The Colombian presidential line of succession is the order which the vice president and other members of the Colombian national Government assume the powers and duties of the Colombian presidency (or the office itself, in the instance of succession by the vice president) upon an elected president's death in office, resignation, removal from office upon impeachment conviction or incapacity.

The order of succession specifies that the position passes to the vice president. If the vice presidency is simultaneously vacant, or if the vice president is also incapacitated, the powers and duties of the presidency pass to the cabinet ministers, according to their respective order of precedence.

Current order of succession The Constitution of Colombia establishes that the Vice President is the first person in the presidential line of succession. In the absence of both the president and the vice president, article 203 in the Constitution establishes that the presidential office will be assumed by a Cabinet member, in order of precedence that establishes the law. The assuming Minister must be a member of the same party or movement to which the original president belonged, who will exercise the presidency within thirty days following the presidential vacancy in which Congress elects a new vice president who will assume the presidency. In the table, the absence of a number in the first column indicates that the holder is not eligible.

No. Office IncumbentParty 1 Vice President José Manuel Restrepo Defenders of the Homeland 2 Minister of the Interior Rodrigo Lara Restrepo Defenders of the Homeland 3 Minister of Foreign Affairs Omar Bula Defenders of the Homeland – Minister of Finance and Public Credit Miguel Gómez Martínez National Salvation Movement – Minister of Justice and Law Iván Cancino National Salvation Movement 4 Minister of Defense Jorge Eduardo Mora Defenders of the Homeland – Minister of Agriculture Independent – Minister of Health and Social Protection Independent – Minister of Labour – Minister of Energy Independent 5 Minister of Commerce Mauricio Gómez Amín Defenders of the Homeland 6 Minister of Education Viviane Morales Defenders of the Homeland – Minister of Environment Fabio Arjona Independent – Minister of Housing Jaime Andrés Beltrán National Salvation Movement – Minister of ITC Independent – Minister of Transport Elsa Noguera Radical Change – Minister of Culture Paola Holguín Independent – Minister of Sports Juliana Gutiérrez – Minister of Science Independent

Presidential succession by vice presidents Three vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency during the period, two due to the resignation and one of them due to the deposition of the president in office.

SuccessorParty President Reason Date of succession National Rafael Núñez Resignation , days into Núñez's presidency. Conservative Manuel Antonio Sanclemente Coup d'état , into Sanclemente's presidency. Conservative Rafael Reyes Resignation , into Reyes's presidency.

Presidential succession beyond the vice presidency Although four vice presidents have succeeded to the presidency after the death or resignation of the president, between 1905 and 1994, the office of vice president was abolished, later being established in 1994 with the 1991 constitution, during the 86 years of abolition of the vice presidency, it was the Minister of Government who headed the line of presidential succession. SuccessorParty President Reason Date of succession Conservative Marco Fidel Suárez Resignation , into Suárez's presidency. Military rule Laureano Gómez Coup d'état , into Gómez's presidency.

Next in line Since 1991 there have been two cases in which the vice presidency became vacant; During those terms, the next people in line to serve as acting president were:

Under the Constitution of 1991 No. Official (party) Dates Reason President (party)1 Horacio Serpa (L)Minister of the Interior Resignation of Vice president Humberto De la Calle Samper (L) 2 Juan Guillermo Zuluaga (U)Minister of Agriculture Resignation of Vice president German Vargas Lleras Santos (U)

Under the Constitution of 1886 Presidential designate

The 1886 Constitution established that the presidential designate was next in line of succession after the vice president. Later, in 1905, following the Constituent Assembly convened by President Rafael Reyes, the presidential designate became the automatic successor to the president until the adoption of the 1991 Constitution.

No. Official (party) Dates Reason President (party) 1 José María Campo Serrano (C) Resignation of Vice president Eliseo Payán Núñez (N) 2 Vicente Restrepo (C)Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Holguín Mallarino's rise to the presidency Holguín, C (C) 3 Antonio Roldán (C) 4 Guillermo Quintero Calderón (C) Miguel Antonio Caro's rise to the presidency Caro (C) 5 Euclides de Angulo (C) Abolition of the office of Vice President Reyes (C) 6 Jorge Holguín Mallarino (C) 7 Marco Fidel Suárez (C) Restrepo (C)

Notes

See also Vice President of Colombia

References