This is the list of all the Presidents of the Dominican Republic from 1844 when the country gained independence to the present day, including their terms of office, political party, and the duration of their presidencies:
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No. | President | Took Office | Left Office | Political Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pedro Santana | 14 Nov 1844 | 4 Aug 1848 | Independent |
2 | Manuel Jimenes | 8 Sep 1848 | 29 May 1849 | Independent |
3 | Pedro Santana | 30 May 1849 | 23 Aug 1853 | Independent |
4 | José Desiderio Valverde | 23 Aug 1853 | 15 Jun 1854 | Independent |
5 | Pedro Santana | 15 Jun 1854 | 4 Aug 1856 | Independent |
6 | Manuel de Regla Mota | 4 Aug 1856 | 18 Mar 1857 | Independent |
7 | Pedro Santana | 18 Mar 1857 | 29 Apr 1858 | Independent |
8 | Buenaventura Báez | 29 Apr 1858 | 2 Aug 1858 | Independent |
9 | José Antonio Salcedo | 2 Aug 1858 | 11 Jul 1859 | Independent |
10 | Buenaventura Báez | 11 Jul 1859 | 18 Mar 1861 | Independent |
11 | Pedro Santana | 18 Mar 1861 | 7 Jul 1861 | Independent |
12 | Buenaventura Báez | 7 Jul 1861 | 2 Aug 1863 | Independent |
13 | Pedro Antonio Pimentel | 11 Jul 1865 | 4 Aug 1865 | Independent |
14 | José María Cabral | 4 Aug 1865 | 15 Nov 1865 | Independent |
15 | Pedro Guillermo | 15 Nov 1865 | 8 Dec 1865 | Independent |
16 | Buenaventura Báez | 8 Dec 1865 | 29 May 1866 | Independent |
17 | Triumvirate | 29 May 1866 | 22 Aug 1866 | Independent |
18 | José María Cabral | 22 Aug 1866 | 29 Sep 1866 | Independent |
19 | José María Cabral | 29 Sep 1866 | 31 Jan 1868 | Independent |
20 | Manuel Altagracia Cáceres | 31 Jan 1868 | 13 Feb 1868 | Independent |
21 | Junta of Generals | 13 Feb 1868 | 2 May 1868 | Independent |
22 | Buenaventura Báez | 2 May 1868 | 2 Jan 1874 | Independent |
23 | Ignacio María González | 25 Nov 1873 | 21 Jan 1874 | Independent |
24 | Ulises Heureaux | 27 Feb 1882 | 26 Jul 1899 | Independent |
25 | Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra | 7 Dec 1899 | 16 Aug 1902 | Independent |
26 | Horacio Vásquez | 16 Aug 1902 | 19 Nov 1903 | Independent |
27 | Carlos Morales Languasco | 19 Nov 1903 | 7 Dec 1903 | Independent |
28 | Alejandro Woss y Gil | 7 Dec 1903 | 13 Jun 1904 | Independent |
29 | Ramón Cáceres | 13 Jun 1904 | 19 Nov 1911 | Independent |
30 | Eladio Victoria | 19 Nov 1911 | 28 Nov 1911 | Independent |
31 | Adolfo A. Nouel | 28 Nov 1911 | 31 Jul 1912 | Independent |
32 | Bordas Valdez | 31 Jul 1912 | 27 Feb 1913 | Independent |
33 | Tomas Perez Alfonseca | 27 Feb 1913 | 27 May 1913 | Independent |
34 | Horacio Vásquez | 27 May 1913 | 7 Dec 1914 | Independent |
35 | Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra | 7 Dec 1914 | 13 May 1916 | Independent |
36 | Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal | 13 May 1916 | 29 Nov 1916 | Independent |
37 | Jimenez Morales | 29 Nov 1916 | 7 Dec 1916 | Independent |
38 | Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal | 7 Dec 1916 | 27 Apr 1917 | Independent |
39 | Ramón Báez | 27 Apr 1917 | 8 Jul 1917 | Independent |
40 | Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal | 8 Jul 1917 | 7 Dec 1922 | Independent |
41 | Horacio Vásquez | 7 Dec 1922 | 21 Feb 1924 | Independent |
42 | Alejandro Woss y Gil | 21 Feb 1924 | 28 Nov 1924 | Independent |
43 | Horacio Vásquez | 28 Nov 1924 | 3 Mar 1930 | Independent |
44 | Rafael Estrella Ureña | 3 Mar 1930 | 16 Aug 1930 | Independent |
45 | Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina | 16 Aug 1930 | 14 Jun 1961 | Independent |
46 | Joaquín Balaguer | 3 Aug 1960 | 16 Aug 1962 | Independent |
47 | Rafael Bonnelly | 16 Aug 1962 | 27 Feb 1963 | Independent |
48 | Juan Bosch | 27 Feb 1963 | 25 Sep 1963 | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
49 | Donald Reid Cabral | 25 Sep 1963 | 7 Aug 1965 | Independent |
50 | Héctor García-Godoy | 7 Aug 1965 | 1 Jul 1966 | Independent |
51 | Joaquín Balaguer | 1 Jul 1966 | 16 Aug 1978 | Independent |
52 | Antonio Guzmán Fernández | 16 Aug 1978 | 29 May 1982 | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
53 | Salvador Jorge Blanco | 16 Aug 1982 | 16 Aug 1986 | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
54 | Joaquín Balaguer | 16 Aug 1986 | 16 Aug 1996 | Independent |
55 | José Francisco Peña Gómez | 16 Aug 1996 | 10 May 1998 | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
56 | Leonel Fernández | 16 Aug 1996 | 16 Aug 2000 | Dominican Liberation Party |
57 | Hipólito Mejía | 16 Aug 2000 | 16 Aug 2004 | Dominican Revolutionary Party |
58 | Leonel Fernández | 16 Aug 2004 | 16 Aug 2008 | Dominican Liberation Party |
59 | Leonel Fernández | 16 Aug 2008 | 16 Aug 2012 | Dominican Liberation Party |
60 | Danilo Medina | 16 Aug 2012 | 16 Aug 2020 | Dominican Liberation Party |
61 | Luis Abinader | 16 Aug 2020 | Incumbent | Modern Revolutionary Party |
How Many Presidents Have There Been In The Dominican Republic?
The Dominican Republic has had a total of 61 presidents since it gained independence in 1844. This number includes presidents who served in different capacities, such as constitutional, provisional, and interim roles.
The country’s political history is quite complex, seen by periods of significant turmoil and frequent leadership changes. In the early years of the Dominican Republic, political instability was a common issue.
Many presidents could not finish their terms because of coups, resignations, or political violence. From 1844 to 1914, only a few presidents managed to serve their full terms.
This instability was often due to power struggles between different political factions and military leaders. One of the most notable figures in the Dominican Republic’s history is Rafael Trujillo.
He ruled as president from 1930 until his assassination in 1961. Trujillo’s time in power was seen by authoritarian rule, repression, and significant human rights violations. His regime had a lasting impact on the country.
After Trujillo’s death, the Dominican Republic went through a period of political turmoil. For example, Juan Bosch, who was elected president in 1962, was removed from office just a year later.
This period of instability continued for several years. In recent decades, the Dominican Republic has experienced more stable democratic governance. Danilo Medina served as president from 2012 to 2020.
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How Many Terms Can A President Serve In The Dominican Republic?
In the Dominican Republic, the rules about how long a president can serve have changed over time. Right now, a president can serve for four years in one term.
After that, they can run for re-election and serve for a second consecutive term. So, if a president is re-elected, they can serve for a total of eight years in a row. The Dominican Republic’s constitution allows for this two-term limit.
This rule was made to promote democracy and stop any one person from holding too much power for too long. Before 1994, there were no limits on how many terms a president could serve.
This allowed some presidents to stay in power for many years, which raised concerns about authoritarianism. Imagine the case of Rafael Trujillo, who ruled from 1930 to 1961, and held power for over 30 years.
His long rule was seen by repression and a lack of political freedom. After his assassination, the country began to change its political system. In 1994, a constitutional amendment was made to limit presidents to two consecutive terms.
This change aimed to ensure that no leader could dominate the political landscape as Trujillo did. In addition to the two consecutive terms, a president can run again after sitting out a term.
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Who Is The Current President Of The Dominican Republic?
The current president of the Dominican Republic is Luis Abinader. He took office on August 16, 2020. Abinader is a member of the Modern Revolutionary Party, also known as the “Partido Revolucionario Moderno” (PRM) in Spanish.
This party is quite new in the political scene of the Dominican Republic as it was founded in 2014. Luis Abinader was born on July 2, 1967, in Santiago de los Caballeros, a popular city in the Dominican Republic.
He comes from a notable family. His father was a businessman, and his mother was a politician. Abinader studied economics at the Pontifical Catholic University Madre y Maestra.
Later, he earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University. Before becoming president, Abinader had a career in both business and politics.
He served as a senator for the province of Santiago from 2016 to 2020. His political journey began when he joined the PRM. Because of his leadership skills and dedication to public service, he moved up in the party.
As president, Abinader has focused on several key issues. He has worked on economic recovery, job creation, and improving healthcare, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also places a strong emphasis on transparency and good governance in his administration.