The President of Venezuela is both the head of state and the head of government of Venezuela. The current presidential term is for six years with the constitutionally guaranteed recourse of holding a popular recall referendum anytime within the last three years of a presidential term. On 15 February 2009, a referendum removed the previous restrictions which limited the President to two terms. Nicolás Maduro assumed office of the presidency of Venezuela on 14 April 2013 after a special presidential election held five days earlier, following the death of Hugo Chávez (pictured). The presidential designation encompasses only those persons who were sworn into office as President of Venezuela following Venezuela's declaration of independence from Spanish colonial rule, which took effect on 5 July 1811. The first president, taking office on 5 July 1811, was actually the president of a triumvirate that rotated the presidency weekly. The person serving as president during the week of 5 July was one of the three signatories of the Declaration of Independence: Cristóbal Mendoza. Mendoza shared the triumvirate with Juan Escalona and Baltasar Padrón. (Full list...)