In this new episode of Historia Oral de la CEPAL, Adolfo Gurrieri looks back on a remarkable career that connected sociology, development planning, and some of the most influential thinkers in Latin America.

Gurrieri arrived at ECLAC in 1964 after studying at FLACSO. As a young sociologist entering an institution focused primarily on economics, he quickly discovered the challenge of finding sociology's place within ECLAC's intellectual framework.

His career took a decisive turn when he joined the Social Division of the Latin American and Caribbean Institute for Economic and Social Planning (ILPES) under José Medina Echavarría. There, he found himself surrounded by extraordinary minds.

“I suddenly found myself sitting in an office where one person was José Medina Echavarría, another was Fernando Henrique Cardoso, and another was Francisco Weffort. I thought: here there is plenty to talk about, plenty to learn.”

Among the many influential figures he encountered, none left a deeper impression than Raúl Prebisch. Years later, Gurrieri became Secretary of CEPAL Review, working closely with the economist whose ideas had shaped the institution.

“We were given two offices,” he recalls. “One was Don Raúl's and the other was mine.”

Their collaboration extended far beyond editorial work. They shared countless conversations over lunches and dinners, discussing economics, politics, and Latin America's future. Through the Review, Gurrieri was exposed to ideas from across ECLAC, reading and debating articles from every division.

Looking back, he describes Prebisch as much more than an economist.

“He fought until the very last moment. He had a conviction that things needed to change.”

Gurrieri also remembers an ECLAC filled with debate, intellectual curiosity, and a strong sense of purpose. For him, the institution's greatest contribution was not only its economic thinking, but its ability to bring together diverse disciplines to understand development from multiple perspectives.

His testimony reminds us that institutions are shaped not only by their publications and policies, but also by the conversations, mentorships, and ideas that inspire generations of thinkers.

Watch the full interview here.