José María Fanelli (born c. 1950) is an Argentine economist, academic, and consultant, best known for his role as Vice-President of the Central Bank of Argentina during the turbulent years leading up to and following the country’s 2001–2002 financial and political crisis. He is recognized for his work in development economics, macroeconomic policy, and international finance, particularly in emerging economies. Early Career and Academic Background Fanelli holds a degree in Economics from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and pursued graduate studies at the Centro de Estudios Macroeconómicos de Argentina (CEMA). Early in his career, he became a researcher and later Director of the Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad (CEDES) , a prominent think tank in Buenos Aires. His early work focused on Latin American debt, industrial policy, and stabilization programs.
During the 1980s and 1990s, he was a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC). He also taught at UBA and the University of San Andrés. Fanelli was appointed Vice-President of the Central Bank of Argentina (BCRA) in late 2000, under President Fernando de la Rúa (Alliance for Work, Justice and Education). The central bank was then led by President Pedro Pou (until April 2001) and later by Roque Maccarone . jose maria fanelli