Republic of Nicaragua
Heads of State of the Republic Nicaragua
List of Heads of State of Nicaragua
List of Supreme Directors (Supremo Director)
Name
Political Party
Dates in Office
Patricio Rivas (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. 1810; d. July 12 1867.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193336/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern13.php.
Democratic Party
June 30 1839 – July 27 1839
Patricio Rivas (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. 1810; d. July 12 1867.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193336/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern13.php.
Democratic Party
September 21 1840 – March 4 1841
José Fruto Chamorro Pérez
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 20 1804; d. March 12 1855.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193322/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern10.php.
Legitimist Party
April 1 1853 – April 30 1854
List of Presidents of the Republic of Nicaragua (Presidente de la República de Nicaragua)
Name
Political Party
Dates in Office
José Fruto Chamorro Pérez
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 20 1804; d. March 12 1855.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193322/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern10.php.
Conservative Party
April 30 1854 – March 12 1855
José María Estrada Reyes (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. 1802; d. August 13 1856.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026.https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193327/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern11.php.
Conservative Party
March 12 1855 – October 22 1855
Patricio Rivas1
Date of birth/date of death: b. 1810; d. July 12 1867.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193336/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern13.php.
Democratic Party
October 25 1855 – June 24 1857
William Walker2
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 8 1824; d. September 12 1860.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193339/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern14.php.
Democratic Party
July 12 1856 – May 1 1857
Máximo Jerez Tellería3
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 8 1818; d. August 12 1881.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193343/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern15.php.
Non-Partisan
June 24 1857 – November 15 1857
Tomás Martínez Guerrero4
Date of birth/date of death: b. December 21 1820; d. March 12 1873.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193346/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern16.php.
Conservative Party
June 24 1857 – March 1 1867
Fernando Guzmán Solórzano
Date of birth/date of death: b. May 30 1812; d. October 19 1891.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193352/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern17.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1867 – March 1 1871
José Vicente de la Cuadra y Ruy Lugo
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 25 1812; d. December 10 1894.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193357/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern18.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1871 – March 1 1875
Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Alfaro
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 29 1818; d. June 7 1890.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193401/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern19.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1875 – March 1 1879
Joaquín Zavala Solís
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 30 1835; d. December 30 1906.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193405/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern20.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1879 – March 1 1883
Adán Cárdenas del Castillo
Date of birth/date of death: b. June 7 1836; d. January 1 1916.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193409/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern21.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1883 – March 1 1887
Evaristo Carazo Aranda
Date of birth/date of death: b. October 24 1821; d. August 1 1889.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193412/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern22.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1887 – August 1 1889
David Nicolás Osorno (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. unknown; d. May 31 1918.
References:
There are a variety of sources for this acting president, including English- and Spanish-language Wikipedia and two sources linked on English-language Wikipedia that list him as an acting president. A more reliable source would be preferred.
Conservative Party
August 1 1889 – August 5 1889
Roberto Sacasa Sarria (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 27 1840; d. June 2 1896.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193418/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern23.php.
Conservative Party
August 5 1889 – January 1 1891
Ignacio Chaves Tellería
Date of birth/date of death: b. c. 1836; d. October 31 1925.
References:
Noted as president during this period on English-language Wikipedia. A better source is needed.
Conservative Party
January 1 1891 – March 1 1891
Roberto Sacasa Sarria
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 27 1840; d. June 2 1896.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193418/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern23.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1891 – July 11 1893
Salvador Machado Agüero (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. 1838; d. 1925.
References:
English-language Wikipedia provides a link to a paywalled source.
Conservative Party
July 11 1893 – July 15 1893
Joaquín Zavala Solís (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 30 1835; d. December 30 1906.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193405/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern20.php.
Conservative Party
July 16 1893 – July 25 1893
José Santos Zelaya López
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 1 1853; d. May 17 1919.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193418/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern23.php.
Liberal Party
July 25 1893 – December 21 1909
José Madriz Rodríguez
Date of birth/date of death: b. July 21 1867; d. May 14 1911.
Liberal Party
1909 – 1910
Juan José Estrada Morales (*acting)
Date of birth/date of death: b. January 1 1872; d. July 11 1967.
Liberal Party
1910 – 1911
Coordinator of the Junta of National Reconstruction
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1945.
Sandinista National Liberation Front
1979 – 1985
President of the Republic of Nicaragua
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1945.
Sandinista National Liberation Front
1985 – 1990
José Daniel Ortega Saavedra
Date of birth/date of death: b. November 11 1945.
Sandinista National Liberation Front
2007 – present
Notes and References
[1] In 1854, a rebellion against the Legitimist-led government attracted the attention of the American filibuster William Walker, who intervened in the conflict and captured the Legitimist capital of Granada on October 1855. Walker appointed Rivas as provisional president on October 12 1855, but Rivas was initially a puppet for Walker.
[2] Walker was an American filibuster who organized a private military expedition to Nicaragua in 1855, unauthorized by the U.S. government, to intervene in a Democratic Party rebellion against the ruling Legitimist government. Walker initially governed through his puppet Patricio Rivas, but later claimed the presidency for himself. His government was recognized by U.S. President Franklin Pierce, but also made many enemies in Central America. He was ousted from power by a Costa Rican-led military coalition in May 1857.
[3] Máximo Jerez and Tomás Martínez led a government junta from June to November 1857 that governed Nicaragua following the end of William Walker’s filibuster regime. The two men served as co-presidents during this time.
[4] Until November 15 1857, Martínez was co-president with his fellow junta leader Máximo Jerez. He governed alone as president thereafter.
To-Do List
Better references for the following presidents: David Nicolás Osorno (1889), Ignacio Chaves Tellería (1891), Salvador Machado Agüero (1893).
Deputy Heads of State of the Republic of Nicaragua
List of Deputy Heads of State of the Republic of Nicaragua
List of Vice Presidents of the Republic of Nicaragua
Roberto Sacasa Sarria
Date of birth/date of death: b. February 27 1840; d. June 2 1896.
References:
[1] Ministerio de Educación. “Gobernabilidad.” Accessed April 6 2026. https://web.archive.org/web/20121009193418/http://www.mined.gob.ni/gobern23.php.
Conservative Party
March 1 1887 – August 5 1889