Antonio Carrillo Flores

Antonio Carrillo Flores was a lawyer whose career connected public administration, finance, and diplomacy. He helped establish the Federal Fiscal Tribunal, led Nacional Financiera, and served as finance secretary from 1952 to 1958. At UNAM, he taught law and economics, directed the National School of Jurisprudence, and participated in drafting the university's institutional legislation. ¹

His experience in finance shaped his Washington ambassadorship. In talks surrounding the 1959 presidential meetings, Carrillo pressed for fair access to the U.S. market and consultation over policies affecting Mexican exports. At Camp David, he explained that Mexico was a major purchaser of American goods and needed export earnings to meet its payments. He sought support on commodity prices, restrictions affecting lead and zinc, and development finance while the Cuban Revolution was transforming hemispheric politics. ²

Carrillo also urged Mexican leaders to coordinate with other Latin American governments on economic questions. He argued that developing countries needed room to protect new industries while seeking better terms in the American market. ²

After Washington, Carrillo served as foreign secretary from 1964 to 1970, directed the Fondo de Cultura Económica, and became rector of ITAM. He later represented Mexico in the Soviet Union and remained active in legal scholarship and public affairs. His books addressed administrative justice, monetary policy, the Constitution, and human rights. He died in 1986. ¹