Guatemala City, October 23 (teleSUR-RHC)-- Poverty in Guatemala “comes from the time of (Spanish) conquest,” political analyst Gerson Sotomayor told teleSUR in an exclusive interview.        

The privileges held by specific economic sectors “have always been a priority for the state ... leaving out the great majority the population,” he added, emphasizing Guatemala’s education policies.   
      
“Masses are being educated to serve as a cheap labor force, and not to really generate the conditions of development and progress of a complete country,” Sotomayor said.       

In the country, inequality is reflected in every aspect of daily life, affecting access to public positions. For instance, appointment or elections often are influenced by wealth – an important issue as the workers in the public sector are among the wealthiest, Sotomayor said, whether the money comes from corruption or from the country's regular economy.    

According to the International Business Times, more than 60 percent of Guatemalans live under the poverty line. 

“In this country, wealth is maintained within the hands of very few people ... while the masses don't have access not only to land, but also the necessary economic resources especially in terms of employment,” he said.      

Guatemala is one of the most unequal countries of Latin America – after Chile, with high rates of poverty, especially in rural and Indigenous areas.