In Peru, Valdez was kidnapped, tortured and jailed. After obtaining his freedom, he was forced into exile in Bolivia and later in Canada. In Toronto, Valdez has worked for over a decade as fieldworker in Amnesty International. He is a member of PEN Canada and Canadian Journalist for Free Expression (CJFE). He is also a co-founder of Journalist in Exile (JEX) and President of the Hispanic Press Association (HIPAC). In 2000 he founded Human Rights’ Press.