Leonidas Eduardo Proaño Villalba (1910–1988) was an Ecuadorian prelate and theologian who was born in San Antonio de Ibarra and died in Quito.

He was a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize and is considered one of the most important figures in Ecuadorian liberation theology.

[1] Proaño was ordained as a priest in 1936 and soon became interested in the latest trends Catholic social doctrine.

Within the Ibarra diocese, he created the Juventud Obrera Cristiana (Christian Youth Workers).

In 1962, he created the Center of Studies and Social Action to aid the development of indigenous communities.