residence

The president's salary comes from the country's treasury. While in office, the president cannot work for anyone else or receive other salaries from the state.

The Presidential Honor Guard Brigade [es] protects the president, their family, and other important political figures. This guard is made up of members from Venezuela's armed forces and other security groups.

Since 1900, the official workplace of the president has been the Palace of Miraflores in Caracas. The official presidential home has been La Casona since 1964. However, the current president, Nicolás Maduro, does not live there.

Presidential Palaces
Miraflores Palace
La Casona

History of the Presidency

Cristóbal Mendoza, the first President of Venezuela. Painting by Martín Tovar y Tovar.

The title of President of Venezuela refers to those who took office after Venezuela declared independence from Spain on July 5, 1811. The first president, Cristóbal Mendoza, was part of a group of three leaders (a triumvirate) who took turns being president each week. Mendoza was president during the week of July 5, 1811.

After a period of war and being part of Gran Colombia, Venezuela became independent again in 1830. José Antonio Páez became president on January 13, 1830. While Mendoza was the very first president, Páez was the first head of state of an independent Venezuela after Gran Colombia broke apart. Since then, Venezuela has had several constitutions, each slightly changing the president's powers.

During the 1800s, Venezuela faced political unrest and was often led by military dictators. This continued until the mid-1900s. However, since 1958, Venezuela has had a series of democratic governments, which was unusual for the region at the time. This period was also known for economic growth.

Nicolás Maduro became interim president on March 5, 2013, after the death of Hugo Chávez. He was then elected president in the 2013 election. He was re-elected in the 2018 election. However, this election was controversial, with some groups claiming there were problems, such as major opposition parties being banned.

In January 2019, the National Assembly stated that Maduro's re-election was not valid. They argued that his second term, which began on January 10, 2019, was not constitutional. The National Assembly's leader, Juan Guaidó, then said he was ready to become acting president. The National Assembly declared Guaidó acting president on January 16, 2019, based on a part of the Venezuelan Constitution that says the head of the National Assembly takes charge if the presidency is empty.

This situation led to a political disagreement about who was the rightful president. Different countries around the world had different views on who they recognized as Venezuela's leader. By December 2019, the United Nations continued to recognize Maduro's presidency.

In December 2022, three of the four main opposition political parties decided to end the interim government led by Guaidó. They chose to create a smaller group to manage Venezuela's assets outside the country. This decision was made as they looked for a new plan before the presidential elections scheduled for 2024.

Requirements to be President

To become President of Venezuela, a person must meet certain requirements, according to the 1999 Constitution:

Be a Venezuelan citizen from birth and not have any other nationality.
Be at least 30 years old when elected.
Not have any final criminal convictions.
Not be a Minister, governor, mayor, or the vice president from the time they announce their candidacy until the election day.

Presidential Term Limits

A president's term is six years. There is also a way for citizens to vote to remove a president from office through a recall referendum during the last three years of their term. A public vote in 2009 removed earlier rules that limited a president to only two terms.

From 1958 to 1999, a president's term was five years. A president could not be re-elected immediately and could not run again for 10 years after leaving office.

Recall Referendums

The president can be removed from office by a public vote called a recall referendum after a certain time in their term.

2004 Venezuelan recall referendum
2016 Venezuelan recall referendum (this one was not approved)

Past Presidents

Presidents of Venezuela who served under the 1864 constitution were called "President of the Union." Today, the title is "President of the Republic." Aside from small changes in the country's official name, all leaders of Venezuela since 1811 have held the title of "President of Venezuela."