We are delighted to announce that Abelardo de Anda Casas, a DPhil candidate in our Department of Economics, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Wicksell Prize for his groundbreaking research paper, "Poverty and Low Human Capital: The legacy of African slavery in Venezuela and the deep historical roots of Chavismo."
The Wicksell Prize, established in honor of the influential Swedish economist Johan Gustaf Knut Wicksell, recognises outstanding scholarship from researchers under the age of 30 (as of December 31, 2024). The Wicksell prize is generously sponsored by the European Journal of Political Economy published by Elsevier.
Abelardo's paper explores the long-term socioeconomic consequences of historical slavery practices in Venezuela and their relationship to contemporary political movements. Using rigorous econometric analysis and novel historical data, his work traces persistent patterns of inequality and human capital development across regions with varying exposure to slavery, providing fresh insights into the historical determinants of modern political phenomena.
