National Congress of Nicaragua

The National Congress of Nicaragua () was the legislature of Nicaragua before the Nicaraguan Revolution of 1979.

The congress was bicameral, and consisted of Chamber of Deputies () and Senate ().

The Chamber of Deputies had 42 members (in 1968). They were popularly elected at-large, with one deputy for each 30 000 citizens. The Chamber of Deputies was the stronger chamber, all legislation was introduced there. The Senate was able block bills from the Chamber of Deputies with two-thirds majority.

The Senate had 18 senators (in 1968). There was one senator for each of the 16 national departments, and senators-for-life (former Presidents of the Republic), and one senator who was the runner-up in the latest presidential elections.

One-third representation of the major opposition party was guaranteed in both houses.

The congress met in the National Palace.

Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies before 1979 Name Term NotesPedro Solis 1838-1839Benito Rosales 1839-1841Brigadier Tomás Valladares 1841-1843Juan de Dios Orozco 1843-1845José León Sandoval 1845-1846Norberto Ramírez Áreas 1846Justo Abaunza Martínez 1846-1847Eduardo Castillo 1847-1848Pío José Bolaños Thomeu 1848General Ponciano Corral Acosta 1848-1849Rosalío Cortés Sánchez 1849José Laureano Pineda 1849Toribio Terán 1849-1852General Fulgencio Vega 1852-1853José León Sandoval 1853-1854José María Estrada 1854-1855Pedro Zeledón Mora 1855-1858Hermenegildo Zepeda Fernández 1858-1859José Antonio Mejia 1859-1860Colonel Agustin Avilez Alfaro 1860-1861Hermenegildo Zepeda Fernández 1861-1868Pedro Navas 1868Hermenegildo Zepeda Fernández 1868-1869General Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro 1869-1870José Argüello Arce 1870-1872Emiliano Cuadra 1872-1874Francisco Alemán 1874-1875Santiago Morales 1875Seferino González 1875-1877Francisco del Castillo 1877-1879Adán Cárdenas del Castillo 1879-1881General Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro 1881-1882Benjamin Guerra 1882-1883General Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro 1883José Francisco Aguilar Sacasa 1883-1885Adán Cárdenas del Castillo 1885-1886Adrián Zavala 1886-1887Salvador Castrillo 1887-1889Vicente Navas Fonseca 1889-1890Domingo Salinas 1890-1891Agustin Duarte 1891-1892Salvador Santana Romero 1892-1893Francisco Baca (hijo)1893Fernando Sánchez Salinas 1893Francisco de Montenegro 1893-1896José Madriz Rodríguez 1896Celedonio Morales 1896José Madriz Rodríguez 1896-1905General Julián Irías 1905-1906Fernando Abaunza 1906-1909General Aurelio Estrada Morales 1909Santiago Argüello Barreto 1909José Madriz Rodríguez 1909-1910General Juan José Estrada 1910Manuel Maldonado 1910-1911José María Estrada 1911Ignacio Suárez 1911Adán Cárdenas 1911-1912Luís Correa 1912-1913Salvador Zamora 1913Salvador Chamorro 1913-1914Narciso Lacayo Lacayo 1914-1915General Miguel Cárdenas 1915César Pasos 1915-1917Hernán Jarquín 1917General Isidro Urtecho 1917Mariano Zelaya 1917-1918General Sebastián Uriza 1918Pedro González 1918-1923Eduardo Castillo C. 1923-1924General Alfonso Estrada 1924-1925Juan José Martínez 1925-1926Demetrio Cuadra Pasos 1926-1929Domingo Calero Blandino 1929-1931Francisco Baltodano 1931-1933Coronado Urbina 1933-1934Benjamín Lacayo Sacasa 1934Onofre Sandoval 1934-1935Simeón Rizo Gadea 1935-1936Humberto Alvarado 1936Carlos Alberto Brenes 1936Guillermo Sevilla Sacasa 1936-1937Fernando Sánchez Salinas 1937-1938Manuel Cordero Reyes 1938-1939Aurelio Montenegro 1939-1940Roberto González Dubón 1940-1944Aurelio Montenegro 1944-1946C. A. Bendaña 1946-1948Pedro J. Nuñez 1948Francisco Baltodano 1948-1950Mariano Argüello Vargas 1950-1952Manuel Fernando Zurita 1952-1953Luis Somoza Debayle 1953-1954Ulises Irías 1954-1955Luis Somoza Debayle 1955-1956Alejandro Abáunza Espinoza 1957-1959Aurelio Montenegro1959Juan José Morales Marenco1959–1961Orlando Montenegro Medrano 1961-1962Ulises Irías 1962-1963Juan José Morales Marenco1963–1964Victor Manuel Talavera 1964-1965Orlando Montenegro Medrano1965-1966José Maria Briones 1966-1967Adolfo Martínez Talavera1967–1968Orlando Montenegro Medrano 1968-1969Orlando Tijerino Medrano 1969-1970Orlando Montenegro Medrano1970–1972Cornelio H. Hüeck1972–1976Orlando Montenegro Medrano 1976Luis Pallais Debayle 1976-1978Francisco Urcuyo Maliaños1978–July 1979

Presidents of the Senate before 1979 Name Term NotesM. J. Cordero1913–1914Pedro González1914–1915José Demetrio Cuadra1915–1916Sebastián Uriza1916Pedro González1916–1917Agustin Pasos1917–1918Sebastián Uriza1918–1922Hernán Jarquín1922–1923José Demetrio Cuadra1923–1924Gil Arévalo1924–1925Federico Sacasa1925–1926Sebastián Uriza1926–1927J. Leopoldo Salazar1927–1928José Demetrio Cuadra1928J. Leopoldo Salazar1928–1929Víctor Manuel Román y Reyes1929–1930Francisco Paniagua Prado1930–1931Leopoldo Ramírez Mairena1931–1932Hildebrando A. Castellón1932José Demetrio Cuadra1932–1933Hildebrando A. Castellón1933–1934Onofre Sandoval1934–1935José D. Estrada1935–1936Francisco Somarriba1936José D. Estrada1936–1939Onofre Sandoval1939–1942José María Moncada1942–1943Carlos A. Velázquez1943–1944Carlos A. Morales1944–1945Crisanto Sacasa1945Onofre Sandoval1945Mariano Argüello Vargas1945–1946Juan José Martínez1946–1947Mariano Argüello Vargas1947–1948Pedro A. Blandón1948–1949Lorenzo Guerrero1949–1950Alberto Argüello Vidaurre1950–1951Alejandro Abáunza Espinoza1951–1952Mariano Argüello Vargas1952–1953Lorenzo Guerrero1953–1954Mariano Argüello Vargas1954–1955Alejandro Abáunza Espinoza1955–1956Mariano Argüello Vargas1956–1957Lorenzo Guerrero1956–1957Luis Manuel Debayle1957–1958Alejandro Abáunza Espinoza1958–1959Leonardo Somarriba1959Pablo Rener1959–1960Fernando Delgadillo Colé1960–1961José María Zelaya Cardoza1961–1962Lorenzo Guerrero1962José María Zelaya Cardoza1962–1963Mariano Argüello Vargas1963José Frixione1963Victor Manuel Talavera1963–1964Adrián Cuadra1964–1965Luis Arturo Ponce Sotomayor1965Humberto Castrillo Morales1965Luis Somoza Debayle1965–1966Mariano Argüello Vargas1966Pablo Rener1966–1967Humberto Castrillo Morales1967–1968Constantino Mendieta R.1968–1969Cornelio H. Hüeck1969–1970Gustavo F. Chávez1970–1971Humberto Castrillo Morales1971–1972Pablo Rener1972–July 1979

Presidents of the Legislature during Federal Republic of Central America Name Term NotesJuan Manuel Zamora 1825Juan Argüello del Castillo 1825Francisco Reñasco 1825Gregorio Porras 1825-1826Pedro Muñoz 1826-1827Pío José Bolaños Thomeu 1827Manuel Mendoza 1827-1829José María Estrada 1829-1832José de Montenegro 1832-1833Evaristo Berríos 1833-1837Joaquin Barrios 1837-1838Pedro Aguirre 1838

See also National Assembly (Nicaragua) – Unicameral legislature since 1986 History of Nicaragua

References