Mexico
Issue 10, August 2009
Inside Mexico: Rural Life
| Inside Mexico: Rural Life |
 |
 Rural populations in Mexico have always struggled with extreme poverty, as well as social and political marginalization. Dating back to the haciendas (large, plantation-like land concentrations in the hands of a wealthy few), the rural poor have struggled to own and control the land they farm. The story of land reform has largely been about chipping away at the privileges enjoyed by powerful, large landowners and commercial agricultural operations. Land reform was a driving force behind not only the Mexican Revolution, but also numerous peasant rebellions over time. It is an issue that has been used by both liberal and conservative politicians, and one that has become intertwined with other struggles as well, including protests against global trade policies that have disadvantaged Mexican agriculture. In this section… History
|