Vice President of Guatemala facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vice President of the Republic of Guatemala
Vice presidential flag
Incumbent Karin Herrera since 15 January 2024
Style	Madam Vice President (informal) Most Excellent Madam Vice President of the Republic (official) Her Excellency (alternative formal, diplomatic outside of Guatemala)
Member of	National Security Council
Residence	Guatemalan National Palace
Term length	Four years, non-extendable
Inaugural holder	Clemente Marroquín Rojas
Formation	1 July 1966 (59 years ago) (1966-07-01)

The Vice President of Guatemala (called Vicepresidente de Guatemala in Spanish) is a very important political leader in Guatemala. This person works closely with the President of Guatemala. Since 1966, the Vice President has been chosen at the same time as the President. The person holding this job right now is Karin Herrera.

To become the Vice President, a person must be a citizen of Guatemala and be older than 40 years old.

What the Vice President Does

The Vice President helps the President lead the country. They are part of the National Security Council, which makes important decisions about Guatemala's safety. If the President cannot do their job, the Vice President steps in to take over. This makes the Vice President a key part of the government.

History of the Vice President Role

For a long time, the role of Vice President in Guatemala was different. Before 1966, there were often several "Designates to the Presidency." These people were chosen by the Congress of Guatemala for one or two years. Sometimes there were two Vice Presidents, called First and Second Vice Presidents. At other times, there were even three! This system changed over the years.

• From 1882 to 1886, there were First and Second Vice Presidents.
• The position was removed for a short time between 1886 and 1887.
• From 1888 to 1921, the roles of First and Second Vice Presidents returned.
• In 1921, and again from 1928 to 1944, there were First, Second, and even Third Vice Presidents.
• From 1956 to 1966, the system went back to having a First and Second Vice President.

Since 1966, the system has been simpler, with just one Vice President elected alongside the President.

Vice Presidents Since 1966

Here is a list of the people who have served as Vice President of Guatemala since 1966. This is when the role became what it is today, with one Vice President elected with the President.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term	Party		Election	President
1		Clemente Marroquín (1897–1978)	1 July 1966 – 1 July 1970		Independent	1966	Julio Méndez Montenegro
2		Eduardo Cáceres (1906–1980)	1 July 1970 – 1 July 1974		Independent	1970	Carlos Arana Osario
3		Mario Sandoval Alarcón (1923–2003)	1 July 1974 – 1 July 1978		MLN	1974	Kjell Laugerud García
4		Francisco Villagrán Kramer (1927–2011)	1 July 1978 – 1 September 1980		Independent	1978	Romeo Lucas García
5		Óscar Mendoza Azurdia (1917–1995)	1 September 1980 – 23 March 1982		MLN	––
Position vacant (23 March 1982 – 8 August 1983)
6		Rodolfo Lobos Zamora (1936–1997)	8 August 1983 – 14 January 1986		Military	––	Óscar Mejía Víctores
7		Roberto Carpio (1930–2022)	14 January 1986 – 14 January 1991		DCG	1985	Vinicio Cerezo
8		Gustavo Espina (1946–2024)	14 January 1991 – 1 June 1993		MAS	1990	Jorge Serrano Elías
Position vacant (1 June 1993 – 18 June 1993)
9		Arturo Herbruger (1912–1999)	18 June 1993 – 14 January 1996		Independent	1993	Ramiro de León Carpio
10		Luis Flores Asturias (1947)	14 January 1996 – 14 January 2000		PAN	1995	Álvaro Arzú
11		Juan Francisco Reyes (1938–2019)	14 January 2000 – 14 January 2004		FRG	1999	Alfonso Portillo
12		Eduardo Stein (1946)	14 January 2004 – 14 January 2008		GANA	2003	Óscar Berger
13		Rafael Espada (b. 1944)	14 January 2008 – 14 January 2012		UNE	2007	Álvaro Colom
14		Roxana Baldetti (b. 1962)	14 January 2012 – 8 May 2015		PP	2011	Otto Pérez Molina
Position vacant (8 May 2015 – 14 May 2015)
15		Alejandro Maldonado (b. 1936)	14 May 2015 – 3 September 2015		Independent	2015
Position vacant (3 September 2015 – 16 September 2015)
16		Alfonso Fuentes Soria (b. 1947)	16 September 2015 – 14 January 2016		Independent	2015	Alejandro Maldonado
17		Jafeth Cabrera (b. 1948)	14 January 2016 – 14 January 2020		FCN	2015	Jimmy Morales
18		Guillermo Castillo Reyes (b. 1966)	14 January 2020 – 14 January 2024		VAMOS	2019	Alejandro Giammattei
Position vacant (14 January 2024 – 15 January 2024)
19		Karin Herrera (b. 1967)	15 January 2024 – Incumbent		Semilla	2023	Bernardo Arévalo

See also

In Spanish: Vicepresidente de Guatemala para niños

• List of current vice presidents