The government's human rights record remained poor. Although
there were no reports that the government or its agents
committed politically motivated killings, security forces
committed extrajudicial killings and acted with impunity. There
was little political will to address the failure by government
authorities to adhere to the rule of law. Detainees were abused,
often to extract confessions, and prison conditions were harsh.
Human rights monitors reported arbitrary arrests and prolonged
pretrial detention, underscoring a weak judiciary and denial of
the right to a fair trial. Land disputes and forced evictions,
often accompanied by violence, were a continuing problem. The
government restricted freedom of speech and the press through
the use of defamation and disinformation suits, controlled or
influenced the content of television and radio broadcasts, and
at times interfered with freedom of assembly. Corruption was
endemic and extended throughout all segments of society,
including the executive, legislative