Alfonso López Michelsen
Served: 1974–1978
Liberal president who served a four-year term.
List of Presidents of Colombia: Past and Present
Last updated November 2026
This page lists the presidents and heads of state of Colombia from 1974 to the present, with the years each leader was in office and a short summary of their time in power. Use it to find the current president of Colombia, former presidents, and key dates in the country's political history.
Current president of Colombia: Abelardo de la Espriella (in office since 2026).
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Presidents of Colombia in order, with years in office
Julio César Turbay
Served: 1978–1982
Liberal president who served a four-year term.
Belisario Betancur
Served: 1982–1986
Conservative president who served a four-year term.
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Virgilio Barco
Served: 1986–1990
Liberal president educated at MIT.
César Gaviria
Served: 1990–1994
Liberal who replaced the assassinated Luis Carlos Galán as his party's candidate.
Ernesto Samper
Served: 1994–1998
Liberal president who served from 1994 to 1998.
Andrés Pastrana
Served: 1998–2002
Conservative president who served from 1998 to 2002.
Álvaro Uribe
Served: 2002–2010
Won the 2002 election in the first round and served two terms.
Juan Manuel Santos
Served: 2010–2018
Served two terms.
Iván Duque
Served: 2018–2022
Lawyer from the Democratic Centre party who served one term.
Gustavo Petro
Served: 2022–2026
Colombia's first left-wing president at national level.
Abelardo de la Espriella
Served: 2026–present
Right-wing lawyer who won the 21 June 2026 runoff against Iván Cepeda and was sworn in as the 36th president on 7 August 2026 in Cali.
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Frequently asked questions about the presidents of Colombia
Who is the current president of Colombia?
The current head of state of Colombia is Abelardo de la Espriella, in office since 2026.
Who were the previous presidents of Colombia?
The presidents and heads of state of Colombia listed on this page, in order, are: Alfonso López Michelsen, Julio César Turbay, Belisario Betancur, Virgilio Barco, César Gaviria, Ernesto Samper, Andrés Pastrana, Álvaro Uribe, Juan Manuel Santos, Iván Duque, Gustavo Petro, Abelardo de la Espriella.
Sources: Wikipedia, President of Colombia; WorldAtlas; Georgetown Political Database of the Americas; Reuters, AP and Colombia Reports on the August 2026 inauguration (checked Nov 2026). Shows the 12 most recent presidents since 1974.. Last reviewed November 2026.
Presidents of other South America countries
Presidents of Brazil · Presidents of Chile · All South America presidents