Confronting a pattern of failure: Agrarian reform and the political question of the land in contemporary El Salvador

Due to scarcity and the development of its tenure, issues concerning the land have traditionally been at the heart of political contention in El Salvador. Using four factors: Politics, social stability, administration, and design, this thesis examines why agrarian reforms implemented by the Salvadoran Government in 1932, 1965, 1975, and 1980, failed to modify the nation's oligarchic land tenure, precipitating the current land reform. Officials of the Salvadoran Government are consulted to provide insight into the politics which surrounded the reforms. The same criteria are applied to the current reform, to draw comparisons and discuss prospects for the reform's future success. Having been directly involved with its development, the author found administrative difficulties and the lack of funding to be the most threatening to the current reform. Although the socio-political climate in contemporary El Salvador is different compared to past reforms, numerous dilemmas with the design and implementation of the current reform are uncovered in this thesis. Recommendations by the author are included in the final chapter.