The Head of State of Mexico is the person who controls the executive power in the country. Under the current constitution, this responsibility lies with the President of the United Mexican States, who is head of the supreme executive power of the Mexican Union. Throughout its history, Mexico has had several forms of government. Under the federal constitutions, the title of President was the same as the current one. Under the Seven Laws (centralist), the chief executive was named President of the Republic. In addition, there have been two periods of monarchical rule, during which the executive was controlled by the Emperor of Mexico.
The chronology of the heads of state of Mexico is complicated due to the country's political instability during most of the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth century. With few exceptions, most of the Mexican presidents elected during this period did not complete their terms. Until the presidency of Lázaro Cárdenas, each president remained in office an average of fifteen months.Iturriaga, XXXX: 61.
This list also includes the self-appointed presidents during civil wars and the collegiate bodies that performed the executive duties during periods of transition.
First Mexican Empire (1821–1823)
First Regency After the end of the Mexican War of Independence, a Provisional Board of Governing consisting of thirty-four persons was set up. The Board decreed and signed the Declaration of Independence and appointed a regency composed of six people.
MembersTerm of office Portrait Name Took office Left office Tenure Juan O'Donojú 28 September 1821 8 October 1821 Agustín de Iturbide 28 September 1821 11 April 1822 Manuel de la Bárcena 28 September 1821 11 April 1822 José Isidro Yañez 28 September 1821 11 April 1822 Manuel Velázquez de León 28 September 1821 11 April 1822 Antonio Pérez Martínez 9 October 1821 11 April 1822
Second Regency MembersTerm of office Portrait Name Took office Left office Tenure Agustín de Iturbide 11 April 1822 18 May 1822 José Isidro Yañez 11 April 1822 18 May 1822 Miguel Valentín 11 April 1822 18 May 1822 Manuel de Heras 11 April 1822 18 May 1822 Nicolás Bravo 11 April 1822 18 May 1822
Monarchy of Agustín I
PortraitNameReignRoyal houseCoat of arms Reign start Reign end Duration Agustín I 19 May 1822 19 March 1823 Iturbide
Provisional Government (1823–1824)
The Provisional Government of 1823–1824 was an organization that served as the Executive in the government of Mexico after the abdication of Agustín I, monarch of Mexican Empire in 1823.INEHRM Secretaría de Gobernación The provisional government was responsible for convening the body that created the Federal Republic and existed from 1 April 1823 to 10 October 1824.
Head of StateTerm of office Portrait Name Took office Left office Tenure Nicolás Bravo 31 March 1823 10 October 1824 Guadalupe Victoria 31 March 1823 10 October 1824 Pedro Celestino Negrete 31 March 1823 10 October 1824 José Mariano Michelena 1 April 1823 10 October 1824 Miguel Domínguez 1 April 1823 10 October 1824 Vicente Guerrero 1 April 1823 10 October 1824
First Federal Republic (1824–1835)
The president and vice president did not run jointly and could be from different parties.
PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyVice PresidentNotes Took office Left office Tenure Guadalupe Victoria 10 October 1824 31 March 1829 Independent Nicolás Bravo (1824–1827) Vicente Guerrero 1 April 1829 17 December 1829 Liberal Party Anastasio Bustamante José María Bocanegra 17 December 1829 23 December 1829 Popular York Rite Party Anastasio Bustamante Vélez–Quintanar–Alamán 23 December 1829 31 December 1829 Liberal Party(Vélez) Independent(Quintanar and Alamán) Anastasio Bustamante Anastasio Bustamante 1 January 1830 13 August 1832 Conservative Party Himself Melchor Múzquiz 14 August 1832 24 December 1832 Popular York Rite Party Anastasio Bustamante Manuel Gómez Pedraza 24 December 1832 31 March 1833 Federalist York Rite Party Vacant Valentín Gómez Farías 1 April 1833 16 May 1833 Liberal Party Himself Antonio López de Santa Anna 16 May 1833 3 June 1833 Liberal Party Valentín Gómez Farías Valentín Gómez Farías 3 June 1833 18 June 1833 Liberal Party Himself Antonio López de Santa Anna 18 June 1833 5 July 1833 Liberal Party Valentín Gómez Farías Valentín Gómez Farías 5 July 1833 27 October 1833 Liberal Party Himself Antonio López de Santa Anna 27 October 1833 15 December 1833 Liberal Party Valentín Gómez Farías Valentín Gómez Farías 16 December 1833 24 April 1834 Liberal Party Himself Antonio López de Santa Anna 24 April 1834 27 January 1835 Conservative Party Valentín Gómez Farías Miguel Barragán 28 January 1835 27 February 1836 Conservative Party Vacant
Centralist Republic (1835–1846)
PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Miguel Barragán 28 January 1835 27 February 1836 Conservative Party José Justo Corro 27 February 1836 19 April 1837 Conservative Party Anastasio Bustamante 19 April 1837 18 March 1839 Conservative Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 18 March 1839 10 July 1839 Conservative Party Nicolás Bravo 11 July 1839 19 July 1839 Conservative Party Anastasio Bustamante 19 July 1839 22 September 1841 Conservative Party Francisco Javier Echeverría 22 September 1841 10 October 1841 Conservative Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 10 October 1841 26 October 1842 Liberal Party Nicolás Bravo 26 October 1842 4 March 1843 Conservative Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 4 March 1843 4 October 1843 Liberal Party Valentín Canalizo 4 October 1843 4 June 1844 Conservative Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 4 June 1844 12 September 1844 Liberal Party José Joaquín de Herrera 12 September 1844 21 September 1844 Liberal Party Valentín Canalizo 21 September 1844 6 December 1844 Conservative Party José Joaquín de Herrera 6 December 1844 30 December 1845 Liberal Party Mariano Paredes 31 December 1845 28 July 1846 Conservative Party Nicolás Bravo Nicolás Bravo 28 July 1846 4 August 1846 Conservative Party José Mariano Salas 5 August 1846 23 December 1846 Conservative Party
Second Federal Republic (1846–1863)
PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure José Mariano Salas 5 August 1846 23 December 1846 Conservative Party Valentín Gómez Farías 23 December 1846 21 March 1847 Liberal Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 21 March 1847 2 April 1847 Liberal Party Valentín Gómez Farías Pedro María de Anaya 2 April 1847 20 May 1847 Liberal Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 20 May 1847 15 September 1847 Liberal Party Manuel de la Peña y Peña 16 September 1847 13 November 1847 Conservative Party Pedro María de Anaya 13 November 1847 8 January 1848 Liberal Party Manuel de la Peña y Peña 8 January 1848 3 June 1848 Conservative Party José Joaquín de Herrera 3 June 1848 15 January 1851 Liberal Party Mariano Arista 15 January 1851 5 January 1853 Liberal Party Juan Bautista Ceballos 6 January 1853 7 February 1853 Liberal Party Manuel María Lombardini 8 February 1853 20 April 1853 Conservative Party Antonio López de Santa Anna 20 April 1853 5 August 1855 Conservative Party Martín Carrera 5 August 1855 12 September 1855 Conservative Party Rómulo Díaz de la Vega 12 September 1855 3 October 1855 Conservative Party Juan Álvarez 4 October 1855 11 December 1855 Liberal Party Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos 11 December 1855 17 December 1857 Liberal Party
Reform War 1858–1860
There were two rival governments during the civil war of the Reform, which the liberals won.
President recognized by the Liberals
PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Benito Juárez 18 December 1857 18 July 1872 Liberal Party
Presidents recognized by the Conservatives
PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Ignacio Gregorio Comonfort de los Ríos 17 December 1857 21 January 1858 Liberal Party Félix María Zuloaga 11 January 1858 24 December 1858 Conservative Party Manuel Robles Pezuela 24 December 1858 21 January 1859 Conservative Party José Mariano Salas 21 January 1859 2 February 1859 Conservative Party Miguel Miramón 2 February 1859 13 August 1860 Conservative Party José Ignacio Pavón 13 August 1860 15 August 1860 Conservative Party Miguel Miramón 15 August 1860 24 December 1860 Conservative Party
Second Mexican Empire (1863–1867)
Regency On 22 June 1863, a "Superior Governing Board" was established. On 11 July, the Board became the Regency of the Empire. MembersTerm of officePolitical party Portrait Name Took office Left office Tenure Juan Nepomuceno Almonte 11 July 1863 10 April 1864 Conservative Party José Mariano Salas 11 July 1863 10 April 1864 Pelagio Antonio de Labastida 11 July 1863 17 November 1863 José Ignacio Pavón 11 July 1863 2 January 1864 Juan Bautista Ormaechea 17 November 1863 10 April 1864
Monarchy of Maximilian I PortraitNameReignRoyal houseCoat of arms Reign start Reign ended Duration Maximilian I 10 April 1864 19 June 1867 Habsburg-Lorraine
Restored Republic (1867–1876)
PortraitNameElectedTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Benito Juárez — 18 December 1857 11 June 1861 Liberal Party 1861 11 June 1861 30 November 1865 — 1 December 1865 30 November 1867 1867 1 December 1867 30 November 1871 1871 1 December 1871 18 July 1872 Sebastián Lerdo de Tejada — 19 July 1872 30 November 1872 Liberal Party 1872 1 December 1872 20 November 1876 José María Iglesias — 26 October 1876 28 November 1876 Liberal Party
Porfiriato (1876–1911)
PortraitNameElectedTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Porfirio Díaz — 28 November 1876 6 December 1876 Liberal Party Juan N. Méndez — 6 December 1876 17 February 1877 Liberal Party Porfirio Díaz 1877 17 February 1877 30 November 1880 Liberal Party Manuel González Flores 1880 1 December 1880 30 November 1884 4 years Liberal Party Porfirio Díaz 1884 1 December 1884 25 May 1911 National Porfirist PartyNational Reelectionist Party 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 Ramón Corral 1910
Revolution (1911–1928)
Political parties
PortraitNameElectedTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Francisco León de la Barra — 25 May 1911 5 November 1911 Independent Francisco I. Madero 1911 6 November 1911 19 February 1913 Progressive Constitutionalist Party José María Pino Suárez Pedro Lascuráin — 19 February 1913 About 45 minutes Progressive Constitutionalist Party Victoriano Huerta — 19 February 1913 15 July 1914 Independent Francisco S. Carvajal — 15 July 1914 13 August 1914 Independent
Presidents recognized by the Convention of Aguascalientes
The Conventionists were followers of revolutionary generals Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata. They fought a civil war with the followers of revolutionaries under Venustiano Carranza. PortraitNameTerm of officeNotes Took office Left office Tenure Eulalio Gutiérrez 6 November 1914 16 January 1915 Roque González Garza 16 January 1915 10 June 1915 Francisco Lagos Cházaro 10 June 1915 10 October 1915
Constitutionalist victory and restoration of democracy The revolutionary Constitutionalist Army under the authority "First Chief" Venustiano Carranza defeated the Army of the Convention in 1915, with a new constitution drafted in 1916–17.
Political parties
PortraitNameElectedTerm of officePolitical partyNotes Took office Left office Tenure Venustiano Carranza — Head of the Executive PowerFirst Chief of the Constitutional Army Liberal Constitutionalist Party 13 August 1914 30 April 1917 1917 President of Mexico 1 May 1917 21 May 1920 Adolfo de la Huerta — 1 June 1920 30 November 1920 Liberal Constitutionalist Party Álvaro Obregón 1920 1 December 1920 30 November 1924 4 years Laborist Party Plutarco Elías Calles 1924 1 December 1924 30 November 1928 4 years Laborist Party
Maximato (1928–1934)