I was wondering... Have you lived in Latin America?
I've lived in Mexico, and visited Panama and Colombia.
I met very few educated citizens of those countries. The educated ones I did meet I felt were my equals, in terms of education. It was fantastic. The problem is that they're few and far between.
This article is from 2005, but may highlight the problem:
"Despite having three times the population of Argentina, Mexico produces about 2,000 fewer titles each year.
There are roughly 500 bookstores in Mexico, which translates into one for every 200,000 Mexicans, compared to a ratio of one to 35,000 in the US and one to 12,000 in Spain, according to the Mexican Booksellers Association.
A recent UNESCO study revealed that Mexicans read on average just over two books per year, while Swedes finish that many every month.""
I've lived in Mexico, and visited Panama and Colombia.
I met very few educated citizens of those countries. The educated ones I did meet I felt were my equals, in terms of education. It was fantastic. The problem is that they're few and far between.
This article is from 2005, but may highlight the problem:
"Despite having three times the population of Argentina, Mexico produces about 2,000 fewer titles each year.
There are roughly 500 bookstores in Mexico, which translates into one for every 200,000 Mexicans, compared to a ratio of one to 35,000 in the US and one to 12,000 in Spain, according to the Mexican Booksellers Association.
A recent UNESCO study revealed that Mexicans read on average just over two books per year, while Swedes finish that many every month.""
https://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0216/p01s04-woam.html