A Diplomat at the Ministry of Finance: Rubens Ricupero's Economic Ideas

Rubens Ricupero was not only one of the most important Brazilian diplomats of the 20th century, but also a central figure in decisive moments in the country's political and economic history over the last fifty years. In addition to representing Brazil in multilateral forums such as the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Ricupero was the Minister of Finance responsible for creating Brazil's most important monetary stabilization plan, the Real Plan. His career in the Brazilian civil service allowed him to accumulate political experience and technical knowledge like few other Brazilian men of his generation. Thus, this article aims to systematize and analyze his intellectual trajectory and the main theoretical elements of his economic thinking. To this end, primary documents, academic articles and books, and material extracted from a face-to-face interview conducted at his office in early 2020 were used. The article shows the eclecticism of his economic ideas, although one can note the importance that Ricupero attaches not only to state action itself, but above all to the development of a welfare state capable of mitigating inequalities and defending the environment, while ensuring the necessary conditions for capital accumulation.