Mexican journalist denied refugee claim

Hugo Reyna Flores has been living in Toronto since fleeing drug violence in Acapulco.

Reyna worked as an assistant to Amado Ramírez Dillanes, a popular television journalist who fearlessly investigated ties between drug cartels and government officials. After Ramírez was murdered in 2007, Reyna says he became the target of intimidation by drug gangs and he and his wife were attacked at their home. He fled to Canada soon after, but now the Immigration and Refugee Board has rejected his refugee claim, saying they believe he has exaggerated his story. More than 30 journalists have been killed since December 2006, when the Mexican government launched a nation-wide crackdown on drug cartels that has left 18,000 people dead. Some media outlets have stopped reporting on drug violence out of fear of reprisals.