Wallerstein is one of the greatest intellectuals of our time. As an indispensable reference in the study of capitalism as a general system of organization, as a world-system, he modified the way of thinking in social sciences. A rebel by nature, he has not only revolutionized the ways of thinking about the world but he was also committed to the cause. He was one of the pillars of critical thought and a coworker of movements and efforts that attempted to open up possible systemic bifurcations that he encouraged with the generosity that was characteristic of him. Beyond his great and valuable written work, we must also underline his human qualities and his modesty, that even from his intellectual heights, enabled him to listen to the claims of peoples, of youth and of all those who came close to him.

Rebellion, nonconformity and the constant search for emancipatory paths guided both his intellectual work and his social and political engagement. That is, his commitment to life, that in his last comment, he invites us to follow, when he says that he has always thought “the crucial struggle was a class struggle, using class in a very broadly defined sense. What those who will be alive in the future can do is to struggle with themselves so this change may be a real one.”

I had the privilege of knowing him, of working and living close to him during the past decade, of learning from his wisdom and his goodness, so I know that with time we will continue to discover how deep and substantial were his contributions.

All the members of the Observatorio Latinamericano of Geopolitica, with deep grief, offer our tribute to the man, to the fighter and to the intellectual.

02/09/2019

(Translated for ALAI by Jordan Bishop)