Understanding Colombia’s Conflict: Inequality
Understanding Colombia’s Conflict: Inequality
Jan 7, 2015 posted by Joel Gillin
“While the decade long conflict in Colombia has many roots, most observers agree that the perception of inequality is an important factor.” – Lars Christian Moller, former senior country economist for World Bank in Colombia.
Inequality is a widely-cited cause of the Colombian conflict, from economists and academics in international institutions to the average Colombian. One aspect of extreme inequality experienced in the country is that of income.
According to most sources, including the World Bank and CIA rankings, Colombia is on the top ten most unequal countries in the world in terms of family income. And most of its citizens are aware.
How unequal is Colombia?
As World Bank economist Moller noted in 2012, a University of Vanderbilt survey found that nearly 85% of the population finds the income distribution to be unfair. More than 70% of the population believes that policies should be implemented by the government to reduce income inequality. Closely linked to income inequality, and arguably playing an even more central role in Colombia’s conflict, is the level of land concentration and inequality.
According to the United States Development Agency (USAID), just 0.4% of the population owns 62% of the country’s best land. Well under half of the arable land (22-40%) is cultivated, with most lying fallow or used for cattle grazing.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/understanding-colombias-conflict-inequality/
