Vice President of the Dominican Republic

Vice President of the Dominican Republic
Vicepresidenta de la República Dominicana
Coat of arms of the Dominican Republic
Incumbent
Raquel Peña
since 16 August 2020
AppointerUniversal suffrage election
Term lengthFour years, with one re-election allowed
Inaugural holderBenigno Filomeno de Rojas
Formation7 July 1857
Politics of the Dominican Republic
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The vice president of the Dominican Republic (Spanish: Vicepresidente 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

[1]

Picture Name Began office Left office President
Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante 1853 1853 Pedro Santana
Manuel de Regla Mota 15 February 1854 26 May 1856
Antonio Abad Alfau Bustamante 1856 1856 Manuel de Regla Mota
Buenaventura Báez 6 October 1856 8 October 1856 Manuel de Regla Mota
Domingo Daniel Pichardo Pró 1857 1858 Buenaventura Báez
Benigno Filomeno de Rojas 1858 1861 Pedro Santana

Annexation by Spain 1861–1865 and Dominican Restoration War 1863–1865

Picture Name Began office Left office President
Matías Ramón Mella 1863 1864 José Antonio Salcedo
Ulises Francisco Espaillat 1864 1864 José Antonio Salcedo

List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1865–1924

[1][2]

Picture Name Began office Left office President
Gregorio Luperón[3] 24 January 1865 24 March 1865 Benigno Filomeno de Rojas
Benigno Filomeno de Rojas 24 March 1865 4 August 1865 Pedro Antonio Pimentel
Francisco Antonio Gómez y Báez 1865 1866 Buenaventura Báez
Manuel Altagracia Cáceres 1868 1871 Buenaventura Báez
Juan Isidro Ortea y Kennedy 1871 1874 Buenaventura Báez
Francisco Gregorio Billini 5 March 1878 8 July 1878 Cesareo Guillermo
Casimiro Nemesio de Moya 1882 1884 Ulises Heureaux
Alejandro Woss y Gil 1884 1885 Francisco Gregorio Billini
Segundo Francisco Imbert del Monte 1887 1889 Ulises Heureaux
Manuel María Gautier 1889 1893 Ulises Heureaux
Wenceslao Figuereo 1893 26 July 1899 Ulises Heureaux
Horacio Vásquez 15 November 1899 2 May 1902 Juan Isidro Jimenes Pereyra
Eugenio Deschamps Peña March 1903 November 1903 Alejandro Woss y Gil
Ramón Cáceres 24 November 1903 29 December 1905 Carlos Felipe Morales
Abolished (29 December 1905 – 12 July 1924)

List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1924–1965

[1]

Picture Name Began office Left office President
Federico Velázquez 12 July 1924 16 August 1928 Horacio Vásquez
José Dolores Alfonseca 16 August 1928 3 March 1930[4] Horacio Vásquez
Vacant (3 March 1930 – 16 August 1930)
Rafael Estrella Ureña 16 August 1930 December 1931[5] Rafael Trujillo
Vacant (December 1931 – 16 August 1934)
Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado 16 August 1934 16 August 1938 Rafael Trujillo
Manuel de Jesús Troncoso de la Concha 16 August 1938 24 February 1940[6] Jacinto Bienvenido 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)
Joaquín Antonio Balaguer Ricardo 16 August 1957 3 August 1960 Héctor Trujillo
Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly 3 August 1960 18 January 1962 Joaquín Balaguer
Eduardo Read Barreras 18 January 1962 1962 Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly
Nicolás Pichardo 1962 27 February 1963
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)
Vacant (May 1965 – 3 September 1965)
Manuel Joaquín Castillo 3 September 1965 1 July 1966 Héctor García-Godoy

List of vice presidents of the Dominican Republic, 1966–present

[1][2]

Picture Name Began office Left office President
Francisco Augusto Lora 1 July 1966 16 August 1970[4] Joaquín Balaguer
Carlos Rafael Goico Morales 16 August 1970 16 August 1978
Jacobo Majluta Azar 16 August 1978 4 July 1982[7] Antonio Guzmán Fernández
Vacant (4 July 1982 – 16 August 1982)
Manuel Fernández Mármol 16 August 1982 20 January 1983[8] Salvador Jorge Blanco
Vacant (20 January 1983 – 16 August 1986)
Carlos Morales Troncoso 16 August 1986 16 August 1994 Joaquín Balaguer
Jacinto Peynado Garrigosa 16 August 1994 16 August 1996
Jaime David Fernández Mirabal 16 August 1996 16 August 2000 Leonel Fernández
Milagros Ortiz Bosch 16 August 2000 16 August 2004 Hipólito Mejía
Rafael Alburquerque 16 August 2004 16 August 2012 Leonel Fernández
Margarita Cedeño de Fernández 16 August 2012 16 August 2020 Danilo Medina
Raquel Peña de Antuña 16 August 2020 Incumbent Luis Abinader

See also

References and Notes

  1. ^ a b c d "Vicepresidentes de la RD que han alcanzado la presidencia". 4 October 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
  2. ^ a b Roorda, Eric Paul (28 April 2016). "Historical Dictionary of the Dominican Republic". Rowman & Littlefield. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Herrera, José Rafael Laine (25 October 2016). "Colosal guerra dominico-española 1863-65". Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial España. Retrieved 27 June 2018 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Resigned from the office
  5. ^ Resigned from the office for differences with President Rafael Trujillo
  6. ^ Assumed the presidency after the death of President Jacinto Bienvenido Peynado
  7. ^ Assumed the presidency after the suicide of President Antonio Guzmán Fernández
  8. ^ Died in office