# Vice President of the Dominican Republic

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

| Name | Began office | Left office | President |
| Felipe Benicio Alfau Bustamante | 1853 | 1853 | Pedro Santana |
| Manuel de Regla Mota | 15 February 1854 | 26 May 1856 | Pedro Santana |
| 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

| Picture | Name | Began office | Left office | President |
| | Gregorio Luperón | 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

| 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 | Horacio Vásquez |
| Vacant (3 March 1930 – 16 August 1930) |||||
| | Rafael Estrella Ureña | 16 August 1930 | December 1931 | 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 | 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 | Rafael Filiberto Bonnelly |
| | 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

| Picture | Name | Began office | Left office | President |
| | Francisco Augusto Lora | 1 July 1966 | 16 August 1970 | Joaquín Balaguer |
| | Carlos Rafael Goico Morales | 16 August 1970 | 16 August 1978 | Joaquín Balaguer |
| | Jacobo Majluta Azar | 16 August 1978 | 4 July 1982 | Antonio Guzmán Fernández |
| Vacant (4 July 1982 – 16 August 1982) |||||
| | Manuel Fernández Mármol | 16 August 1982 | 20 January 1983 | 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 | Joaquín Balaguer |
| | 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 |