Prebisch, Raúl

Raúl Prebisch (1901–86) has been called Latin America’s best-known economist. Prebisch was internationally known for his theories on Latin American development and poverty. He actively [Page 1280]wrote, spoke, and presented his work on economic development issues until his death in 1986.

Born in Argentina, Prebisch began his career as an economist in 1918. In Argentina, he worked at the National Bank and the Ministry of Finance, and he finally became director-general of the Central Bank of Argentina (1935–43). After World War II, he headed the United Nations Economic Commission on Latin America (ECLA, 1948–62); created and mentored the Latin American Institute of Economic and Social Planning (ILPES); and played an international role as head of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). During his ...