The poverty and inequality that have plagued El Salvador since the early 20th century stem from the rule of the oligarchy, which dates back to colonial times. The oligarchy's lack of coherence in implementing and pursuing reforms has prevented progress from occurring in the country. Furthermore, the numerous wars and political uprisings in El Salvador have impeded its economic and social growth. The main goal of the oligarchy was to make a profit. And because they essentially ran the economy, they assumed that their actions were better for both their profits and the country's economy as a whole. Their selfish and single-minded focus led to growing economic inequalities, which were subsequently offset by ethnic and class oppression, which primarily affected indigenous Indians. Finally, in the mid-nineteenth century, the Fourteen Families declared all the communal lands their own, evicting the native Indians from them, often violently (Mopp and Morris 74). By the turn of the century, most of El Salvador's generals and presidents were prominent coffee farmers or members of the Fourteen Families, which is why the oligarchy maintained such a strong grip on power over the country. Given the circumstances mentioned above, it can clearly be seen that the fourteen families have had a long history of control over almost every aspect of political and economic life in El Salvador. El Salvador's inequality problems began in the mid-16th century, when an oligarchy was created in the form of three ecomiendas. Ecomiendas were empowered by the crown to grow and export cocoa, largely due to the lack of natural resources to exploit, such as gold or silver (Montgomery 70). Cocoa has become... half the paper... legacy and at the same time has to worry about violence, it is no wonder that inequality and poverty have been and continue to be such a significant problem in El Salvador seemingly without end.Works CitedBarry, Tom and Deb Preusch. The Central America Fact Book. New York: Grove Press, Inc., 1986. Cohen, Isaac, and Gert Rosenthal. “The Dimensions of Economic Policy Space in Central America.” The future of Central America. Eds. Richard R. Fagen and Olga Pellicer. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1983. 15-34.Fagen, Richard R. Forging Peace. New York: Basil Blackwell, Inc., 1987.Krauss, Clifford. Inside Central America. New York: Summit Books, 1991. Montgomery, Tommie Sue. "El Salvador: the roots of the revolution". Central America: crisis and adaptation. Eds. James A. Morris and Steve C. Ropp. Albuquerque, NM: University of New Mexico Press, 1984. 67-118. Press.