Uruguay is a presidential republic in which the president is both the head of state and head of government. The following is a list of all the people who have held the office of President of Uruguay since 6 November 1830 (when the first constitution was adopted), with the exception of those who held the office of "President" under the National Council of Government, which served as the country's executive directory from 1955 to 1967. The first president of this list is Fructuoso Rivera, who held the office twice and once as part of the Triumvirate that ruled the country from 1853 to 1854.
Most of the presidents of Uruguay have belonged to the Colorado Party, a traditionally conservative party founded by Rivera in 1836, although there has not been a Colorado president since Jorge Batlle left office in 2005. The first free democratic elections for president were held in 1922. The current president is Yamandú Orsi of the Broad Front, who was elected in the 2024 presidential election.
Governors of Uruguay as a province
Oriental Province (1814–1817)
The Province was a part of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, it was under the control of governors appointed by the government in Buenos Aires.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationNotes1Nicolás Rodríguez Peña(1775–1853)9 July 181425 August 1814Appointed by Gervasio Antonio de Posadas, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.2Miguel Estanislao Soler(1783–1849)25 August 181410 January 18153José Gervasio Artigas10 January 181526 February 1815Protector of the Federal League.4(1774–1831)26 February 1815July 1815Appointed by José Gervasio Artigas.5(1789–1848)July 181520 January 1817Appointed by José Gervasio Artigas.
Cisplatine Province (1817–1828)
After the Portuguese conquest of the Banda Oriental, the Oriental Province became a province of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves and a province of the Empire of Brazil after 1822.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationNotes1Carlos Frederico Lecor(1764–1836)20 January 18173 February 18262(1769–1847)3 February 182627 August 1828
Oriental Province (1825–1828)
In 1825, a group known as the Treinta y Tres Orientales began an insurrection against the Empire of Brazil. These revolutionaries assembled at the Congress of Florida in August 1825 and declared independence from the Empire of Brazil and reunited with the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationNotes1Juan Antonio Lavalleja(1784–1853)19 September 18255 July 1826Appointed by the Congress of Florida.2Joaquín Suárez(1781–1868)5 July 182612 October 18273Luis Eduardo Pérez(1774–1841)12 October 182727 August 1828Appointed by Juan Antonio Lavalleja.
Heads of state of Uruguay as an independent country
Government and Provisional General Captaincy of the Oriental State of Uruguay (1828–1830)
After the Preliminary Peace Convention the Oriental Province gained effective independence from the Empire of Brazil and the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationNotes1Luis Eduardo Pérez(1774–1841)27 August 18281 December 1828Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by Juan Antonio Lavalleja.2Joaquín Suárez(1781–1868)2 December 182822 December 1828Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly.3José Rondeau(1775–1844)22 December 182817 April 1830Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly.4Juan Antonio Lavalleja(1784–1853)17 April 183028 June 1830Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly.
Oriental State of Uruguay (1830–1919) The Constitution of 1830 comes into force. The president was elected by the legislature for a four-year term.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationPartyElectedNotes–Juan Antonio Lavalleja(1784–1853)28 June 183024 October 1830——Governor and Provisional Captain General. Appointed by the General Constituent Assembly.–Luis Eduardo Pérez(1774–1841)24 October 18306 November 1830——President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.1Fructuoso Rivera(1784–1854)6 November 183024 October 1834 —1830–Carlos Anaya(1777–1862)24 October 18341 March 1835Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.2Manuel Oribe(1792–1857)1 March 183524 October 1838National1835–Gabriel Antonio Pereira(1794–1861)24 October 18381 March 1839Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.3Fructuoso Rivera(1784–1854)1 March 18391 March 1843Colorado1839Second term. –Manuel Oribe(1792–1857)16 February 18438 October 1851National—Second term. Self-proclaimed president of the Gobierno del Cerrito, during the Uruguayan Civil War.–Joaquín Suárez(1781–1868)1 March 184315 February 1852Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. President of the Gobierno de la Defensa, during the Uruguayan Civil War.–Bernardo Prudencio Berro(1803–1868)15 February 18521 March 1852National—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.4Juan Francisco Giró(1791–1863)1 March 185225 September 1853National1852Ousted from office by a coup d'état.–Venancio Flores(1808–1868)25 September 185312 March 1854Colorado—Triumvirate. Fructuoso Rivera(1784–1854)25 September 185313 January 1854ColoradoJuan Antonio Lavalleja(1784–1853)25 September 185322 October 1853—5Venancio Flores(1808–1868)12 March 185410 September 1855Colorado1854–Luis María Lamas(1793–1864)29 August 185510 September 1855Conservative—Self-proclaimed president after the .–Manuel Basilio Bustamante(1785–1863)10 September 185515 February 1856Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.–José María Plá(1794–1869)15 February 18561 March 1856Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.6Gabriel Antonio Pereira(1794–1861)1 March 1856 1 March 1860Colorado18567Bernardo Prudencio Berro(1803–1868)1 March 18601 March 1864National1860–Atanasio Cruz Aguirre(1801–1875)1 March 186415 February 1865National—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. Resigned after the Brazilian invasion.–Tomás Villalba(1805–1886)15 February 186520 February 1865National—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. Resigned after the Brazilian invasion.–Venancio Flores(1808–1868)20 February 186515 February 1868Colorado—De facto president after the Brazilian invasion. Assumed power as Provisional Governor.–Pedro Varela(1837–1906)15 February 18681 March 1868Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.8Lorenzo Batlle(1810–1887)1 March 18681 March 1872Colorado1868–Tomás Gomensoro Albín(1810–1900)1 March 18721 March 1873Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.9José Eugenio Ellauri(1834–1894)1 March 187322 January 1875Colorado187310Pedro Varela(1837–1906)22 January 187510 March 1876Colorado—Ousted by a coup d'état.–Lorenzo Latorre(1844–1916)10 March 18761 March 1879Colorado—Assumed power as Provisional Governor.111 March 187915 March 1880187912Francisco Antonino Vidal(1825–1889)15 March 18801 March 1882Colorado—13Máximo Santos(1847–1889)1 March 18821 March 1886Colorado—14Francisco Antonino Vidal(1825–1889)1 March 188624 May 1886Colorado1886–Máximo Santos(1847–1889)24 May 188618 November 1886Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power. 15Máximo Tajes(1852–1912)18 November 18861 March 1890Colorado—16Julio Herrera y Obes(1841–1912)1 March 18901 March 1894Colorado1890–Duncan Stewart(1833–1923)1 March 189421 March 1894Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.17Juan Idiarte Borda(1844–1897)21 March 189425 August 1897Colorado1894Assassinated.–Juan Lindolfo Cuestas(1837–1905)25 August 189710 February 1898Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.10 February 189815 February 1899De facto president following a self-coup. –José Batlle y Ordóñez(1856–1929)15 February 18991 March 1899Colorado—President of the Senate exercising the Executive Power.18Juan Lindolfo Cuestas(1837–1905)1 March 18991 March 1903Colorado189919José Batlle y Ordóñez(1856–1929)1 March 19031 March 1907Colorado190320Claudio Williman(1861–1934)1 March 19071 March 1911Colorado190721José Batlle y Ordóñez(1856–1929)1 March 19111 March 1915Colorado1911Second term.22Feliciano Viera(1872–1927)1 March 19151 March 1919Colorado1915
Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1919–present)
National Council of Administration (1919–1933) During his second term in office, President José Batlle y Ordóñez proposed constitutional changes to alter the structure of the executive branch to remove powers from a individual presidential figure in order to reduce the risk of that individual seeking dictatorial powers. While his initial proposals were not successful, a compromise resulted in the implementation of the Constitution of 1918. Under this colegiado system, the President shared powers with a bipartisan National Council of Administration who oversaw various bureaucratic organizations. The council was made up of nine members and was headed by its own president which was elected by the legislature in a role similar to that of a prime minister.
No.PortraitName(Birth–Death) Took office Left office DurationPartyElectedNotes1918 Constitution (1918–1933)23Baltasar Brum(1883–1933)1 March 19191 March 1923Colorado1919Appointed by congress. The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Council of Administration, headed by a President: 1 March 1919 – 1 March 1921:Feliciano Viera 1 March 1921 – 1 March 1923:José Batlle y Ordóñez24José Serrato(1868–1960)1 March 19231 March 1927Colorado1922First popularly elected president. The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Council of Administration, headed by a President: 1 March 1923 – 1 March 1925:Julio María Sosa 1 March 1925 – 1 March 1927:Luis Alberto de Herrera25Juan Campisteguy(1859–1937)1 March 19271 March 1931Colorado1926The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Council of Administration, headed by a President: 1 March 1927 – 16 February 1928:José Batlle y Ordóñez 6 February 1928 – 1 March 1929:Luis Caviglia 1 March 1929 – 1 March 1931:Baltasar Brum26Gabriel Terra(1873–1942)1 March 193131 March 1933Colorado1930The President served as part of the executive alongside the National Council of Administration, headed by a President: 1 March 1931 – 1 March 1933:Juan Pedro Fabini 1 March 1933 – 31 March 1933:Antonio Rubio Pérez
Unitary Executive (1933–1952) During the Great Depression the colegiado system came under criticism for mishandling the ecomonic situation in Uruguay. On 31 March 1933, President Gabriel Terra initiated a self-coup dissolving the parliament and National Council of Administration and began ruling by decree. There was widespread support for the coup amongst the political establishment and on 1 April a "March on Montevideo", inspired by Mussolini's March on Rome, was organized to sive a show of popular support. Terra's Marzist government promulgated the 1934 Constitution which replaced the colegiado system with a Council of Ministers (Consejo de Ministros) which consisted of the President and cabinet ministers which were jointly appointed by the President and the General Assembly.
In 1942, Terra's successor Alfredo Baldomir was nearing the end of his term and initiated a military coup. He declared a national emergency and implemented a new constitution. The primary change of this constitution was the restructuring of the legislature.