President of Colombia

The president must have been born within the borders of Gran Colombia, be at least 30 years of age, and have full access to their rights.

The President is the highest office within Gran Colombia. Though it is not required, the president often serves as a provisional governor or within the congress before being elected.

Upon the liberation and unification of Gran Colombia, Simon Bolivar was unanimously appointed as the first president in 1822, though had been the leader of Venezuala and New Grenada since 1819. However, while Bolivar was a gifted wartime general, he proved to be a very heavy-handed leader, directly appointing even the most menial government jobs. Originally desiring the position to be a lifetime appointment, many within the Colombian government felt this was too close to monarchy. As such, Bolivar was convinced to resign in 1828, being replaced by his Vice President, Francisco de Paula Santander. Santander undid much of the direct governing that Bolivar did, and instituted a more federalized system that was demanded. Though Bolivar supporters for a centralized government threatened to walk out of the convention, but Bolivar's tentative support for the change convinced enough of them to stay. As a tradition, the six year term Bolivar served set the precedents for succeeding presidencies.

In the follow presidencies, the corruption rooted within the Colombian government was targeted, creating an environment of meritocracy and productivity. This was spurred on by the desire for further funding from Great Britain and in order to stabilize the economy. The presidency was also used as a beacon of democracy against surrounding monarchies.