Leopoldo Raúl Guido Moreau (born 5 November 1946) is an
Argentine journalist and politician. A prominent member of the
Radical Civic Union throughout most of his career, Moreau later aligned himself with the administration of former president
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President o ...
, breaking with his party, founding the
National Alfonsinist Movement
The National Alfonsinist Movement ( es, Movimiento Nacional Alfonsinista, MNA) is a political movement in Argentina with a radical Alfonsinist ideology, founded in 2014 by Leopoldo Moreau a former member of the Radical Civic Union, Gustavo LÃ ...
and becoming one of the most prominent ''
Radicales K
K Radicalism also known as ''Radicales K'' were a faction within the Radical Civic Union (UCR), a political party in Argentina.
History
Early history and foundation (early-2000s-2007)
President Néstor Kirchner (2003–2007) was a Peronist ...
''.
He served in both houses of the
Argentine National Congress uninterruptedly from 1983 to 2005, and has been a
National Deputy since
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...
. He also briefly served as
President of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Chamber of Deputies may refer to:
* List of presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
* List of presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia
* President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
* President of the Chamber of Dep ...
1989.
Early life and education
Leopoldo Raúl Guido Moreau was born on 5 November 1946 in
Rosario, in
Santa Fe Province
The Province of Santa Fe ( es, Provincia de Santa Fe, ) is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco (divided by the 28th parallel south), Corrientes, Entre RÃ ...
, but grew up in
San Isidro, in the
Greater Buenos Aires conurbation. His father was an engineer who worked in the
Argentine Navy, and his grandfather was a jeweller. Both of Moreau's parents died when he was 14.
He studied law at the
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires ( es, Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) is a public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1821, it is the premier institution of higher learning in the country and one of the most prestigi ...
, though he dropped out in his fourth year and instead began working as a journalist.
Political career in the UCR
Moreau joined the
Radical Civic Union (UCR) in 1960, when he was 14. In 1968, he was one of the founding members of the
Junta Coordinadora Nacional, an inner youth current within the party, and the
Franja Morada, the UCR's student wing. Later, in 1972, he participated in the formation of the Renovation and Change Current, another group within the UCR led by
Raúl AlfonsÃn
Raúl Ricardo AlfonsÃn (12 March 1927 – 31 March 2009) was an Argentine lawyer and statesman who served as President of Argentina from 10 December 1983 to 8 July 1989. He was the first democratically elected president after more than ...
.
First terms as deputy
![Posse, Moreau, AlfonsÃn 1983](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Posse%2C_Moreau%2C_Alfons%C3%ADn_1983.jpg)
In 1983, upon the fall of the
last military dictatorship in Argentina, Moreau
ran
Ran, RaN and ran may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Ran'' (film), a 1985 film directed by Akira Kurosawa
* "Ran" (song), a 2013 Japanese song by Luna Sea
* '' Ran Online'', a 2004 MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game)
* ...
for a seat in the
Chamber of Deputies. Upon his election, he served as president of the parliamentary commission on communication and as vice-president of the UCR
bloc.
Toward the end of the 1980s, Moreau became leader of the Radical Committee of
Buenos Aires Province. Due to his closeness with then-president Raúl AlfonsÃn, Moreau was one of the government's spokespeople during the 1987 ''
Carapintadas
The ' ( en, Painted Faces) were a group of mutineers in the Argentine Army, who took part in various uprisings between 1987 and 1990 during the presidencies of Raúl AlfonsÃn and Carlos Menem in Argentina. The rebellions, while at first thought ...
'' uprising. From April to June 1989, Moreau was
president of the Chamber of Deputies President of the Chamber of Deputies may refer to:
* List of presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
* List of presidents of the Chamber of Deputies of Bolivia
* President of the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil)
* President of the Chamber of Dep ...
.
He was re-elected to the Chamber in
1987
File:1987 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes after leaving the Port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, killing 193; Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashes after takeoff from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, ...
and
1991
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phi ...
. Moreau played a prominent role in the establishment and development of the
National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons
National Commission on the Disappearance of Persons (Spanish: ', CONADEP) was an Argentine organization created by President Raúl AlfonsÃn on 15 December 1983, shortly after his inauguration, to investigate the fate of the ''desaparecidos'' (v ...
(CONADEP), the commission created to investigate the fate of the ''desaparecidos'' (victims of
forced disappearance
An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) is the secret abduction or imprisonment of a person by a State (polity), state or political organization, or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or po ...
) and other human rights violations during the dictatorship.
Moreau was elected to the
National Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the eld ...
on the UCR ticket in Buenos Aires Province at the
1995 general election, where he became part of the parliamentary commissions on budget and treasury affairs, accords, culture and education. From 1995 to 2001, he was the first vice-president of the Senate. During his time as Senator, Moreau was a staunch opponent of the neoliberal economic policies of President
Carlos Menem.
Presidential run
Moreau was the UCR's presidential candidate in the
2003 general election, having won the party's nomination over
Rodolfo Terragno
Rodolfo Terragno (born 16 November 1943) is an Argentine politician and lawyer, former Senator and journalist. From 2016 to 2019, he was Argentina's ambassador to UNESCO.
Life and times
Terragno was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1943 and ob ...
. During the campaign, Moreau apologized to the Argentine society at large for the party's inner strife. The economic crisis, the
December 2001 riots and the subsequent resignation of President
Fernando de la Rúa
Fernando de la Rúa (15 September 19379 July 2019) was an Argentine politician and a member of the Radical Civic Union (UCR) political party who served as President of Argentina from 10 December 1999 to 21 December 2001. De la Rúa was born in ...
had all contributed to a considerable loss of support for the party, and on election day, Moreau received merely 2.34% of the popular vote.
Leader of the MNA
![Sesión 13-06-2018 Diputado Moreau Leopoldo 85](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Sesi%C3%B3n_13-06-2018_Diputado_Moreau_Leopoldo_85.jpg)
In 2014, Moreau and the Movement for Social Democracy (MODESO; an inner current within the UCR) founded the
National Alfonsinist Movement
The National Alfonsinist Movement ( es, Movimiento Nacional Alfonsinista, MNA) is a political movement in Argentina with a radical Alfonsinist ideology, founded in 2014 by Leopoldo Moreau a former member of the Radical Civic Union, Gustavo LÃ ...
(MNA), seeking to break away from the main party line and join forces with the
Front for Victory
The Front for Victory ( es, Frente para la Victoria, FPV) was a centre-left Peronist electoral alliance in Argentina, and is formally a faction of the Justicialist Party. Former presidents Néstor Kirchner and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner we ...
. The following year, the UCR ethics committee expelled Moreau for "ethical and moral misconduct". That same year, the MNA officialized its incorporation into the Front for Victory in an event in which President
Cristina Fernández de Kirchner
Cristina Elisabet Fernández de Kirchner (; born 19 February 1953), often referred to by her initials CFK, is an Argentine lawyer and politician who has served as the Vice President of Argentina since 2019. She also served as the President o ...
took part.
At the
2017 legislative election, Moreau was the 8th candidate in the
Unidad Ciudadana
Citizen's Unity ( es, Unidad Ciudadana) was a centre-left Kirchnerist political coalition in Argentina for the 2017 legislative elections led by the former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.
This coalition existed in the provinces of B ...
list to the Chamber of Deputies in Buenos Aires Province. The list received 36.28% of the votes, and Moreau was comfortably elected. Since 2019, Moreau has been part of the
Frente de Todos parliamentary bloc.
As deputy, Moreau voted in favor of the
legalization of abortion
Abortion-rights movements, also referred to as Pro-choice (term), pro-choice movements, advocate for the right to have Abortion law, legal access to induced abortion services including elective abortion. They seek to represent and support wome ...
in Argentina twice: in 2018, when the bill passed the Chamber of Deputies but was struck down by the Senate, and again in 2020, when the bill passed both houses and abortion was effectively legalized. During the 2020 debate, Moreau spoke on how his decision was influenced by the clandestine abortion practiced by his daughter Cecilia, a fellow member of the Chamber of Deputies.
Personal life
Moreau was married to MarÃa del Carmen Banzas, with whom he has five children, two of which are active in politics:
Cecilia
Cecilia is a personal name originating in the name of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.
The name has been popularly used in Europe (particularly the United Kingdom and Italy, where in 2018 it was the 43rd most popular name for girls born ...
(born 1976) serves in the Chamber of Deputies alongside Moreau, while Carmela (born 1982) is presently an advisor at the
Office of the Cabinet Chief.
[
In January 2021, while at a coffeehouse near the Congressional Palace, Moreau was insulted and violently threatened by two unidentified men. One of the men allegedly threw a chair at Moreau, while the other filmed the incident on his phone. One of the men was taken into custody by authorities and the incident is currently being investigated.]
References
External links
Official website
(in Spanish)
Profile on the official website of the Chamber of Deputies
(in Spanish)
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moreau, Leopoldo
Living people
1946 births
Argentine journalists
Candidates for President of Argentina
People from Rosario, Santa Fe
People from San Isidro Partido
Members of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies elected in Buenos Aires Province
Members of the Argentine Senate for Buenos Aires Province
Presidents of the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Radical Civic Union politicians
20th-century Argentine politicians
21st-century Argentine politicians