The following is a List of the Presidents of the Republic of Greater Colombia, beginning with Simon Bolivar. The President is elected by direct ballot, and due to the three-party system in Colombia, this typically requires a runoff. Generally speaking, the party that controls the Colombian Congress controls the Presidency as well, as the quadrennial Presidential election and sextennial Congressional election overlaps every twelve years. Since a constitutional amendment passed in 1998, Presidents are now permitted to succeed themselves once, and are limited to two lifetime terms - previously, since 1926, Presidents were permitted to serve unlimited lifetime terms but could not succeed themselves.
The President is empowered as the head of state and head of government of Colombia, and as such is the Commander in Chief of the Colombian armed forces. He is empowered to begin and adjourn sessions of Congress, and signs laws brought to him by both houses of the Congress. His appointments to the various Ministries of his Cabinet must be approved by majority vote in both Houses of the Congress. Like many Presidential republics in South America, there is no Vice President - the President is succeeded by the Secretary of the Chamber of the Senate in the event of death or impeachment. Presidents, upon completion of their term, are made Senator for Life.
Presidents of the Republic of Colombia[]
| Name | Picture | Took office | Left office | Political Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Simón Bolívar | 1819 | 1821 | N/A | ||
| Francisco de Paula Santander y Omana | 1821 | 1826 | N/A | ||
| Simón Bolívar | 1826 | 1830 | N/A | ||
| Francisco de Paula Santander y Omana | 1830 | 1840 | N/A | ||
| José Antonio Páez | 1840 | 1848 | N/A | ||
| Pedro Alcántara Herrán | 1848 | 1851 | N/A | ||
| Carlos Soublette | 1851 | 1855 | N/A | ||
| Tomás Cipriano de Mosquera | 1855 | 1862 | N/A | ||
| Juan Crisóstomo Falcón | 1862 | 1867 | N/A | ||
| Manuel Murillo Toro | 1867 | 1870 | N/A | ||
| Rafael Núñez Moledo | 1870 | 1874 | N/A | Assassinated immediately prior to 1874 coup | |
| Eusebio de Las Iglesias y López | 1874 | 1905 | N/A | ||
| Héctor Machire | March 8, 1905 | November 6, 1905 | N/A | ||
| José Gil Fortoul | 1905 | 1908 | N/A | Assassinated | |
| Juan Vicente Gómez | 1908 | 1915 | military dictator | ||
| José de la Santa Cruz | 1915 | 1916 | none | ||
| David Castro | 1916 | 1918 | Reform | ||
| José Luis López y Santa Maria | 1918 | 1922 | Republican | ||
| David Castro | 1922 | 1926 | Reform | ||
| Samuel Uribe | 1926 | 1929 | Reform | ||
| Enrique Olaya Herrera | 1929 | 1930 | Reform | ||
| Humberto Ruiz | 1930 | 1934 | Social | First term | |
| Alfonso López Pumarejo | 1934 | 1938 | Social | First term | |
| Humberto Ruiz | 1938 | 1942 | Social | Second Term | |
| Alfonso López Pumarejo | 1942 | 1946 | Second term | ||
| Rómulo Betancourt | 1946 | 1950 | Social | First term | |
| Mariano Ospina Pérez | 1950 | 1954 | Christian Democrat | ||
| 1954 | 1958 | ||||
| Rómulo Betancourt | 1958 | 1962 | Social | Second term | |
| Raúl Leoni | 1962 | 1966 | Social | ||
| Carlos Lleras Restrepo | 1966 | 1970 | Social | ||
| Rafael Caldera | 
|
1970 | 1974 | Christian Democrat | First Term |
| Carlos Andrés Pérez | 
|
August 6, 1974 | August 6, 1978 | Social | |
| Octavio Lepage | August 6, 1978 | August 6, 1982 | Social | ||
| Rafael Caldera |
|
August 6, 1982 | August 6, 1986 | United Colombia | Second term; head of unity government |
| Rafael Gusto Villana | 
|
August 6, 1986 | August 6, 1990 | Republican | |
| Felipe Ramón Hernández | 
|
August 6, 1990 | August 6, 1994 | Republican | |
| Rafael Caldera | August 6, 1994 | August 6, 1998 | New Majority | Third term | |
| Andrés Pastrana | 
|
August 6, 1998 | August 6, 2002 | Republican | |
| Luis Carlos Galán | August 6, 2002 | August 6, 2010 | New Majority | ||
| Antonio Cristo de Zapata | 
|
August 6, 2010 | August 6, 2014 | Social | |
| Henrique Capriles | August 6, 2014 | present | New Majority |