Democratically elected leaders who consolidated power via self-coups

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who has served as President of Russia since 2012, having previously served from 2000 to 2008. Putin also served as Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012. He has been described as the de facto leader of Russia since 2000.

Nicolás Maduro Moros is a Venezuelan politician and former union leader who became President of Venezuela in 2013. On 3 January 2026, US forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores; they were transported to the US and charged with drug trafficking to which they pleaded not guilty. Although he was de facto removed from power, according to the Venezuelan government and interim president Delcy Rodríguez, he is still the de jure president of Venezuela. Prior to his presidency, he served as the vice president of Venezuela under President Hugo Chávez from 2012 to 2013 and as minister of foreign affairs from 2006 to 2012.

President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986

President of the Second French Republic, Emperor of the Second French Empire and last monarch of France (1808–1873)

3rd President of the Republic of Korea

President of Peru from 1990 to 2000

President of Brazil (1930–1945; 1951–1954)

President of El Salvador since 2019

Austrian Christian Social and Patriotic Front statesman (1892-1934)

Tunisian politician, academic and jurist

Prime Minister of Latvia and agronomist (1877-1942)

Uruguayan politician and rancher (1928-2011)

Prime Minister of Lesotho (1914-1987)