Eduardo Mendoza Goiticoa
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Eduardo Mendoza – A 1941 agricultural engineering graduate of Argentina's Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Mr. Mendoza was the youngest cabinet minister in Venezuelan history becoming minister in the government of Romulo Betancourt at the age of 27.[1] As Secretary of Agriculture, he headed the Venezuelan Institute for Immigration and embraced the creation of the International Refugee Organization in 1946 (this body was later replaced by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Mendoza succeeded, despite fierce opposition within the cabinet, in ensuring that Venezuela would aid European refugees and displaced persons who could not or would not return home after World War II; he assumed responsibility for the legal protection and resettlement of tens of thousands of refugees inside Venezuela.
He resigned from the Betancourt government over the importation of frozen beef from Argentina.[2] [3] Mendoza protested that the beef would permit hoof and mouth disease into the country. He was overruled by Betancourt and the meat was unloaded at a Venezuelan port. Mendoza tendered his resignation in protest. By February of 1950 an outbreak of hoof and mouth plagued the country's livestock. Venezuela has not yet successfully dealt with hoof and mouth disease.
After government service he worked in a variety of agricultural and conservation concerns. With his brother Eugenio Mendoza he founded Venezuela's largest animal feed company: Protinal. He served as a director of Caracas' central park "Parque Del Este" [4] and as a founding member of the Universidad de Oriente.
He has received numerous awards and honors for his activities in the public and business life of Venezuela. Significantly, the Order of Merit (Orden de Merito), Order of Francisco de Miranda, Order of Cecilio Acosta, and the Orden del Libertador The highest honor the Venezuelan government can bestow in recognition for conributions to the nation.
A lifelong scientific researcher, he was elected to the Andean Parliament in 2000, serving until 2001. He is the great-grandson of Venezuela’s first President, Cristobal Mendoza, and the great-great-great-nephew of Venezuela's liberator, Simon Bolivar.
Mendoza's grandson is Leopoldo López, Mayor of the Chacao municipality of Caracas and co-founder of the Primero Justicia party.
Publications: http://www.fpolar.org.ve/publicac/ecopubl.html
