CEPAL as Idea Factory for Latin American Development: Intellectual and Political Influence, 1950–1990

Introduction: Nation promotion and the crisis of neoliberal globalisation

“…However, while early initiatives of this kind were concerned with supporting or avoiding armed conflict, nation promotion emerged in a context where the proliferation of digital communication technologies, the intensification of globalisation and international cooperation, and the shift in the balance of power from states to market forces made the previous focus on managing inter ‐ national conflicts appear obsolete. The aftermath of the Cold War gave way to an apparent global victory of neoliberalism, with former communist nations in Central and Eastern Europe adopting radical reforms to embrace capitalism (Varga, 2020), and Latin American countries leaving behind dictatorial pasts to follow the prescriptions of the Washington Consensus (Love, 2019). At the same time, although nationalism continued to drive conflicts in the Balkans, the former Soviet Union and Latin America (Beissinger, 2002; Pankov et al, 2011; Radcliffe & Westwood, 1996), politicians stressed the arrival of a new era, with wars fought against local and transnational terrorism rather than other nation‐states (Kaldor, 2004).…”

‘A Pioneer in the Struggle for Social Justice’: Manuel Larraín and Transnational Catholic Activism in Latin America in the 1950s and 1960s

“…For him, the implementation of social reforms -and the collaboration of the North American Catholic world -would be fundamental to prevent the advance of communism and strengthen the position of Catholicism in the region. Larraín's ideas would show, firstly, the reflections and transformations generated within the Catholic Church during those years, where differences among Catholics themselves were expressed in how best to respond to the social problems generated by capitalism and, especially, to the challenge posed by the influence of Marxism in social life (Stewart, 1985: 178-229;Lynch, 2012: 273-282;Fernández, 2016;Botto, 2018); and secondly, the Chilean bishop's proposals would embody the broader debates occurring in Latin American societies at that time and which would lead other actors to formulate analyses and responses to explain and address the problem of underdevelopment in the region in the mid-twentieth century (Kay, 1989;Fajardo, 2019;Love, 2019). Specific studies on Manuel Larraín have focused on the relevance of his figure in the context of the Church at the local level, highlighting his trajectory and legacy in Chile.…”