Buried history: The Centre for Socioeconomic Studies of the University of Chile, 1965-1973 (50 years after its foundation)

Abstract

Between 1965 and 1973, there was an interesting experience of intellectual work and construction of critical thinking in Latin America, in the Center for Socioeconomic Studies (known by its Spanish acronym, ceso) of the University of Chile. Its activity was enhanced from 1966 with the addition of several scholars who were exiled after the political persecution by coups and military intervention of universities in various countries of the region. With the arrival of Theotonio Dos Santos, Vania Bambirra, Ruy Mauro Marini, Emir Sader, Edimilson Bizelli, Tomás Amadeo Vasconi and –for other reasons–André Gunder Frank, who joined the group of young graduates from the Faculty of Economics recruited by sociologist Eduardo Hamuy –including Orlando Caputo, Roberto Pizarro, Sergio Ramos, Pío Garcia and Cristobal Kay– were created several research teams, most notably the one dedicated to the study of dependency relations in Latin America. The theoretical effort made by researchers of ceso, who gave some of his most notable developments during the Unidad Popular government, was interrupted –and that center definitely closed– after the military coup that overthrew Salvador Allende.