The vice president of the Dominican Republic (), officially the constitutional vice president of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: vicepresidente/a constitucional de la República Dominicana), is the second-highest political position in the Dominican Republic. 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 have been 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 led 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 to 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.
List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1844–1861
PictureNameBegan officeLeft officePresidentFelipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante18531853Pedro SantanaManuel de Regla Mota15 February 185426 May 1856Antonio Abad Alfau Bustamante18561856Manuel de Regla MotaBuenaventura Báez6 October 18568 October 1856Manuel de Regla MotaDomingo Daniel Pichardo Pró18571858Buenaventura BáezBenigno Filomeno de Rojas18581861Pedro Santana
Annexation by Spain 1861–1865 and Dominican Restoration War 1863–1865
PictureNameBegan officeLeft officePresidentMatías Ramón Mella18631864José Antonio SalcedoUlises Francisco Espaillat18641864José Antonio Salcedo
List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1865–1924
PictureNameBegan officeLeft officePresidentGregorio Luperón24 January 186524 March 1865Benigno Filomeno de RojasBenigno Filomeno de Rojas24 March 18654 August 1865Pedro Antonio PimentelFrancisco Antonio Gómez y Báez18651866Buenaventura BáezManuel Altagracia Cáceres18681871Buenaventura BáezJuan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy18711874Buenaventura BáezFrancisco Gregorio Billini5 March 18788 July 1878Cesareo GuillermoCasimiro Nemesio de Moya18821884Ulises HeureauxAlejandro Woss y Gil18841885Francisco Gregorio BilliniSegundo Francisco Imbert del Monte18871889Ulises HeureauxManuel María Gautier18891893Ulises HeureauxWenceslao Figuereo189326 July 1899Ulises HeureauxHoracio Vásquez15 November 1899 2 May 1902Juan Isidro Jimenes PereyraEugenio Deschamps PeñaMarch 1903November 1903Alejandro Woss y GilRamón Cáceres24 November 1903 29 December 1905Carlos Felipe MoralesAbolished (29 December 1905 – 12 July 1924)
List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1924–1965
PictureNameBegan officeLeft officePresidentFederico Velázquez12 July 1924 16 August 1928Horacio VásquezJosé Dolores Alfonseca16 August 19283 March 1930Resigned from the officeHoracio VásquezVacant (3 March 1930 – 16 August 1930)Rafael Estrella Ureña16 August 1930 December 1931Resigned from the office for differences with President Rafael TrujilloRafael Trujillo Vacant (December 1931 – 16 August 1934)Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado16 August 1934 16 August 1938Rafael Trujillo Manuel de Jesús Troncoso de la Concha16 August 1938 24 February 1940Assumed the presidency after the death of President Jacinto Bienvenido PeynadoJacinto Bienvenido PeynadoVacant (7 March 1940 – 18 May 1942; The Minister of the Armed Force was third in line)Position abolished (18 May 1942 – 16 August 1957)Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo16 August 1957 3 August 1960Héctor TrujilloRafael Filiberto Bonnelly3 August 1960 18 January 1962Joaquín BalaguerEduardo Read Barreras18 January 1962 1962Rafael Filiberto BonnellyNicolás Pichardo196227 February 1963Armando González Tamayo27 February 1963 25 September 1963Juan BoschNone (Triumvirate) (26 September 1963 – 25 April 1965; chaired from December 29, 1963 by Donald Reid Cabral)Vacant (May 1965 – 3 September 1965)Manuel Joaquín Castillo3 September 19651 July 1966Héctor García-Godoy
List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1966–present
PictureNameBegan officeLeft officePresidentFrancisco Augusto Lora1 July 196616 August 1970Joaquín BalaguerCarlos Rafael Goico Morales16 August 1970 16 August 1978Jacobo Majluta Azar16 August 19784 July 1982Assumed the presidency after the suicide of President Antonio Guzmán FernándezAntonio Guzmán FernándezVacant (4 July 1982 – 16 August 1982)Manuel Fernández Mármol16 August 198220 January 1983Died in officeSalvador Jorge BlancoVacant (20 January 1983 – 16 August 1986)Carlos Morales Troncoso16 August 198616 August 1994Joaquín BalaguerJacinto Peynado Garrigosa16 August 1994 16 August 1996Jaime David Fernández Mirabal16 August 199616 August 2000Leonel FernándezMilagros Ortiz Bosch16 August 200016 August 2004Hipólito MejíaRafael Alburquerque16 August 200416 August 2012Leonel FernándezMargarita Cedeño de Fernández16 August 2012 16 August 2020Danilo MedinaRaquel Peña de Antuña16 August 2020 IncumbentLuis Abinader
See also
List of current vice presidents
References and Notes
External links Official website