The vice presidents of Honduras, officially the Designates to the Presidency (), is the second highest political position in Honduras. According to the current constitution, the president and vice-presidents are elected in the same ticket. From 1957 to 2006 and from 2010 onwards there are positions of first, second, and third vice-president commonly known as the presidential designates ().

Only during the Zelaya administration the vice-presidential position was held by one person, since the Congress reformed the Constitution in 2008 for that the vice-presidential charge would be held again by three persons. The position of vice president commissioner was created by former President Manuel Zelaya after Vice President Elvin Santos resigned in late 2008.

Functions and duties The only constitutional duty of the vice presidents is to perform the functions of the president in their absence (one of the vice presidents is selected by the president to serve in the role on a temporary basis until the president's return). If the absence or incapacitation is considered to be permanent, then one of the three vice presidents, selected by the National Congress, will fulfill the functions of the president until the end of the term. If all the vice presidents are absent, the president of the National Congress takes over as acting president, and if the president of the National Congress is also absent then the president of the Supreme Court becomes acting president until the end of the term.

Vice presidents are eligible to be impeached by the National Congress for poor performance or misconduct. Vice presidents are also not allowed to remain outside the country for more than 15 days without the permission of the National Congress.

Requirements and restrictions The requirements to be a vice president are the same as that of the president. A candidate must be Honduran by birth, be over the age of 30, have full civic rights, and may not be an active member of the leadership of any established religion.

Vice presidents may not be elected president while serving in the role, or within six months after the end of their term or resignation. Vice presidents can also not be elected as a deputy of the National Congress while serving in office.

History The following is a history of officeholders:

1839–1954 Term President Vice president Notes 1839–1841 Francisco Zelaya y Ayes Francisco Alvarado 1841–1843 Francisco Ferrera Coronado Chávez 1843–1844 Felipe Jáuregui 1847 Coronado Chávez 1848–1850 Juan Lindo Felipe Bustillo 1852–1855 José Trinidad Cabañas José Santiago Bueso 1855José Santiago Bueso Juan López 1855 Francisco de Aguilar 1856–1860 José Santos Guardiola José María Lazo Guillén 1860–1862 Victoriano Castellanos 1863 José María Medina Francisco Inestroza 1864–1865 Florencio Xatruch 1865–1866 Juan Francisco López Aguirre 1870 Crescencio Gómez 1891–1893 Ponciano Leiva Rosendo Agüero Ariza 1895–1899 Policarpo Bonilla Manuel Bonilla 1899–1903 Terencio Sierra José María Reina 1903 Juan Ángel Arias Boquín Máximo Betancourt Rosales 1903–1907 Manuel Bonilla Miguel R. Dávila 1908 Máximo Betancourt Rosales 1908–1911 Miguel R. Dávila Dionysius Gutiérrez 1912–1913 Manuel Bonilla Francisco Bertrand 1913–1915 Francisco Bertrand Nazario Soriano 1916–1919 Alberto Membreño Vásquez 1920–1924 Rafael López Gutiérrez José María Ochoa 1924 Francisco Bueso 1925–1929 Miguel Paz Barahona Presentación Quezada 1929–1933 Vicente Mejía Colindres Rafael Díaz Chávez 1933–1949 Tiburcio Carías Andino Abraham Williams Calderón 1949–1954 Juan Manuel Gálvez Julio Lozano Díaz

1957–1972 (Military Era) Term President First presidential designate Second presidential designate Third presidential designate Notes 1957–1963 Ramon Villeda Morales José Mejía Arellano Francisco Milla Bermúdez Juan Miguel Mejía 1965–1971 Oswaldo López Arellano Ricardo Zúñiga Agustinus Horacio Moya Posas Napoleón Alcerro Oliva 1971–1972 Ramón Ernesto Cruz Uclés René Bendaña Meza Eugenio Matute Canizales Tiburcio Carías Castillo

Constitutional vice presidents (since 1982)

Presidential designates (1982–2006) Term President First presidential designate Second presidential designate Third presidential designate Notes 1982–1986 Roberto Suazo Cordova Marcelino Ponce Martínez Céleo Arias Moncada Arturo Rendón Pineda 1986–1990 José Azcona del Hoyo Alfredo Fortín Inestroza José Pineda Gómez Jaime Rosenthal Rosenthal left office in 1989 1990–1994 Rafael Leonardo Callejas Jacobo Hernández Cruz Marco Tulio Cruz Roberto Martínez Lozano 1994–1998 Carlos Roberto Reina Walter López Reyes Juan de la Cruz Avelar Leiva Guadalupe Jerezano Mejía 1998–2002 Carlos Roberto Flores William Handal Raudales Gladys Caballero de Arévalo Hector Vidal Cerrato Hernandez 2002–2006 Ricardo Maduro Vicente Williams Agasse Armida Villela de López Contreras José Alberto Díaz Lobo

Vice-president and presidential commissioner (2006–2010) Before the 2005 elections, the Honduran Congress reformed the Constitution for that the charge of vice-president may be held by only one person.

Term President Vice president Notes 2006–2009 Manuel Zelaya Elvin Santos (27 January 2006 – 18 November 2008)Elvin Santos renuncia a la Vicepresidencia (in spanish) Elvin Santos resigned to pursue the presidency.Unoccupied (18 November 2008 – 1 February 2009)Arístides Mejía (1 February 2009http://vicepresidencia.7allies.com/content/excelent%C3%ADsimo-comisionado-vicepresidente-de-la-rep%C3%BAblica-de-honduras-ar%C3%ADstides-mej%C3%AD-carranza – 28 June 2009)Arístides Mejía didn't fully occupy the charge; he was a presidential commissioner, not a vice-president, since he was appointed by President Zelaya and not popularly elected; this equates to being a minister without portfolio. He was deposed on 28 June 2009. 2009–2010 Roberto Micheletti Unoccupied (28 June 2009 – 27 January 2010) Acting President Roberto Micheletti did not appoint any presidential commissioner (like Manuel Zelaya did with Aristides Mejía) while he was occupying the Honduran presidency.

Presidential designates (2010–present) In 2008, before the Honduran primary elections, the three posts of vice-presidents were restored by order of the Supreme Court which deemed their replacement with a single vice-president unconstitutional.

Term President First presidential designate Second presidential designate Third presidential designate Notes 2010–2014 Porfirio Lobo Sosa María Antonieta Guillén Vásquez Samuel Armando Reyes Rendon Victor Hugo Barnica 2014–2018 Juan Orlando Hernández Ricardo Antonio Alvarez Arias Ava Rossana Guevara Pinto Lorena Enriqueta Herrera 2018–2022 Olga Margarita Alvarado Rodríguez María Antonia Rivera Rosales The CIA World Fact Book: Honduras Retrieved Feb 9, 2020 2022–2026 Xiomara Castro Salvador Nasralla Doris Gutiérrez Renato FlorentinoNasralla left office in 2024 2026–2030 Nasry Asfura María Antonieta Mejía Carlos Flores Guifarro Diana Herrera

References