Evidence suggests that drug traffickers have penetrated the political system through campaign financing, and that sectors of the police and military have been corrupted through bribery. There are numerous human rights organizations, and, despite occasional acts of intimidation, they report on arbitrary arrests and instances of police brutality. The military is responsible for a significant percentage of abuses, particularly when deployed in states of emergency. Since police and military personnel are tried in military rather than civilian courts, abuses, including torture, are committed with relative impunity. Indians are frequent victims of the military, who work with large landowners during land disputes.
Gays are also often the victims of police brutality and harassment.
The media are mostly private and outspoken, and the government controls radio frequencies. Labor unions are well organized and have the right to strike, although the labor code limits public sector strikes. Workers in the country s booming flower industry are routinely exposed to harmful pesticides.