Vice president of the Dominican Republic
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The Vice President is the first person in the presidential line of succession, ascending to the Presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the President. There are thirty-nine Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic. Under the Constitution of the Dominican Republic, the Vice President shall be elected along with the President.
Since the independence of the Dominican Republic in 1844 until 1865, what is considered the First Republic, there were no constitutional Vice Presidents. Yet, during that time there were acting Vice Presidents; this was under the rule of Pedro Santana.
History
After the inception of the Dominican Republic, the country was run by a Central Governing Junta lead by Pedro Santana. As such, there was no need for a Vice President at the time. Yet, it is believed that the first Vice President of the Republic was Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante, who was elected as Acting Vice President by Pedro Santana. This was spurred because Santana was invited to go abroad yet the Republic had to be seen to in his absence.
The Constitution of the Dominican Republic has been amended many times, and in some instances the office of the Vice President had been eliminated to later be recreated. In times when the office was eliminated, if the President was leaving the country, an acting President was designated, therefore creating the post of a second in command. For example the 30th President of the Dominican Republic, Carlos Felipe Morales, elected Ramón Cáceres to be his Vice President from 1903 until 1905. Then from 1905–1911, the previous Vice President Ramón Cáceres is elected as President and the office of the Vice President is eliminated during that time span.
Also during the 31 year dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo, the office of the Vice President was eliminated or vacated on several occasions.
Since 1966, which is considered the beginning of the 4th Republic, the office of the Vice President of the Dominican Republic has been a permanent post. Also, the Vice President has to be elected along with the President, not appointed by the latter.
Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1844–1861
| # | Picture | Name | Began office | Left office | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante | 1853 | 1853 | Pedro Santana | |
| 2 | Manuel de Regla Mota y Alvarez | 1853 | 1856 | ||
| 3 | Antonio Abad Alfau Bustamante | 1856 | 1856 | Manuel de Regla Mota | |
| 4 | Buenaventura Báez | 1856 | 1857 | Buenaventura Báez | |
| 5 | Domingo Daniel Pichardo Pró | 1857 | 1858 | José Desiderio Valverde | |
| 6 | Benigno Filomeno de Rojas y Ramos | 1858 | 1861 | Pedro Santana |
Annexation by Spain, 1861-1865
- Ramón Matías Mella: 1863 - 1864
- Ulises Francisco Espaillat: 1864 - 1865
- Gregorio Luperón: 1865
Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1865–1924
Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1924–1966
| # | Picture | Name | Began office | Left office | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Federico Velázquez | 12 July 1924 | 1928 | Horacio Vásquez | |
| 20 | José Dolores Alfonseca | 1928 | 3 March 1930 (Resign the office) | ||
| Vacant (3 March 1930 – 16 August 1930) | |||||
| 21 | Rafael Estrella Ureña | 16 August 1930 | 1932 (Resign the office for differences with the president) |
Rafael Trujillo | |
| Vacant (1932 – 16 August 1934) | |||||
| 22 | Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado | 16 August 1934 | 16 August 1938 | Rafael Trujillo | |
| 23 | Manuel Troncoso de la Concha | 16 August 1938 | 24 February 1940 (assume the presidency after the death of the President J. B. Peynado) |
Jacinto Peynado | |
| Vacant (7 March 1940 – 18 May 1942; The Minister of the Armed Force was third in line) | |||||
| Position abolished (18 May 1942 – 16 August 1957) | |||||
| 24 | Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo | 16 August 1957 | 3 August 1960 | Héctor Trujillo | |
| 25 | Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly | 3 August 1960 | 18 January 1962 | Joaquín Balaguer | |
| 26 | Eduardo Read Barrera | 18 January 1962 | 1962 | Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly | |
| 27 | Nicolás Pichardo | 1962 | 27 February 1963 | ||
| 28 | Armando González Tamayo | 27 February 1963 | 25 September 1963 | Juan Bosch | |
| None (Triumvirate) (26 September 1963 – 25 April 1965; chaired from December 29, 1963 by Donald Reid Cabral) | |||||
| 29 | Manuel Joaquín Castillo | 4 May 1965 | 30 August 1965 | Antonio Imbert Barrera | |
| Vacant (30 August 1965 – 3 September 1965) | |||||
| None (provisional) (3 September 1965 – 1 July 1966) | |||||
Vice Presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1966–present
| # | Picture | Name | Began office | Left office | President |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Francisco Augusto Lora | 1 July 1966 | 16 August 1970 (Resign the office) |
Joaquín Balaguer | |
| 31 | Carlos Rafael Goico | 16 August 1970 | 16 August 1978 | ||
| 32 | Jacobo Majluta Azar | 16 August 1978 | 4 July 1982 (assume the presidency after the death of the President Guzmán Fernández) |
Antonio Guzmán Fernández | |
| Vacant (4 July 1982 – 16 August 1982) | |||||
| 33 | Manuel Fernández Mármol | 16 August 1982 | 20 October 1983 (died) |
Jacobo Majluta Azar | |
| Salvador Jorge Blanco | |||||
| Vacant (20 October 1983 – 16 August 1986) | |||||
| 34 | Carlos Morales Troncoso | 16 August 1986 | 16 August 1994 | Joaquín Balaguer | |
| 35 | Jacinto Peynado | 16 August 1994 | 16 August 1996 | ||
| 36 | Jaime David Fernández Mirabal | 16 August 1996 | 16 August 2000 | Leonel Fernández | |
| 37 | Milagros Ortiz Bosch | 16 August 2000 | 16 August 2004 | Hipólito Mejía | |
| 38 | Rafael Alburquerque | 16 August 2004 | 16 August 2012 | Leonel Fernández | |
| 39 | Margarita Cedeño de Fernández | 16 August 2012 | Present | Danilo Medina | |