José Cecilio del Valle and the Political Economy: his proposal for Central America of the XIX century

Abstract

Introduction. José Cecilio del Valle (1777-1834) was a prominent Central American politician. He was also a scholar and promoter of Political Economy. This study focuses on examining the main ideas of José Cecilio del Valle on Political Economy. Methods. An analysis of nine of his main publications on economic issues was done to determine to which line of economic thought followed his ideas. Discussion. It seems that Valle reached the line of political economy through the Spanish political economy. He was also influenced by the ideas of economists such as A. Smith and D. Ricardo, as well as the Spanish economists. Through his writings, he speaks in favor of the development of the Central American region on the basis of its natural wealth, its inhabitants and an economic system that unleashes all that potential. It identifies work as the source of wealth, advocates for the elimination of inequalities and defends free trade. Valle understood Political Economy as a discipline that studies social processes and is related to different interests, classes, ideas, opinions and systems. He helped disseminate a set of ideas that proposed capitalist development for Central America. Conclusion. Through Valle´s ideas embodied in essays and articles, his proposals can be framed within the enlightenment and liberalism, which make him an opponent to the old colonial system.