The vice president of Uruguay is the person with the second-highest position in the executive branch of the Uruguayan government, after the President of Uruguay. The vice president replaces the elected President in case of death or absence. The vice president is also an officer in the legislative branch, president of the Chamber of Senators and the General Assembly.
The president and vice president run on a single ticket submitted by their party. A runoff is held between the top two candidates if no candidate obtains the majority of votes (50%+1). In this case, the candidate who receives a plurality in the runoff wins the election. The current Vice President is Carolina Cosse, who took office on March 1, 2025.
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History
The position of Vice-President of the Republic was established in the Constitution of 1934. Previously, the President of the Senate assumed the Presidency in case of the absence of the President. The Constitution of 1952 established a 9-member executive council, the National Council of Government, abolishing the figure of the Vice President. The Constitution of 1967 eliminated the National Council of Government and resumed the presidential system, maintaining the figure of the Vice President.
Trivia
After decades of exclusively male presence, since 13 September 2017 to date (for 9 years, 1 month and 6 days), the vice-presidency has been held by women without interruption: Lucía Topolansky (the first woman to ever hold the position, in her case, following the resignation of Raúl Sendic), Beatriz Argimón (the first woman directly elected to the position), and Carolina Cosse (in office since 1 March 2025).
As of 19 October 2026, no openly LGBTQ person has ever held office as vice president.
César Charlone (5 October 1895 – 8 May 1973) was the youngest vice president to take office (aged 42 years, 8 months and 14 days).
Lucía Topolansky (born 25 September 1944) was the oldest vice president to take office (aged 72 years, 11 months and 19 days).
César Charlone was the vice president who lived the longest after leaving office (31 years, 2 months and 17 days); he died at the age of 77 years, 7 months and 3 days.
Danilo Astori (23 April 1940 – 10 November 2023) was the vice president who lived the shortest time after completing his term (8 years, 8 months and 9 days). But at the same time, he was the longest-lived: he died at the age of 83 years, 6 months and 18 days.
Alberto Abdala (8 April 1920 – 13 January 1986) was the shortest-lived vice president: he died at the age of 65 years, 9 months and 5 days.
Alfeo Brum (22 March 1898 – 25 February 1972) was the last vice president born in the 19th century.
Jorge Pacheco Areco (9 April 1920 – 29 July 1998) was the first vice president born in the 20th century.
As of 19 October 2026, Hugo Batalla (11 July 1926 – 3 October 1998) has been the only vice president to have died in office. Further, he was the last vice president who died in the 20th century.
Enrique Tarigo (15 September 1927 – 14 December 2002) has been the only vice president who had not held any public office before being elected to the vice-presidency, nor did he hold any elected office again afterwards. Further, he was the first vice president who died in the 21st century.
Rodolfo Nin Novoa (born 25 January 1948) and Carolina Cosse (born 25 December 1961) are, to date, the only vice presidents who were previously intendants of a department (Cerro Largo and Montevideo, respectively).
Raúl Sendic (born 29 August 1962) was the only vice president to be forced to resign amid a political scandal.
Jorge Sapelli (8 March 1926 – 13 January 1996) was the only vice president to resign in opposition to a coup d'état, in 1973.