This is the 2018 report on Human Rights by the U.S. Department of State published on March 13, 2019Panama is a multiparty constitutional democracy. In 2014 voters chose Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez as president in national elections that international and domestic observers considered generally free and fair.Civilian authorities maintained effective control over the security forces.Human rights issues included undue restrictions on free expression, the press, and the internet, including censorship, site blocking, and criminal libel; and widespread corruption.The Varela administration and the Public Ministry continued investigations into allegations of corruption against public officials.