Raúl Prebisch, between Theory and Practice

Abstract

Raúl Prebisch (1901-1986) was an Argentine economist, who came to be well known as a distinguished academic and first-class Argentine government official during nearly two decades before finding his final place in international organizations. As from the 1930s crisis, economic science became an instrument of power to face the challenges of a changing international context, and Raúl Prebisch was part of this process. When he settled abroad due to political reasons, Prebisch experienced a series of intellectual shifts consistent with the changing scenarios. After the Second World War, Latin American countries sought a solution to their economic problems through institutions such as the Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLA), where he performed a leading role.

JEL classification: B31