In response to U.S. pressure, the Brazilian military is playing an increasing role in anti-narcotics efforts. The press is privately owned. There are dozens of daily newspapers and numerous other publications throughout the country, and the print media have played a central role in exposing official corruption. In January, the editor of a weekly newspaper in Bahia was murdered after publishing several articles linking several individuals close to the state's governor and one of its senators with corruption. A photographer who was a key witness in the 1996 massacre by police of 19 landless peasants was murdered in November 1998 shortly before he was scheduled to testify in the government's investigation of the case.
Brazil has one of the most concentrated land distribution patterns in the world.
Large landowners control nearly 60 percent of arable land, while the poorest 30 percent share less than two percent. In rural areas, violence linked to land disputes is declining, but courts have supported increasingly backing the eviction of landless farmers. According to the Catholic Church, in 1997 there was a drop in the number of assaults, torture, death threats and illegal expulsions sponsored by landowners in response to the disputes. Thousands of workers are forced by ranchers in rural areas to work against their will, and have no recourse to cops or courts. Violence against women and children is a common problem as protective laws are rarely enforced.