Acting President of Colombia


An acting president of Colombia is a person who lawfully exercises the powers and duties of the President of Colombia even though that person does not hold office in his own right. There is an established line of presidential succession in which officials of the Colombian national government can be called upon to assume presidential responsibilities if the main president becomes incapacitated, dies, resigns, is removed from office during his four-year term, or if a president-elect has not been elected by Inauguration Day or has not qualified by that date.
The vice president immediately assumes the presidency upon the death, resignation, or removal of the president from office. Similarly, if a president-elect died during the transition period, or declined to serve, the vice president-elect would become president on Inauguration Day. A vice president can also become acting president if the president becomes incapacitated. If the presidency and vice presidency were simultaneously vacant, the eventual successor will not become president, but only will be in charge. Since 1886 to date, nineteen people, including three vice presidents and sixteen designates have served as acting president.
Acting PresidentBeginningEndPresidentReason
José María Campo7 August 18867 January 1887Rafael NúñezDisease
Eliseo Payán5 January 18874 June 1887Rafael NúñezDisease
Eliseo Payán12 December 18878 February 1888Rafael NúñezDisease
Carlos Holguín Mallarino7 August 18887 August 1892Rafael NúñezDisease
Miguel Antonio Caro7 August 18927 August 1898Rafael NúñezDisease
Antonio Basilio Cuervo16 January 189317 January 1893Miguel Antonio CaroTemporary absence
Guillermo Quintero Calderón12 March 189617 March 1896Miguel Antonio CaroTemporary absence
Euclídes de Angulo9 March 190814 April 1908Rafael ReyesTemporary absence
Jorge Holguín9 June 19094 August 1909Rafael ReyesResignation
Ramón González Valencia4 August 19097 August 1910Rafael ReyesResignation
Jorge Holguín11 November 19217 August 1922Marco Fidel SuárezResignation
Carlos Lozano9 October 194219 October 1942Alfonso López PumarejoTemporary absence
Darío Echandía19 October 194316 May 1944Alfonso López PumarejoTemporary absence
Alberto Lleras Camargo7 August 19457 August 1946Alfonso López PumarejoResignation
Roberto Urdaneta Arbeláez5 November 195113 June 1953Laureano GómezDisease
Gabriel París Gordillo30 July 19553 August 1955Gustavo Rojas PinillaTemporary absence
José Antonio Montalvo6 August 19638 August 1963Guillermo León ValenciaTemporary absence
Rafael Azuero Manchola21 July 197324 July 1973Misael PastranaTemporary absence
Indalecio Liévano20 September 197524 September 1975Alfonso López MichelsenTemporary absence
Víctor Mosquera Chaux3 February 198111 February 1981Julio César TurbayTemporary absence
Carlos Lemos Simmonds14 January 199824 January 1998Ernesto SamperDisease