The Ricardian State: Carlos Calvo and Latin America’s Ambivalent Origin Story for the Age of Decolonization

Abstract

This article explores Latin America’s place in discussions about decolonization through the work of the Argentine international lawyer Carlos Calvo. It argues that while Calvo was an early proponent of Latin American sovereignty and a subtle critic of European empires, he worked within a framework that differed remarkably from that of post-World War II decolonization struggles. Most notably, Calvo’s defense of Latin American sovereignty was rooted in a liberal anti-imperialism which emphasized the important role of Latin American states as the bulwarks of free markets rather than the role of the state in curtailing markets in favor of national development. In the final section of this article I suggest some ways in which highlighting the history of liberal anti-imperialism might help reframe some of the conundrums present in recent histories of the more renowned era of Asian and African decolonization.