Carlos Tello Macías
Carlos Alejandro Tello Macías | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 November 1938 Geneva, Switzerland |
| Died | 30 July 2024 (aged 85) |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, academic, diplomat |
| Years active | 1960–2024 |
| Known for | Socialist economic perspective; Secretary of Budget and Planning of Mexico (1976–1977); Director-general of the Bank of Mexico (1982); Ambassador to the Soviet Union (1990–1992) and Cuba (1994) |
Carlos Alejandro Tello Macías (4 November 1938 – 30 July 2024) was a Mexican economist known for his socialist perspective, as well as an academic and diplomat. He held ambassadorial positions in both Cuba and the Soviet Union, was appointed director-general of the central bank in 1982, and served as Secretary of Budget and Planning from 1976 to 1977 during President José López Portillo’s administration. His period in office was marked by significant economic challenges; political adversaries held him accountable for Mexico’s inflation surpassing 100 percent and the external debt swelling from USD 8.6 billion to 92.4 billion throughout López Portillo’s tenure.
Biography
Born in Geneva, Switzerland, Tello Macías was the son of Mexican diplomats Manuel Tello Baurraud and Guadalupe Macías Viadero. He completed his undergraduate studies in Business Administration at Georgetown University (1955–58), followed by a master’s degree in Economics at Columbia University (1958–59), and earned a doctorate in Economics from King's College, part of the University of Cambridge (1961–63).
In 1976, he became a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Prior to that, from 1975 to 1976, he held the role of undersecretary at the Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP). That same year, President José López Portillo appointed him to lead the newly established , a post he occupied until resigning due to disagreements with Secretary of Finance, Julio Rodolfo Moctezuma. In September 1982, López Portillo assigned him as director-general of the Bank of Mexico, where he was instrumental in implementing controversial policies. His tenure ended in November 1982 when Miguel Mancera Aguayo, who opposed his foreign exchange control measures, succeeded him.
Under President Carlos Salinas de Gortari, he was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union from 1990 until 1992, then served as ambassador to Cuba in 1994. Subsequently, during President Ernesto Zedillo’s administration, he was chosen to head the National Indigenist Institute.
Tello Macías had a distinguished academic career teaching at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) from 1960 to 1987 and at between 1964 and 1979. Additionally, he conducted research at the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) between 1978 and 1987. His scholarly pursuits included a guest scholarship at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in 1984 and a visiting researcher position at the Center for Mexican–United States Studies at University of California, San Diego during 1984–85. In recognition of over three decades dedicated to teaching and research in economics, UNAM granted him Professor Emeritus status in 2016.
Personal life
Tello Macías was born into a diplomatic family; his father, Manuel Tello Baurraud (1898–1971), served twice as Mexico’s secretary of foreign affairs, a position also held by his brother, Manuel Tello Macías.
He married Catalina Díaz Casasús, who descended from President Porfirio Díaz. They had three children together, one being historian , known for authoring .
Carlos Alejandro Tello Macías passed away on 30 July 2024 at the age of 85.
Selected works
Throughout his career, Tello Macías authored more than twenty books, among them:
- ("Letters from Moscow", published in 1994)
- ("State and Economic Development: Mexico 1920–2006", released in 2008)
- ("The Nationalization of the Mexican Banking System", dated 1984)