Since its independence in 1825, Bolivia has been ruled by key figures in the fight for independence, leaders of the War of the Pacific, representatives of the aristocracy, military dictators and democratically elected leaders. Also, the history of the presidency has involved civil wars, more than 190 coups and violence. In 1983, a poll was taken by Última Hora newspaper to determine which seven historical presidents were regarded as most significant. The "winners" were Antonio José de Sucre, Andrés de Santa Cruz, Manuel Isidoro Belzu, Mariano Melgarejo, Aniceto Arce, Ismael Montes, and Víctor Paz Estenssoro. Leaders adopted titles such as "Liberator of Bolivia", and "Supreme Protector". Two women served as head of state:
Lidia Gueiler Tejada
Jeanine Añez Chávez
Prior to 2009, if no candidate won more than half of the popular vote, the president was chosen by a vote in a joint legislative session from among the top two candidates. On 10 November 2019, president Juan Evo Morales Ayma resigned as head of state after more than 20 days of street protests by opposition supporters and accusations of voter fraud committed by Morale's party, MAS. Initially, there was brutal police repression against protestors claiming that Morales had committed fraud in the elections. Shortly thereafter, large groups of people that supported Morales went into the streets. Some incidents of vandalism were reported, and a house was torched which belonged to Waldo Albarracin, president of the Universidad Mayor de San Andres, who had long denounced Morales. After more than two weeks of intense protests and corollary suppression by public safety forces, the latter determined that they would stand down. A few days later, and owing to the potential for further confrontation and bloodshed, Bolivian military General Williams Kaliman convinced Morales to resign the presidency to pacify the country. Morales, fearing reprisals, flew first to Mexico and then received a lengthier refuge in Argentina. Shortly thereafter, Morales's successors, who were also accused of participating in voter fraud, resigned, namely Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera, President of the SenateAdriana Salvatierra and President of the Chamber of DeputiesVíctor Borda. The first vice president of the Senate, Rubén Medinaceli, also resigned. Jeanine Añez, the second vice president of the Senate and member of the CC Party, became the highest-ranking official, who, according to the Bolivian constitution, should assume the role of interim president after the president, vice-president, and the first president of the senate resigned. On 12 November 2019, Añez proclaimed transitional, temporary interim charge of the Senate of Bolivia and, on this basis, was declared the Constitutional President. Her accession to office was formally approved by a decision of the Plurinational Constitutional Court the same day. Añez began planning to call new elections in 2020 as well as working to calm the nation and ordered military police to prevent large demonstrations and isolated attacks by individuals supporting the MAS party.
In the event of the president's death or permanent incapacity, the vice president was to assume office. The president of the Senate and the president of the Chamber of Deputies are third and fourth in the line of succession. In the 2005 political crisis, with all of these positions exhausted, Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé, the chief justice of the Bolivian Supreme Court, assumed the presidency. Under the 2009 Constitution, however, the assumption of power by the president of the Chamber of Deputies automatically precipitates an election within 90 days.
In the case of temporary incapacity or absence from the country, the title of Acting President is transferred to lower officials according to the order of presidential succession. In September 2012, Senate president Gabriela Montaño became the first woman to assume this office, during the presidency of Evo Morales.
