A man whom some credit with helping bring true democracy to the people and City of El Cenizo died at his home in the small city just south of Laredo on June 28.Guadalupe De Leon was born in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, and went on to become El Cenizo’s second mayor in 1992. He succumbed to heart disease at the age of 65.
“Mr. De Leon differed from the stereotypes of leaders, who might be known for giving great speeches,” said Karen Paup, the co-director of the Texas Low Income Housing Information Service. “Instead, Mr. De Leon led by tending to the city’s day-to-day problems, especially the unglamorous ones, by greeting everyone with a smile and by, generally, making himself a servant of the community.”
Paup came to know the former mayor through their joint efforts working with La Gloria Development Corp.
She credited De Leon with fighting against the interests of big developers to advocate for the common man.
To read the entire article, click here.
