Gap between Latin America's Rich and Poor

It has been said that foreigners look at America with a twinkle in their eyes. Those who live abroad have a gilded view of life in America. Specifically in Latin America, people look at America as their ticket to riches. Living in some of the worst conditions observed by multiple humanitarian organizations, a majority of Latin Americans live below the global poverty line. If one looks back through history, the trend of constant disparity between economic classes becomes apparent. This trend has affected Latin America since the colonial era and its cyclical nature has yet to change. A distinct gap has existed between the wealthiest Latin Americans and the poorest. According an essay published by Terri Lynn Karl, a professor of political science at Stanford University, “A quarter of all national income is received by a mere 5 percent of the population, and the top 10 percent own 40 percent of the wealth.”* This gap is enlarged by the cyclical nature of the high unemployment rates and lackadaisical attitude towards social programs. A large part of this attitude can be attributed to the Latin American social culture. On a trip to Nicaragua this past summer, I witnessed this firsthand. Members of the potential work force view these social programs as charity and are unwilling to accept the help that they are offered. Unfortunately, this attitude continues to widen the divide between poor and rich. Poorer workers continue to be paid less and less, and rich continue benefitting from cheap labor. In short, the economic disparity that occurs among poor and rich citizens has become one of the most significant issues plaguing the world today. As we progress into the future, many nations will continue to be unable to pull themselves out of the mediocrity that they currently exist in. According to the World Bank, five of the nine countries located in Central America all live within the lower-middle income economies, which is defined by a Gross Domestic Product between USD$ 995 and USD$ 3,945. It has become clear that this cycle will continue until the attitudes towards programs benefitting the public become culturally acceptable within the countries that experience economic disparity. *Karl, Terri Lynn. "Economic Inequality and Democratic Instability." Journal of Democracy. National Endowment for Democracy, 2000. Web. 23 Aug. 2010. .