List of Presidents of Guatemala

List of Presidents of Guatemala

Heads of state of Federal Republic of Central America (1821–1840)

Not to be confused with President of Guatemala § Heads of state of Guatemala within the Federal Republic of Central America (1824–1839).

Superior political chiefs

No	Portrait	Head of State	Term of office
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Gabino Gaínza	15 September 1821	5 January 1822	112 days
2		Part of the First Mexican Empire (5 January 1822 – 1 July 1823)
3		Vicente Filisola	1 July 1823	10 July 1823	9 days

First triumvirate

No	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
4		Pedro Molina Mazariegos	10 July 1823	4 October 1823	86 days	Liberal
5		Antonio Rivera Cabezas	10 July 1823	4 October 1823	86 days	Liberal
6		Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz	10 July 1823	4 October 1823	86 days

Second triumvirate

No	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
7		Juan Vicente Villacorta Díaz	6 October 1823	15 March 1824	161 days	Liberal
8		Manuel José Arce	15 March 1824	20 October 1824	219 days	Liberal
9		José Manuel de la Cerda y Aguilar	20 October 1824	29 April 1825	191 days
10		Tomas O'Horan	4 October 1823	29 April 1825	1 year, 207 days
11		José Santiago Milla Pineda Arriaga	4 October 1823	5 February 1824	124 days
12		José Cecilio del Valle	5 February 1824	29 April 1825	1 year, 84 days	Conservative

Presidents

No	Portrait	Name	Term of office			Party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
13		Manuel José Arce	29 April 1825	13 April 1829	3 years, 349 days	Liberal
14		Mariano Beltranena y Llano (interim)	13 April 1829	14 June 1829	62 days	Liberal
15		José Francisco Barrundia (interim)	26 June 1829	16 June 1830	355 days	Liberal
16		Francisco Morazán	16 September 1830	16 September 1834	4 years	Liberal
17		José Cecilio del Valle	Elected in 1834	Died in 1834 before being sworn into office		Conservative
18		José Gregorio Salazar (interim)	16 September 1834	14 February 1835	151 days	Liberal
19		Francisco Morazán	14 February 1835	1 February 1839	3 years, 352 days	Liberal
20		Diego Vigil Cocaña (interim)	1 February 1839	31 March 1840	1 year, 60 days	Liberal

Heads of state of Guatemala within the Federal Republic of Central America (1824–1839)

#	Portrait	Name	Time of Office			Party	Notes
			Took Office	Left Office	Time in Office
21		Alejandro Diaz Cabeza de Vaca	15 September 1824	12 October 1824	3 weeks, 6 days	Conservative	Provisional
22		Juan Nepomuceno Barrundia Cepeda	12 October 1824	9 September 1826	1 year, 10 months, 28 days	Liberal
23		Cirilo Flores	9 September 1826	13 October 1826	1 month, 4 days	N/A	Acting.
24		Jose Domingo Estrada	2 January 1827	1 March 1827	1 Months, 30 day	Conservative	Acting.
25		Mariano de Aycinena y Piñol	1 March 1827	12 April 1829	2 years, 1 month, 11 days	Conservative
26		Mariano Zenteno	13 April 1829	30 April 1829	2 weeks, 3 days	Conservative	Provisional.
27		Juan Nepomuceno Barrundia y Cepeda	30 April 1829	23 August 1829	3 months, 24 days	Liberal
28		Pedro Molina Mazariegos	23 August 1829	10 February 1831	1 years, 5 months, 18 days	Liberal
29		José Gregorio Márquez	10 February 1831	28 August 1831	6 months, 18 days	N/A	Acting.
30		Mariano Gálvez	28 August 1831	3 March 1838	6 years, 6 months, 6 days	Liberal
31		Pedro José Valenzuela y Jáuregui	3 March 1838	29 July 1838	4 months, 26 days	N/A	Acting.
32		Mariano Rivera Paz	29 July 1838	30 January 1839	6 months, 1 days	Liberal	Acting. 1st time.
33		Carlos Salazar Castro	30 January 1839	13 April 1839	2 months,14 days	N/A	Provisional.
34		Mariano Rivera Paz	13 April 1839	3 December 1839	7 months, 20 days	Liberal	Acting. 2nd time.

State of Guatemala (1839–1847)

#		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
35			Mariano Rivera Paz (1804–1849)	3 December 1839	25 February 1842	2 years, 84 days	Conservative	—
36			José Venancio López (1791–1863)	25 February 1842	14 May 1842	78 days	Independent	—
37			Mariano Rivera Paz (1804–1849)	14 May 1842	14 December 1844	2 years, 214 days	Conservative	—
38			Rafael Carrera (1814–1865)	14 December 1844	16 August 1848	3 years, 246 days	Conservative	—

Republic from Carrera to the Liberal Revolution (1847–1871)

#		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
39			Rafael Carrera (1814–1865)	14 December 1844	16 August 1848	3 years, 246 days	Conservative	—
40			Juan Antonio Martínez (?–1854)	16 August 1848	28 November 1848	104 days	Conservative	—
41			José Bernardo Escobar (1797–1849)	28 November 1848	1 January 1849	34 days	Conservative	—
42			Mariano Paredes (1800–1856)	1 January 1849	6 November 1851	2 years, 309 days	Independent	—
43			Rafael Carrera (1814–1865)	6 November 1851	14 April 1865	13 years, 159 days	Conservative	—
44			Pedro de Aycinena y Piñol (1802–1897)	14 April 1865	24 May 1865	40 days	Conservative	—
45			Vicente Cerna Sandoval (1815–1885)	24 May 1865	29 June 1871	6 years, 36 days	Conservative	—

Liberal period (1871–1944)

#		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
46			Miguel García Granados (1809–1878)	29 June 1871	4 June 1873	1 year, 340 days	Liberal	—
47			Justo Rufino Barrios (1835–1885)	4 June 1873	2 April 1885	11 years, 302 days	Liberal	1873 1880
48			Alejandro M. Sinibaldi (1825–1896)	2 April 1885	5 April 1885	3 days	Liberal	—
49			Manuel Barillas (1845–1907)	6 April 1885	15 March 1892	6 years, 345 days	Liberal	—
50			José María Reina Barrios (1854–1898)	15 March 1892	8 February 1898	5 years, 330 days	Liberal	1892
51			Manuel Estrada Cabrera (1857–1924)	8 February 1898	15 April 1920	22 years, 67 days	Liberal	1898 1904 1910 1916
52			Carlos Herrera (1856–1930)	15 April 1920	10 December 1921	1 year, 239 days	Unionist Party	1920 (Apr) 1920 (Aug)
53			José María Orellana (1872–1926)	10 December 1921	26 September 1926	4 years, 290 days	Liberal	1921 1922
54			Lázaro Chacón González (1873–1931)	26 September 1926	12 December 1930	4 years, 77 days	Unionist Party	1926
55			Baudilio Palma (1880–1930)	13 December 1930	17 December 1930	4 days	Conservative	—
56			Manuel María Orellana Contreras (1870–1940)	17 December 1930	2 January 1931	16 days	Liberal	—
57			José María Reina Andrade (1860–1947)	2 January 1931	14 February 1931	43 days	Liberal	—
58			Jorge Ubico (1878–1946)	14 February 1931	1 July 1944	13 years, 138 days	Progressive Liberal Party	1931
59			Juan Federico Ponce Vaides (1889–1956)	4 July 1944	20 October 1944	108 days	Progressive Liberal Party	July 1944

Ten-Year Revolution (1944–1954)

The authoritarian regime of Jorge Ubico, which persisted since 1931, was overthrown by a revolution known as the  "Ten Years of Spring" on 4 July 1944. After more than a month of mass student and trade union protests, Ubico resigned and fled to Mexico, transferring powers to his First Deputy, Federico Ponce Vaides. Presidential elections were held on 4 July 1944, which declared Ponce as the president. However, the opposition rejected the results, and as a result, on 20 October 1944, a group of young officers overthrew Ponce, creating a military-civilian government called the Revolutionary Government Junta. A new constitution was adopted and elections were held, which resulted in the victory of Juan José Arévalo in 1944 and Jacobo Árbenz in 1950. During this period, Guatemala underwent numerous social and economic reforms, including large-scale land reform.

Revolutionary Government Junta

#		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
60			Jacobo Árbenz, Jorge Toriello, and Francisco Arana, members of the military junta.	20 October 1944	15 March 1945	146 days	Military

President

#		Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
				Took office	Left office	Time in office
61			Juan José Arévalo (1904–1990)	15 March 1945	15 March 1951	6 years	Revolutionary Action Party	1944
62			Jacobo Árbenz (1913–1971)	15 March 1951	27 June 1954 (Deposed)	3 years, 104 days	Revolutionary Action Party / Party of the Guatemalan Revolution	1950

Military governments (1954–1958)

Upon presenting his resignation, Jacobo Árbenz left Colonel Carlos Enrique Díaz, head of the Armed Forces, in charge of the presidency. Diaz's first measure was the integration of a provisional government board which he led alongside Colonels Elfego H. Monzón and José Ángel Sánchez. On 29 June, Díaz was forced to resign, leading to Monzón succeeding as the new chairman of the board. Monzón would assemble a new governing board and incorporate Colonel Castillo Armas, Juan Mauricio Dubois, Jose Luis Cruz Salazar, and Enrique Oliva.

The new board would dissolve after a popular plebiscite held on 10 October 1954 would allow Colonel Castillo Armas to assume the presidency. Under Armas' mandate, several reforms implemented during the Guatemalan Revolution were suspended, and political opponents, as well as unions and peasant organizations, were persecuted. Armas' assassination on 26 July 1957, would prompt Congress to appoint Luis Arturo González as acting president and condition him to call for elections within four months.

The planned election was held on 20 October 1957, but the results were later nullified due to allegations of fraud. President González would resign and cede power to a provisional governing board led by Óscar Mendoza Azurdia, Gonzalo Yurrita Nova, and Roberto Lorenzana. The new board would govern for two days before Congress would appoint Colonel Guillermo Flores Avendaño as acting president. President Avendaño would call for elections in January 1958.

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
26		Carlos Enrique Díaz de León (1915–2014) Provisional President	27 June 1954	29 June 1954	2 days	Military	—
27		Elfego Hernán Monzón Aguirre (1912–1981) Chairman of Military Junta	29 June 1954	8 July 1954	9 days	National Liberation Movement	—

President

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
28		Carlos Castillo Armas (1914–1957)	8 July 1954	26 July 1957	3 years, 18 days	National Liberation Movement	1954
29		Luis Arturo González López (1900–1965) Acting	27 July 1957	24 October 1957	89 days	National Liberation Movement	—

Military governments

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
30		Óscar Mendoza Azurdia (1917–1995) Chairman of Military Junta	24 October 1957	26 October 1957	2 days	Military
31		Guillermo Flores Avendaño (1894–1982) Acting	26 October 1957	2 March 1958	129 days	Military

Civil War period (1958–1996)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
32		Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes (1895–1982)	2 March 1958	31 March 1963 (Deposed)	5 years, 29 days	Military / REDENCION	1958
33		Enrique Peralta Azurdia (1908–1997)	31 March 1963	1 July 1966	3 years, 92 days	Institutional Democratic Party	—
34		Julio César Méndez Montenegro (1915–1996)	1 July 1966	1 July 1970	4 years	Revolutionary Party	1966
35		Carlos Manuel Arana Osorio (1918–2003)	1 July 1970	1 July 1974	4 years	Institutional Democratic Party	1970
36		Kjell Eugenio Laugerud García (1930–2009)	1 July 1974	1 July 1978	4 years	Institutional Democratic Party	1974

President to Military

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
37		Fernando Romeo Lucas García (1924–2006)	1 July 1978	23 March 1982 (Deposed)	3 years, 265 days	Institutional Democratic Party	1978

Military

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
38		Efraín Ríos Montt (1926–2018)	23 March 1982	8 August 1983 (Deposed)	1 year, 138 days	Military
39		Óscar Humberto Mejía Víctores (1930–2016)	8 August 1983	14 January 1986	2 years, 159 days	Military

President

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
40		Vinicio Cerezo (born 1942)	14 January 1986	14 January 1991	5 years	Guatemalan Christian Democracy	1985
41		Jorge Serrano Elías (born 1945)	14 January 1991	1 June 1993 (Resigned)	2 years, 138 days	Solidarity Action Movement	1990
42		Gustavo Adolfo Espina Salguero (1946–2024) Acting	1 June 1993	5 June 1993	4 days	Solidarity Action Movement	—
43		Ramiro de León Carpio (1942–2002)	6 June 1993	14 January 1996	2 years, 222 days	Independent	1993

Contemporary period (1996–present)

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Political party	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
44		Álvaro Arzú (1946–2018)	14 January 1996	14 January 2000	4 years	National Advancement Party / Unionist Party	1995–1996
45		Alfonso Portillo (born 1951)	14 January 2000	14 January 2004	4 years	Guatemalan Republican Front	1999
46		Óscar Berger (born 1946)	14 January 2004	14 January 2008	4 years	National Solidarity Party / Grand National Alliance	2003
47		Álvaro Colom (1951–2023)	14 January 2008	14 January 2012	4 years	National Unity of Hope	2007
48		Otto Pérez Molina (born 1950)	14 January 2012	3 September 2015 (Resigned)	3 years, 232 days	Patriotic Party / Grand National Alliance	2011
49		Alejandro Maldonado (born 1936) Acting	3 September 2015	14 January 2016	133 days	Independent	—
50		Jimmy Morales (born 1969)	14 January 2016	14 January 2020	4 years	National Convergence Front	2015
51		Alejandro Giammattei (born 1956)	14 January 2020	14 January 2024	4 years	Vamos	2019
52		Bernardo Arévalo (born 1958)	14 January 2024	Incumbent	1 year, 35 days	Semilla	2023