By Ingrid Bachmann
Alejandro Hernández Pacheco, a cameraman for Televisa who was kidnapped by alleged drug traffickers in July, is in the U.S. seeking asylum for himself, his wife, and his two kids, CNN reports.
Hernández fears for his life and said the authorities only offered him psychological support and that a Mexican government news conference made him a target for drug traffickers. “The federal government responsible for protecting him used him and put him in danger,” Carlos Spector, Hernández’s immigration lawyer said, El Paso Times and Agencia Reforma explain.
According to ArrobaJuárez, Spector said that two other journalists who were kidnapped in July have also formally requested political asylum in the U.S. He also said the number of journalists who have come to El Paso for legal advice about asylum has doubled in recent years.
Hernández was covering a prison revolt in Durango state when he and three other journalists were kidnapped by individuals who wanted the Mexican media to broadcast messages against the government and rival gangs. The incident led to countrywide protests by journalists who demanded more protection from the authorities.
Note from the editor: This story was originally published by the Knight Center’s blog Journalism in the Americas, the predecessor of LatAm Journalism Review.
