El Salvador

The smallest, most densely populated country in Central America, El Salvador has an estimated population of just under 7 million. Like its Central American counterparts, El Salvador was once property of the Spanish Empire, ulitmately gaining its independence when the United Provinces of Central America, a coalition of Central American countries under Spanish rule, dissolved in 1839.

Even upon gaining its independence from Spain, El Salvador remained largely an oligarchy. That was thanks in large part to its geography, which included several unbridged rivers, essentially guaranteeing that government remained localized. This made several families highly powerful, and wealthy landowners largely ruled the roost in these smaller, localized governments. Landed elite selected the President during these times.

One of the more notable events in Slalvadoran history is the peasant uprising in 1932. Among this resistance's leaders was famed revolutionary agitator Farabundo Marti, who remains a hero to man Salvadorans even today. Escalating social tensions stemming from the Great Depression created political unrest in El Salvador, and Marti and other activists sharing his ideology prepared for an armed insurrection in January of 1932. Marti himself was said to be among the many who felt the insurrection was destined to fail. Jailed when the ruling regime discoverd plans for the insurrection, Marti was proved right when the insurrection went on without him. The result was the massacre of roughly 30,000 peasants. In addition, Marti himself was tried and subsequently executed within a week of the massacre.

Today, El Salvador is viewed as a developing democracy, though human rights organizations such as Amnesty International continue to cite concerns over human rights throughout the country.