Political aspects of the economics of development and underdevelopment economy according to Wilson Cano

Abstract

This paper aims to analyze the political economy of Latin America from the perspective of Professor Wilson Cano. Building on from the ECLAC methodological tradition, he associated general determinants of the international economic system with the specific capitalist reproduction conditions in each country. Throughout his works, he focused on the economic underdevelopment of the Brazilian economy and of the different regions. As neoliberalism ascended as the new official agenda for underdevelopment countries, Cano wrote numerous articles criticizing its effects over the productive structure and increasing inequality. Methodologically, current analysis emphasizes his writings and how they relate to the critical tradition of political economy of the “Campinas School of Economy” and the ECLAC. It is shown how Cano criticizes neoliberalism, both in terms of economic thought and the national political arena. The article concludes with a debate on the mercantile capital category, due to its relevance in his analysis, to evidence both its historical coherence and some theoretical limits.