Abstract
Economist Carlos Díaz Dufoo's México y los capitales extranjeros (1918) was the first comprehensive critique of “Mexico's legendary wealth”-the time-honored notion that Mexico contained immense riches due to its large size, varied climate, and valuable natural resources, popularized by Alexander von Humboldt's independence-era Ensayo Político sobre el reino de la Nueva España.
Díaz Dufoo's attack was rooted in a contemporary notion of wealth which colored his perceptions of the Mexican economy. But his contentious text was also enmeshed in revolutionary politics. Thus, by examining Díaz Dufoo's assault on the legend and revolutionists” reception of his controversial critique, this essay provides insights into economic ideas and the links between economic ideology and political policy in Revolutionary Mexico.