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MIROSLAWACZERNY,ANDRZEJCZERNY
habitationalike.Insuchwaysanapparentlywell-rootedsocioeconomicstructure
inagivenareaneedstoalterasaresultoftheenvironmentalchange.However,
theassigningofvaluetothesechangesisnotsomethingtobeattemptedhere.
Nevertheless,therecanbenodoubtthatthemaincausesofdevelopmental
disparitiesthatcharacterizeandhavecontinuedtomaintainamosaicofbetter-
andworse-developedregionsareofapoliticalandculturalnature.Sincecolonial
timescomplexethnicrelationsbetweenindigenouspeoplesandincomersfrom
Europehavebeengivingrisetomarginalization,firstofthesaidnativepeoples,
andlaterofslavesfromAfricaandtheiroffspring.Feudal-typerelationswere
maintainedintocolonialtimes,andtheirnon-reforminthenewly-independent
statesarisinginthe19thcenturyhascontinuedtoensureaplaceonthemargins
ofsocioeconomiclifeforthegreaterpartofthepopulationinwhatwaspreviously
SpanishAmerica.Discrimination,usuryanddisdainforeverythingofindigenous
originwerefordecadesmarkersoftherelationshipsbetweendifferentsocial
groupsinthispartoftheworld.Anditisasadfactthattheseproblemshavecome
throughtothepresentdayinsomeareas.Regionsinhabitedbyindigenous
peoplesthusremainpoorlydeveloped,totheextentthat(withoutstate
assistance,atleast)theyhavenochanceofjoiningtheglobalmarket.Certainly,
thingsmighthavebeen(orstillbe)differentifthestatehadbeen(ornowis)
interestedinthesaleofmineralresourceconcessionstointernationalconcerns
(asinthecaseoftheCongaMineinPeru).However,theeffecthereismerelyto
worsenanalreadytragicsituationfacedbylocalpeople,withafurtherfallin
agriculturaloutputinareasencompassedbyminingactivity,aswellasemigration
oftheruralpopulationtothecities(thismostoftenendsinthedepopulationof
regionsinpovertybyfarmersdeprivedofthemeanstheyneedtolive,expelled
fromtheirland,orleftwithnoalternativebuttosellit).
Furthercausesofthemaintenanceofperipheralruralregionsarealackof
structuralchangeinagriculture-notonlyalackofeffectivefarmreforms(for
whichmostcountrieswerenotpreparedpoliticallywhensomedecidedtoembark
upontheminthe1960s),butalsoafailuretocreateeffectivelegalandfinancial
mechanismsthatwouldallowsmallfarmerstoincreasefarmsizes,joininwith
thecommercialproductionoffood,andmodernizeproduction.Thesematters
aroserepeatedlyasfieldworkwasbeingcarriedoutintheAndeanstates.Political
clientelism,strongsolidaritywithingroupsinsociety(anorigininthesameplace,
proximityofresidence,affiliationwiththesameethnicgroup,etc.),frequently
occurringcorruptionandongoingilliteracy(especiallyamongwomen)all
combinetoensurealackofdevelopmentimpulsesamongtheregion;sentire
population.Someareevendeliberatelypushedtothemarginsofpoliticaland
sociallifeinorderthattheymightbeleftinnopositiontobenefitfromany
possibleeconomicattainments,shouldtheseeventuallyariseintheregion.
Ultimately,thereisnothingmorethanasmallgroupofinhabitantsofeach
regionthatareabletoholdswayovereachregionfromtheeconomicpointof
view.InLatinAmericathesearethedescendantsofCreolefamilieswhosewealth
arosefromthemerefactoftheownershipofhugeareasofland,aswellasthe
