President of Venezuela facts for kids
Quick facts for kids President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela |
|
|---|---|
Presidential Standard of Venezuela
|
|
Presidential seal
|
|
.jpg) |
|
| 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 |
| Inaugural holder | Cristóbal Mendoza (First Republic) José Antonio Páez (State of Venezuela) |
| Formation | 13 January 1830 |
| Deputy | Vice President |
| Salary | 4,068 USD monthly |
| Website | presidencia.gob.ve |
The President of Venezuela (Spanish: Presidente de Venezuela) is the main leader of the country. This person is both the head of state and the head of government for Venezuela. The president leads the government's executive branch and is the top commander of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces. Since 1999, a president's term lasts for six years. In 2009, rules about how many terms a president could serve were removed.
The role of president in Venezuela began in 1811. This was when Venezuela declared its independence from the Spanish Crown. The very first president was Cristóbal Mendoza. From 1821 to 1830, Venezuela was part of a larger country called Gran Colombia. During this time, the Venezuelan leader was part of the Colombian government. When Venezuela became independent again in 1830, the role of president was brought back. José Antonio Páez became the first president of this new independent Venezuela. Since then, every leader of Venezuela has been called president.
During the 1800s, Venezuela faced many political problems. It was often led by powerful military leaders. But since 1958, the country has had a series of democratic governments. This was special because many other countries in the region had military rulers. This period was also a time of economic growth for Venezuela.
Recently, Venezuela has faced a political challenge about who should be president. This situation began when the National Assembly, which is like Venezuela's parliament, said that Nicolás Maduro's re-election in 2018 was not valid. They then declared their own leader, Juan Guaidó, as the acting president. However, Maduro continued to control the country's main government groups. In December 2022, the interim government led by Guaidó was ended by some political parties. They decided to create a new group to manage foreign assets. This change was made to help unite their strategy for the presidential election in July 2024.
What Does the President Do?
.svg)
Venezuela is a republic with a presidential system. This means the president has many important powers. The president leads the government's executive branch. They also represent Venezuela to other countries around the world. The president chooses the cabinet members and, with the National Assembly's approval, selects judges for the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB).
The Venezuelan constitution explains the president's duties and powers. Here are some of the main ones:
- Make sure the Constitution and laws are followed.
- Lead the government's daily activities.
- Appoint and remove the Executive Vice-president and other government ministers.
- Manage Venezuela's relationships with other countries. They also sign international agreements.
- Lead the National Armed Forces as their Commander-in-Chief.
- Declare special situations, like emergencies, when allowed by the Constitution.
- Issue special orders that have the power of law, if approved beforehand.
- Ask the National Assembly to hold special meetings.
- Create rules to help apply laws, without changing the law's main idea.
- Manage the country's money and finances.
- Arrange for national loans.
- Approve extra budget spending, with permission from the National Assembly.
- Sign contracts that benefit the country, following the laws.
- Appoint the Attorney-General and leaders of diplomatic missions, with National Assembly approval.
- Appoint and remove other officials as allowed by law.
- Give reports or special messages to the National Assembly.
- Create the National Development Plan and guide its execution, with National Assembly approval.
- Grant pardons to people.
- Decide how many ministries there are and what they do.
- Dissolve the National Assembly in certain situations allowed by the Constitution.
- Call for public votes (referendums) when the Constitution allows.
- Call and lead meetings of the National Defense Council.
- Perform any other duties given by the Constitution and laws.
Presidential Benefits and Protection
The president's salary comes from the country's treasury. While in office, the president cannot work another job or get another salary from the state. The president's salary is not allowed to be more than twelve times the monthly minimum wage.
The Presidential Honor Guard Brigade protects the president and their family. This guard is made up of members from all parts of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces. A general or flag officer leads them.
Since 1900, the official office of the president has been the Miraflores Palace in Caracas. The presidential home has been the palace of La Casona since 1964. However, the current president, Nicolás Maduro, has chosen not to live there.
A Look at Presidential History
The title of "President of Venezuela" refers to those who took office after Venezuela declared independence from Spanish rule on July 5, 1811. The first president was Cristóbal Mendoza. He was part of a group of three leaders who took turns being president each week. Mendoza was president during the week of July 5, 1811.
During the Venezuelan War of Independence and the time Venezuela was part of Gran Colombia, there were periods of great change. Historians refer to the Second Republic of Venezuela (1813–1814) and the Third Republic of Venezuela (1817–1819). Simón Bolívar was named "Supreme Commander of the Republic of Venezuela" from 1819 to 1830.
In 1830, José Antonio Páez declared Venezuela independent from Gran Colombia. He became president on January 13, 1830. While Mendoza was the first president, Páez was the first leader of an independent Venezuela after Gran Colombia broke apart. Since then, Venezuela has had several constitutions. Each one slightly changed the president's powers and duties.
During the 1800s, Venezuela often had political unrest. It was mainly controlled by regional military leaders until the mid-1900s. Since 1958, Venezuela has had democratic governments. This was different from many other countries in the region that had military dictatorships. 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 in the 2013 presidential election. He was reelected in the 2018 election. However, this election was questioned due to claims of problems. These included the election being held early, some major opposition parties not being allowed to participate, and claims of vote-buying.
On January 5, 2019, the National Assembly stated that Maduro would not have the right to govern after January 10. They said this was because his previous term had ended. According to Venezuela's Constitution, if the presidency is empty, the head of the National Assembly takes over. The National Assembly argued that Maduro's second term never truly began.
On January 11, Juan Guaidó, who was the head of the National Assembly, said he was ready to be acting president. The National Assembly then declared Guaidó acting president on January 16.
Maduro's disputed win and Guaidó's claim led to a political challenge in Venezuela. Countries around the world had different views on who was the rightful president. Some countries, like Russia and China, supported Maduro. Others, like the US and Canada, supported Guaidó. The United Nations continued to recognize Maduro as Venezuela's legal representative.
In December 2022, three of the four main political parties decided to end the interim government. They wanted to create a new group to manage foreign assets. This was done to unite their efforts for the upcoming presidential elections in 2024. They felt the interim government had not achieved its goals.
How to Become President
To become President of Venezuela, a person must meet certain requirements. These rules are found in the 1999 Constitution.
- They must be a Venezuelan citizen from birth and not have any other nationality.
- They must be at least 30 years old when the election happens.
- They must not have any final criminal convictions.
- They cannot be a minister, governor, mayor, or the vice president from the time they announce their candidacy until the election day.
Presidential Term Limits
Currently, a president's term lasts for six years. Citizens can also try to remove the president through a special vote called a recall referendum. This can happen at any time during the last three years of a president's term. A public vote in 2009 removed earlier rules that limited the president to only two terms.
From 1958 to 1999, the presidential term was five years. A president could not be reelected right away. They also could not run again for 10 years after leaving office.
Recall Votes
The president can be removed from office through a recall election after serving a certain amount of time.
- 2004 Venezuelan recall referendum
- 2016 Venezuelan recall referendum (this one was not approved)
Who Has Been President?
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 this, all leaders of the country since 1811 have been called "President of Venezuela." The official name of the country has changed a few times since 1830.
See also
In Spanish: Presidente de Venezuela para niños
- List of presidents of Venezuela
- List of vice presidents of Venezuela
- History of Venezuela
- Politics of Venezuela
Images for kids
-
Miraflores Palace
-
La Casona, the presidential residence
