Reinaldo Leandro Mora was a Venezuelan educator and politician. He was part of Acción Democrática. He was deputy Minister of Education between January and March 1961 and got his official designation as Minister from March 1961 to 1964, under President Rómulo Betancourt administration. Under President Raúl Leoni administration he was the Venezuelan Plenipotentiary Ambassador in the Vatican. From 1966 to 1969, he was Minister of Internal Affairs. He was Senator in the former Venezuelan bicameral Congress, and President of the Senate of Venezuela from 1984 to 1989.
He was one of the most important candidates of Accion Democratica Party National Convention toward presidential election on December 1973. He got 180 votes but Carlos Andres Perez was elected as presidential candidate with 300 votes. He was considered as a solid name for the Accion Democratica candidature in 1982 and 1987, but he refused the idea of being presidential candidate again. After his years as Congressman, Leandro Mora was president of the Presidential Commission on Marine and Submarine Frontier Waters with Republic of Colombia en 1989. This is very important due the delicate military crisis that involved both countries on 1987's Corbeta Caldas incident in the Gulf of Venezuela.
Leandro Mora's legacy
Nelson Bocaranda, an experienced Venezuelan journalist wrote about his public service: Reinaldo Leandro Mora was called for most of the people the "Friendship Prince". I agree. I met him during his days as Minister of Education under Betancourt's government and when he was Minister of Internal Affairs under Leoni's administration. I was 17 when I began in Radio Aeropuerto station, and he introduced me to the most important figures of Venezuelan politician world. I learned from him how to protect my sources. He believed in me when I walked by myself for first time into journalism. He was very grateful with his friends. He built bridges in these true democracy years that began in Venezuela in 1958. He never was rude or disrespectful with his political detractors. He was true militant of Accion Democratica. He had humility, charisma, culture and kindheartedness. Without doubt, Reinaldo Leandro Mora will be remembered for that.
