Overview

Argentina is a federal constitutional republic. Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner won re-election to the presidency in October 2011 in multi-party elections the media and various nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) described as generally free and fair. The country also held legislative midterm elections on October 27. Security forces reported to civilian authorities but occasionally acted at lower levels independently of civilian control and committed human rights abuses. The principal human rights problems included reports of torture by provincial police, harsh prison conditions, and gender violence. Other human rights problems included use of excessive force by police; occasional arbitrary arrest and detention; prolonged pretrial detention; actions that risked impairing freedom of the press; continued concerns about judicial inefficiency; official corruption; child abuse; continuing discrimination against and infringements on the rights of indigenous people; sex trafficking; forced labor, primarily within the country; and child labor. Judicial authorities prosecuted a number of officials who committed abuses during the year; however, some officials engaged in corruption or other abuses with impunity.