Vice President of Bolivia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
Coat of arms of Bolivia
Incumbent David Choquehuanca since 8 November 2020
Residence	Vice Presidential Palace
Seat	La Paz
Nominator	Plurinational Electoral Organ
Appointer	Direct popular vote (two rounds if necessary)
Term length	Five years, renewable once consecutively
Inaugural holder	José Ramón de Loayza
Formation	19 November 1826
First holder	Álvaro García Linera
Salary	22,904 bolivianos per month
Website	www.vicepresidencia.gob.bo

The Vice President of Bolivia is a very important leader in the country. Their official title is the Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. This person holds the second-highest political job in Bolivia. The Vice President steps in if the President is away or cannot do their job. They also lead the Plurinational Legislative Assembly, which is like Bolivia's parliament.

Since the job started on November 19, 1826, 39 different people have been Vice President of Bolivia. The very first Vice President was José Ramón de Loayza. The 38th Vice President, Álvaro García Linera, was the last Vice President when Bolivia was called the Republic of Bolivia. He then became the first Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The current Vice President is David Choquehuanca, who started on November 8, 2020. There are currently five former Vice Presidents who are still alive.

The Vice President is next in line to become President. If the President leaves office because they die, resign, or are removed from their job, the Vice President takes over. Four Vice Presidents have become President this way: José Luis Tejada Sorzano, Mamerto Urriolagoitía, Jorge Quiroga, and Carlos Mesa. Only one Vice President, René Barrientos, took over by removing the President he served under, Víctor Paz Estenssoro. When Barrientos died suddenly in 1969, Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas became President because his predecessor passed away.

Seven former Vice Presidents later became President on their own: Aniceto Arce, Mariano Baptista, Severo Fernández, Eliodoro Villazón, Hernán Siles Zuazo, René Barrientos, and Jaime Paz Zamora. Two others, José Miguel de Velasco and Mariano Enrique Calvo, became President in other ways. José Miguel de Velasco was the only Vice President who had already been President before becoming Vice President.

Vice Presidents of Bolivia

The Republic of Bolivia (1826–1836)

The job of Vice President began on November 19, 1826. This happened when Bolivia's first constitution was created under President Antonio José de Sucre. However, President Sucre did not choose anyone for the role, so it was empty for a while. The first person elected as Vice President was José Miguel de Velasco Franco on August 12, 1828. But he couldn't do the job because he had to act as President instead.

Since the elected President, Andrés de Santa Cruz, never took office, a special meeting was held on December 18, 1828. At this meeting, José Ramón de Loayza was chosen as Vice President to Pedro Blanco Soto. Loayza acted as President until December 26, when Soto took office. Then, Loayza officially became Vice President for the first time.

Vice Presidency		Vice President		Party		Designation	Government	President
Office vacant 19 November 1826 – 18 December 1828								Antonio José de Sucre
								José María Pérez de Urdininea
								Jose Miguel de Velasco Franco
1	18 December 1828 – 1 January 1828 End of mandate		José Ramón de Loayza		Independent	Elected by the Constituent Assembly	Provisional	Acting to 26 Dec. 1828
								Pedro Blanco Soto
Office vacant 1 – 31 January 1829
2	31 January 1829 – 23 July 1835 Dismissed		José Miguel de Velasco Franco		Independent	Elected by the Constituent Assembly	Provisional (31 January 1829)	Acting to 24 May 1829
						Reelected by the Constituent Congress	Constitutional (14 August 1831)	Andrés de Santa Cruz
3	23 July 1835 – 28 October 1836 Legal change		Mariano Enrique Calvo		Independent	Appointed by Andrés de Santa Cruz	Constitutional

The Bolivian State (1836–1839)

The Bolivian State was part of a larger group called the Peru–Bolivian Confederation. On October 28, 1836, Andrés de Santa Cruz became the main leader of this Confederation. He was also still the President of the Bolivian State. Mariano Enrique Calvo became Vice President of the Bolivian State after José Miguel de Velasco Franco. Calvo often acted as President when Santa Cruz was in Peru.

Vice Presidency		Vice President		Party		Designation	Government	President
3	28 October 1836 – 20 February 1839 Resigned from office		Mariano Enrique Calvo		Independent	Elected by the Congress of Tapacarí	Constitutional	Andrés de Santa Cruz
								Acting since 1836

The Republic of Bolivia (1880–2009)

The Vice Presidential Palace in La Paz, where the Vice President works.

After the Peru-Bolivian Confederation ended, Jose Miguel de Velasco took over and brought back the Republic of Bolivia on February 22, 1839. On October 26, 1839, a new constitution was put in place. This constitution removed the Vice President's job. Instead, the leader of the Senate became the next in line to the President. This change lasted until February 15, 1878, when a new constitution brought the Vice President's job back. However, the position remained empty for a while.

Later, under President Narciso Campero, Bolivia had a unique situation with two Vice Presidents. On May 31, 1880, Aniceto Arce and Belisario Salinas were chosen as the first and second Vice Presidents. This system of having two Vice Presidents became official on October 28, 1880. Both Vice Presidents were elected by the people, just like the President. The first Vice President led the Senate and could replace the President. The second Vice President could only step in if the first Vice President was unable to serve.

This system of two Vice Presidents continued until January 24, 1921. At that time, the second Vice President position was removed. On December 4, 1939, the Vice President's office was removed again for a short time. It was brought back on November 24, 1945, during President Gualberto Villarroel's time.

Vice Presidency		Vice President		Party		Designation	Government	President
Office vacant 22 February – 26 October 1839								Jose Miguel de Velasco Franco
Office blank 26 October 1839 – 15 February 1878								List Ágreda, Calvo, J. Ballivián, Guilarte, de Velasco, Belzu, Córdova, Linares, de Achá, Melgarejo, Morales, F. Ametller, A. Ballivián, F. Ametller
Office vacant 15 February 1878 – 31 May 1880								Hilarión Daza
								Narciso Campero
4	31 May 1880 – 11 March 1881 Dismissed		Aniceto Arce		Conservative	Elected by the National Convention	Constitutional (1st)
	Office vacant 11 May 1881 – 4 September 1884
5	31 May 1880 – 4 September 1884 End of term		Belisario Salinas				Constitutional (2nd)
6	4 September 1884 – 15 August 1888 End of term		Mariano Baptista		Conservative	General Election of 1884	Constitutional (1st)	Gregorio Pacheco
7			Jorge Oblitas				Constitutional (2nd)
8	15 August 1888 – 11 August 1892 End of term		José Manuel del Carpio		Conservative	General Election of 1888	Constitutional (1st)	Aniceto Arce
9			Serapio Reyes Ortiz				Constitutional (2nd)
10	11 August 1892 – 19 August 1896 End of term		Severo Fernández		Conservative	General Election of 1892	Constitutional (1st)	Mariano Baptista
–	Office vacant
11	19 August 1896 – 12 April 1899 Deposed by a coup d'état		Rafael Peña de Flores		Conservative	General Election of 1896	Constitutional (1st)	Severo Fernández
12			Jenaro Sanjinés				Constitutional (2nd)
Office vacant 12 April – 25 October 1899
13	25 October 1899 – 23 January 1903 Dismissed		Lucio Pérez Velasco		Liberal	Elected by the National Convention	Constitutional (1st)	José Manuel Pando
	Office vacant 23 January 1903 – 14 August 1904
14	25 October 1899 – 14 August 1904 End of term		Aníbal Capriles Cabrera				Constitutional (2nd)
15	14 August 1904 – 12 August 1909 End of term		Eliodoro Villazón		Liberal	General Election of 1904	Constitutional (1st)	Ismael Montes
16			Valentín Abecia Ayllón				Constitutional (2nd)
17	12 August 1909 – 14 August 1913 End of term		Macario Pinilla Vargas		Liberal	General Election of 1909	Constitutional (1st)	Eliodoro Villazón
18	12 August 1909 – 1 October 1915 Died in office		Juan Misael Saracho				Constitutional (2nd)
					Liberal	General Election of 1913	Constitutional (1st)	Ismael Montes
19	14 August 1913 – 15 August 1917 End of term		José Carrasco Torrico				Constitutional (2nd)
20	15 August 1917 – 12 July 1920 Deposed by a coup d'état		Ismael Vázquez Virreira		Liberal	General Election of 1917	Constitutional (1st)	José Gutiérrez Guerra
21			José Santos Quinteros				Constitutional (2nd)
Office vacant 13 July 1920 – 10 January 1926								Bautista Saavedra
								Felipe Segundo Guzmán
22	10 January 1926 – 28 May 1930 De facto exiled		Abdón Saavedra		PRS	General Election of 1925	Constitutional	Hernando Siles Reyes
Office vacant 28 May 1930 – 5 March 1931								Carlos Blanco Galindo
23	5 March 1931 – 1 December 1934 Assumed presidency		José Luis Tejada Sorzano		Liberal	General Election of 1931	Constitutional	Daniel Salamanca Urey
Office vacant 1 December 1934 – 28 May 1938								José Luis Tejada Sorzano
								David Toro
								Germán Busch
24	28 May 1938 – 24 April 1939 Dismissed		Enrique Baldivieso		PSU	Elected by the National Convention	Constitutional
Office vacant 24 April – 4 December 1939
								Carlos Quintanilla
Office blank 4 December 1939 – 24 November 1945
								Enrique Peñaranda
								Gualberto Villarroel
25	6 November 1945 – 21 July 1946 Deposed by a coup d'état		Julián Montellano		MNR	Elected by the National Convention	Constitutional
Office vacant 21 July 1946 – 10 March 1947								Néstor Guillén
								Tomás Monje
26	10 March 1947 – 24 October 1949 Assumed presidency		Mamerto Urriolagoitía		PURS	General Election of 1947	Constitutional	Enrique Hertzog
Office vacant 22 October 1949 – 11 April 1952								Mamerto Urriolagoitía
								Hugo Ballivián
27	11 April 1952 – 6 August 1956 End of term		Hernán Siles Zuazo		MNR	Installed by a coup d'état	De facto	Acting to 15 Apr. 1952
								Víctor Paz Estenssoro
28	6 August 1956 – 24 June 1957 Resigned from office		Ñuflo Chávez Ortiz		MNR	General Election of 1956	Constitutional	Hernán Siles Zuazo
Office vacant 24 June 1957 – 6 August 1960
29	6 August 1960 – 6 August 1964 End of term		Juan Lechín Oquendo		MNR	General Election of 1960	Constitutional	Víctor Paz Estenssoro
30	6 August 1964 – 4 November 1964 Assumed presidency		René Barrientos		MNR	General Election of 1964	Constitutional
Office vacant 5 November 1964 – 6 August 1966								René Barrientos
								Alfredo Ovando Candía
31	6 August 1966 – 27 April 1969 Assumed presidency		Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas		PSD	General Election of 1966	Constitutional	René Barrientos
Office vacant 27 April 1969 – 10 October 1982								List S. Salinas, Candía, Torres, Banzer, Pereda, Padilla, Guevara, Natusch, G. Tejada, G. M. Tejada, Torrelio, Vildoso
32	10 October 1982 – 14 December 1984 Resigned from office		Jaime Paz Zamora		MIR	General Election of 1980	Constitutional	Hernán Siles Zuazo
Office vacant 14 December 1984 – 6 August 1985
33	6 August 1985 – 6 August 1989 End of term		Julio Garrett Ayllón		MNR	General Election of 1985	Constitutional	Víctor Paz Estenssoro
34	6 August 1989 – 6 August 1993 End of term		Luis Ossio		PDC	General Election of 1989	Constitutional	Jaime Paz Zamora
35	6 August 1993 – 6 August 1997 End of term		Víctor Hugo Cárdenas		MRTKL	General Election of 1993	Constitutional	Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
36	6 August 1997 – 7 August 2001 Assumed presidency		Jorge Quiroga		ADN	General Election of 1997	Constitutional	Hugo Banzer
Office vacant 7 August 2001 – 6 August 2002								Jorge Quiroga
37	6 August 2002 – 17 October 2003 Assumed presidency		Carlos Mesa		Independent	General Election of 2002	Constitutional	Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Office vacant 17 October 2003 – 22 January 2006								Carlos Mesa
								Eduardo Rodríguez
38	22 January 2006 – 22 January 2010 Legal change		Álvaro García Linera		MAS	General Election of 2005	Constitutional	Evo Morales

The Plurinational State of Bolivia (2009–present)

Bolivia changed its official name to the Plurinational State of Bolivia in 2009. This happened because a new constitution was approved by the people on January 25, 2009. This new constitution changed how the country was structured. To follow these changes, new elections were held on December 6, 2009. In these elections, Evo Morales and Vice President Álvaro García Linera won again. This meant Álvaro García Linera was the last Vice President of the old Republic of Bolivia and the first of the new Plurinational State.

Vice Presidency		Vice President		Party		Designation	Government	President
38	22 January 2010 – 10 November 2019 Resigned from office under military pressure		Álvaro García Linera		MAS	General Election of 2009	Constitutional	Evo Morales
						General Election of 2014
Office vacant 10 November 2019 – 8 November 2020								Jeanine Áñez
39	8 November 2020 – Incumbent		David Choquehuanca		MAS	General Election of 2020	Constitutional	Luis Arce

Timeline of Vice Presidents

More Information

• President of Bolivia
• List of presidents of Bolivia
• List of current vice presidents

See also

In Spanish: Vicepresidente de Bolivia para niños