Vice President of Nicaragua


The Vice President of the Republic of Nicaragua is the second highest political position in Nicaragua. According to the current Constitution, the Vice President is elected on the same ticket, and at the same time, as the President.

Deputy Chief of State 1826–1838

As in other countries of Central American Federation, also Nicaragua had Head of State and Deputy Head of State. Deputy Head of State was first mentioned in the Constitution of 1826. The position had a great influence in important decision-making process of the Head of State. The position of Deputy Chief of State was removed in the Constitution of 1838. In case of vacancy in the presidency, a member of Senate would be elected to fill the vacancy.

Vice President of Nicaragua

The position of Vice President of the Republic existed legally on four occasions:
  1. During Liberal Constitution between 1893 and 1896. President Zelaya abolished the position in 1896, replacing it with a system of three Presidential Designates elected annually by the Legislature.
  2. During Conservative Constitution from 1911 to 1939.
  3. From 1962 to 1972 by constitutional reforms of Luis Somoza Debayle in 1962 and Rene Schick in 1966.
  4. After the new Constitution of 1987.
Gen. Anastasio Ortiz, was the first Vice President appointed by a Constituent Assembly. The Constitutional system of replacement of the President by the Vice President worked in 1923 when President Diego Manuel Chamorro was replaced by Bartolomé Martínez.
A list of the office holders follows.
NameInauguratedLeft OfficePresidentNotes
Roberto Sacasa SarriaApril 18871 August 1889Evaristo CarazoPresidential designate
Gen. Anastasio J. Ortiz Argeñal15 September 18939 January 1894José Santos Zelaya
Francisco Baca1894February 1896José Santos Zelaya
Adolfo DíazAugust 1910May 1911Juan José Estrada
Fernando SolórzanoJanuary 1913December 1916Adolfo Díaz
Nemesio MartínezJanuary 1917December 1920Emiliano Chamorro Vargas
Bartolomé Martínez GonzálezJanuary 192112 October 1923Diego Manuel ChamorroMartínez succeeded to the presidency
Juan Bautista Sacasa1 January 192514 March 1926Carlos José Solórzano
Enoc Aguado Farfán1 January 19291 January 1933José María Moncada
Rodolfo Espinosa Ramírez1 January 19339 June 1936Juan Bautista Sacasa
Francisco Navarro AlvaradoJanuary 1937March 1939Anastasio Somoza García
Mariano Argüello Vargas22 November 1947May 1950Víctor Manuel Román y Reyes
Silvio Argüello Cardenal, Gustavo Raskosky and Lorenzo Guerrero Gutiérrez1 May 19634 August 1966René SchickGuerrero succeeded to the presidency
Silvio Argüello Cardenal and Gustavo Raskosky4 August 19661 May 1967Lorenzo Guerrero Gutiérrez
Francisco Urcuyo Maliaños, Alfonso Callejas Deshón, Alfonso Lovo Cordero1 May 19671 May 1972Anastasio Somoza Debayle
Vacant1 May 197210 January 1985
Sergio Ramírez Mercado10 January 198525 April 1990Daniel Ortega
Virgilio Godoy25 April 1990October 1995Violeta ChamorroResigned to pursue presidency
Julia MenaOctober 199510 January 1997Violeta Chamorro
Enrique Bolaños10 January 1997October 2000Arnoldo AlemánResigned to pursue presidency
Leopoldo Navarro BermúdezOctober 200010 January 2002Arnoldo Alemán
José Rizo Castellón10 January 2002October 2005Enrique BolañosResigned to pursue presidency
Alfredo Gómez UrcuyoOctober 200510 January 2007Enrique Bolaños
Jaime Morales Carazo10 January 200710 January 2012Daniel Ortega
Omar Halleslevens10 January 201210 January 2017Daniel Ortega
Rosario Murillo10 January 2017IncumbentDaniel Ortega