Leonor Pantoja is Captain Pantoja's mother. Ever loyal to her beloved son, Leonor believes he can do no wrong. At one point, Pocha tells her sister that Leonor "treats her son as if he's still a baby and a little saint" (Chapter 3, p. 53). Like Pocha, her daughter-in-law, Leonor makes the most of Panta's esteemed position as an Army officer. Leonor is good-natured, if a trifle myopic when it comes to Panta. Upon reaching Iquitos, Leonor becomes a devotee of Brother Francisco and the Brothers of the Ark. One reason for her surprising entrance into the extreme religious sect is Leonor's lack of social outlets. As a result of Captain Pantoja's assignment as head of the Special Service, Leonor, like Pocha, is unable to socialize with the other officers' families and is therefore left without companionship. Leonor is Captain Pantoja's most ardent supporter. She is invested in keeping their small family together and as such is instrumental in reuniting her son and daughter-in-law after the Special Service is left in shambles and Captain Pantoja falls from favor within the Peruvian Army.
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