The head of state is called president.
A president is the person who presides and, therefore, has the highest position of authority within an organization . This is the head of a government or business corporation, who makes the most important decisions.
The etymological origin of the term president is found in Latin, as it is the result of the sum of the prefix prae -, which means "in front" , and the verb sedere , which is synonymous with "to be seated" . That is, president could literally be translated as "to be seated in front" .
The president presides over assemblies, meetings or work sessions. As a public official, the president is usually elected by the population to serve for a specified period and holds executive power over a nation state .
The President as Head of State
In republican governments, the title of president is equivalent to that of head of state . In cases where the president is not elected by the people through direct elections, his appointment is the responsibility of Congress or Parliament.
Presidents may perform the functions of Head of State and be supported by a Prime Minister (in these cases, they do not have executive functions) or perform both functions of Head of State and other functions of the Executive Branch . In certain systems, the President even appoints all members of the Executive Branch (in countries such as Argentina , Brazil , Chile and Mexico ).
Barack Obama was the first African American president of the United States.
Historical references
It is important to note that throughout history there have been many presidents of different countries who, for one reason or another, have left a deep mark on it.
In the case of the United States , for example, we should highlight President Abraham Lincoln , who is known for having carried out a series of measures that led to the complete abolition of slavery. He is also known for being the first American president to be assassinated.
George Washington , who was the country's first president; Franklin D. Roosevelt , who was the longest-serving president; and Barack Obama , the first African-American president, are some of the most important in the history of the United States .
Jacques Chirac in France ; Vladimir Putin in Russia ; Silvio Berlusconi in Italy , Hugo Chávez in Venezuela ; and Felipe González in Spain are other presidents who have managed to be fundamental in the history of their respective countries.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the only country where the presidency of the State is hereditary, since it is held by the Emir of Abu Dhabi .
President of a football club
Nowadays, other presidents who have achieved great worldwide recognition are those of football clubs . This sport generates so much wealth that being at the head of a renowned team today means having significant economic, sporting, social and even political power, in some cases.
It is worth noting that the term president can be used both in the masculine and feminine forms ( "The Uruguayan president arrived in Bolivia to sign a series of trade agreements" , "The Chilean president assured that the national economy will not stop growing" ), although the Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) accepts the use of the word president ( "Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became the Argentine president in 2007" ).