Commander-in-Chief of the Army (Nicaragua)

The Commander-in-Chief of the Army (Spanish: Comandante en Jefe del Ejército de Nicaragua) is the professional head of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Nicaragua.

Commander-in-Chief of the Army
Comandante en Jefe del Ejército de Nicaragua
Incumbent Julio César Avilés Castillo since 21 February 2010
Nicaraguan Armed Forces
Reports to	Minister of Defence
Precursor	Chief Director of the National Guard
Formation	July 1979
First holder	Humberto Ortega
Website	Official website

On 20 April 1823 José Anacleto Ordóñez would declare Nicaragua's independence in Granada and appointed himself General en Jefe del Ejército, Protector y Libertador de Granada, essentially establishing military absolutism in the state, with himself as the de facto military leader until he was deposed on 19 January 1825.^[1]

This military absolutism would be brought back after the assassination of Head of State José Zepeda on 25 January 1837, during the presidency of José Núñez, who appointed Bernardo Méndez de Figueroa as "General Commander of Arms".^[2]

List of officeholders

Protector and Liberator of Granada

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Ordóñez, CletoGeneral José Anacleto Ordóñez (1778–1839)	20 April 1823	19 January 1825	1 year, 274 days	[3]

General Commander of Arms

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Méndez, BernardoColonel Bernardo Méndez de Figueroa (1782–?)	1837	1839	1–2 years	[2]
2		Fonseca, CastoGrand Marshal Casto Fonseca (1800–1845)	1839	1845	5–6 years	[4]
3		Munoz Fernandez, Jose TrinidadGeneral José Trinidad Muñoz (1790–1855)	1845	18 August 1855 †	9–10 years	[5][page needed]

Commander-in-Chief

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Ortega, HumbertoArmy general Humberto Ortega (1947–2024)	July 1979	21 February 1995	15 years, 7 months	[6]
2		Cuadra, JoaquínArmy general Joaquín Cuadra	21 February 1995	21 February 2000	5 years	[6]
3		McDonough, JavierArmy general Javier Carrión McDonough	21 February 2000	21 February 2005	5 years	[6]
4		Acevedo, MoisesArmy general Moises Omar Halleslevens Acevedo (born 1949)	21 February 2005	21 February 2010	5 years	[6][7]
5		Castillo, JulioArmy general Julio Avilés Castillo	21 February 2010	Incumbent	15 years, 165 days	[6]