Inequality in Latin America Essay - 3137 Words

Although Latin America has faced many social, political, and economic issues within the last three centuries, inequality remains one of the most important, historical, and omnipresent aspects of the region’s culture. As Europeans took over Latin America during the time of colonization, they implemented many elitist social structures that have held strong and are evident today (Harris). Income inequality is the most visible and greatest disparity that the region faces; yet inequality between gender, ethnicities, and education remain strong and significant problems with a necessity for improvement. Inequality of wealth and disparity of power and influence are Latin American’s greatest curses and are at the root of many of the†¦show more content†¦Only few Europeans came over to colonize, but their human capital, technology, wealth, and legal and economic institutions made it effortless to take control. Spain emerged as the leader in colonizing the New World and implemented encomiendas, aiding certain elites and giving little to the rest of the population. The Catholic Church, fueling Spain and Portugal’s exclusive ownership of land, led to social mobility and acquisition of titles. Led by elites, the Church had favorable settler condition and acquired land in order to gain immense wealth and express their position of elitism (Harris). The prompt initial land inequality fostered concentrated political power as well. Elites controlled the governments in order to protect their interests and diminish all possibilities of shifts of power to the lower classes (De Ferranti). After many countries in Latin America received their independence, limited change of conditions occurred and the elite maintained control in the new republics. The basis for economic inequality remained the same and the patterns persisted. In the early 19th century, the majority of countries had developed republican democracies yet the upper class still had the power to act in their own interests. A direct bearing established the extent of the elite’s ability to influence the formation of government policies. Landowners opposed any institutional change that could transfer powerShow MoreRelatedThe Inequality Of Latin America1673 Words   |  7 Pagesmines and fields and who served them, too, at table and in bed† (Chasteen 5). Many people would say this is where inequality in Latin America began, with colonization. However, colonization is just a small piece of the roots of inequality of the region, which actually started with the natives of the lands such as the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans. These three empires ruled most of the Latin American region and did so by conquering other native groups or tribes. 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