Vice President of Bolivia

Vice President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia
Vicepresidente del Estado Plurinacional de 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 (Spanish: Vicepresidente de Bolivia), officially known as the vice president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish: Vicepresidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), is the second highest political position in Bolivia. The vice president replaces the president in his definitive absence or others impediment and is the ex officio President of the Legislative Assembly.

Thirty nine men have served as vice president of Bolivia since the office came into existence on 19 November 1826. José Ramón de Loayza was the first vice president of the Republic of Bolivia. The 38th vice president, Álvaro García Linera, was the last vice president of the Republic of Bolivia and the first vice president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia. The second and current vice president of the Plurnational State is David Choquehuanca (since 8 November 2020). There are currently five living former vice presidents. The most recent former vice president to die was Julio Garrett Ayllón on 19 March 2018.

The vice president is the first person in the presidential line of succession and assumes the presidency if the president dies, resigns, or is impeached and removed from office. Four vice presidents have ascended to the presidency following the resignation of their predecessor (José Luis Tejada Sorzano, Mamerto Urriolagoitía, Jorge Qurioga, and Carlos Mesa). René Barrientos was the only vice president to assume the presidency by deposing his own predecessor, Víctor Paz Estenssoro. When Barrientos died suddenly on 27 April 1969, Luis Adolfo Siles Salinas became the only vice president to become president through their predecessor's death.

Seven former vice presidents (Aniceto Arce, Mariano Baptista, Severo Fernández, Eliodoro Villazón, Hernán Siles Zuazo, René Barrientos, and Jaime Paz Zamora) were elected president in their own right while two (José Miguel de Velasco and Mariano Enrique Calvo) became president by other means. José Miguel de Velasco was the only vice president who had already served as president (1828) prior to becoming vice president.

Vice presidents

Republic of Bolivia (1826–1836)

The office of vice president was first established on 19 November 1826, during the presidency of Antonio José de Sucre, following the promulgation of the Political Constitution of 1826, the first in the country's history. However, Sucre himself would never elect a candidate to be presented to the National Congress, leaving the position vacant throughout his term. The first elected vice president was José Miguel de Velasco on 12 August 1828. However, he was prevented from exercising the position as he instead served as interim president in the absence of the elected president Andrés de Santa Cruz.

As Santa Cruz never appeared to take office, the Conventional Assembly convened on 18 December 1828 to elect new leaders. José Ramón de Loayza would be elected vice president to Pedro Blanco Soto. Loayza served as acting president in the absence of Soto until 26 December at which point Soto assumed the office of the presidency and Loayza would exercise the vice presidency 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

Bolivian State (1836–1839)

The Bolivian State was one of the three states that made up the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. On 28 October 1836, Andrés de Santa Cruz was elected Supreme Protector of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation while simultaneously being the president of the Bolivian State. José Miguel de Velasco Franco remained Vice President of the Bolivian State until 23 July 1835 when he was replaced by Mariano Enrique Calvo. For much of his tenure, Calvo would serve as acting president in replacement of Santa Cruz when he was in Peruvian territory.

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

Republic of Bolivia (1880–2009)

Vice Presidential Palace in La Paz

Upon the dissolution of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, Jose Miguel de Velasco overthrew Marshal Andrés de Santa Cruz and assumed the presidency of the Bolivian State on 22 February 1839, bringing an end to it and reviving the Republic of Bolivia with his secessionist pronouncement. On 26 October 1839, de Velasco promulgated the Political Constitution of 1839 which eliminated the position of vice president making the President of the Senate the first in the presidential order of succession instead. This situation lasted until 15 February 1878, when the Political Constitution of 1878 was promulgated under Hilarión Daza. The Constitution of 1878 reincorporated the position of vice president, though it remained vacant for the remainder of Daza's presidency.

Following the overthrow of Daza, during the presidency of Narciso Campero, the unique feature of two vice presidents came to be. On 31 May 1880, the National Convention appointed Aniceto Arce and Belisario Salinas, respectively, as first and second vice presidents. The dual-vice presidency was formally established upon the promulgation of the Political Constitution of 1880 on 28 October. The Constitution of 1880 established two vice presidents who were elected like the president by direct vote, but with different powers: The first vice president presided over the Senate and was empowered to replace or succeed the president while the second vice president only had the function of replacing or succeeding the president in case of absence, resignation, inability or death of the first vice president.

This dual form of vice presidents was in force until 24 January 1921 when the Congress-Convention of 1921, convened by Bautista Saavedra, abolished the position of second vice president. On 4 December 1939, interim president Carlos Quintanilla would amend the 1938 Constitution to abolish the office of the vice presidency in order to circumnavigate the claims to succession of former vice president Enrique Baldivieso. The position was revived on 24 November 1945 with the promulgation of the Political Constitution of 1945 during the presidency of Gualberto Villarroel.

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

Plurinational State of Bolivia (2009–present)

The emergence of the Plurinational State occurred as a consequence of the promulgation of the Political Constitution of 2009. Drafted by the Constituent Assembly in 2007, the new constitution was approved in a popular referendum on 25 January 2009, and was promulgated on 7 February. The Constitution resulted in a change in the official name of the country, leaving behind its previous denominative of Republic of Bolivia to become the Plurinational State of Bolivia. In order to comply with the structural changes of the new constitution, it was decided to advance the general elections to be held on 6 December 2009, with Evo Morales and Vice President Álvaro García Linera winning again, with 64.22% of the votes. This situation made Álvaro García Linera the last vice president of the Republic and the first of the 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

See also

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

External links

• Vicepresidencia del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia (in Spanish)