Goodbye, Enrique

Latin America lost one of its great sociologists. Enrique de la Garza Toledo He passed away on March 24, 2021. His talents were many, the impact of his work on the region is profound, and the time will soon come to fully appreciate his legacy. In a historical period not particularly conducive to grand intellectual endeavors, Enrique spearheaded a project for the complete renewal of left-wing social sciences, based on the classic premise that political economy is the heart of any unified social science that aspires to social transformation. His commitment to this theoretical and political principle, which our comrade updated with unusual vigor throughout his research, led him to delve into various aspects of economic reality, particularly the social world of labor, production, and national economic models. 

Enrique waged this intellectual battle on every level, without exception, and it is precisely this total passion and boundless ambition that led him to persevere in the challenging and decisive world of epistemology and methodological questions. Enrique was an extraordinary author: incisive, rebellious, ironic, original, and tremendously prolific. His copious work, available in open access, can be consulted at the following link: http://sgpwe.izt.uam.mx/pages/egt/ 

From the CLACSO Working Group Social theory and Latin American reality We had the pleasure and honor of his active and enthusiastic participation since 2017. Enrique joins us as an already established figure, whose accolades include several of the highest awards that Mexican academia can bestow. Our next collective work, which we will publish shortly, will feature one of his last texts (if not his very last). It will be impossible to forget Enrique. His unwavering commitment to independent intellectual creation and to regional emancipation projects and processes will always be present. We are absolutely convinced that Enrique will remain with us, leaving behind an enormous body of work that has long shone brightly in the social sciences of Latin America. 

Farewell, comrade. You knew how to bring to life, like few others, one of Roberto Arlt's most felicitous phrases: "the future is ours, through sheer force of work."

25 2021 March
Researchor CLACSO Work
Social theory and Latin American reality
José Mauricio Domingues and Esteban Torres (Coordinators)