FILED U.S. COURT OF AP P EALS E LEVEN T HC IRC UIT FEB 27, 2007 THOMAS K. KAH

N CLERK [ DO NO T P UB L I S H] I N THE UN I TE D STATE S C OU RT OF APPE ALS F O R T H E E L E V E N T H C IR C U IT

________________________ N o. 06- 13419 N on -A rgum entC al endar

________________________ A ge nc y N os . A 95- 899- 878 A 95- 899- 879 C A R L O S G U E R R E R O - G O M E Z , A L E X A N D R A R U E D A - E S P I N O S A , N A T H A L I A I S A B E L G U E R R E R O - G O N Z A L E Z , I S A B E L L A G U E R R E R O - R U E D A , P e titio n e r s , v ersu s U .S . A T T O RN E Y G E N E R A L , R e s p o n d e n t.

________________________ P e t i t i on f orR e vi e w of

aD e c i s i on of

the B o a r d o f I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls

_________________________ ( F e b r u ar y 27, 2007) B efo re A N D E R S O N , B A R K E T T an d W IL S O N , C i rcu i tJu d g es. P E R C U R I A M:Be causethe petitioners did not addre ss the issue of the B IA’s denial of relief under theUnited 1 Nations Convention Ag ainst Torture a nd Other Crue l, Inhuman and De gradingTreatment or Punishm ent, they

have a bandoned a

ny arguments as to that issue. Al Najjar v. Ashcroft, 257 F.3d 1262, 1283 n.12 ( 11th Cir. 2001). 2 C ar l os E nri qu e G uerr er o-G om ez (“ G uerr er o”), A l exandra R ueda-E spi no sa , I s abe l l aG ue rr e r o- R ue da , a nd N a tha l i aI s abe l G ue rr e r o- G onz a l e z ( c ol l e c t i ve l y “ the G uerr er o fam i l y” ), al l nat i ves and ci t i ze ns of C ol om bi a, se ek re vi ew of a f i nal o r d e ro f th e B o a r d o f

I m m ig r a tio n A p p e a ls ( “B I A ” ) . T h e o r d e rd is m is s e d th e ir appe a l a nd a f

f i rm e d w i thoutopi ni on the I m m i gr a t i on J udge ’ s ( “ I J ” ) de ni a l of as yl um and w i thh ol di ng of re m ov al un der the Im m i grat i on and N at i on al i ty A ct (“ IN A ”) . T h e p e titio n e r s a r g u e th a t th e I J e rr e din d e n y in g a s y lu m , o ra lte rn a te ly

1 w i thhol di ng of

r e m ova l , be c aus e G ue rr e r o s uf f e r e d pa s tpe r s e c ut i on a nd ha d a w e ll- f o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n . W e f in d th a t s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e s u p p o rts th e I J ’s d e te rm in a tio n a n d a c c o r d in g ly , w e a f f irm . B ac k gr ound T he G ue rr e r o f

a m i l y f i l e d a n appl i c a t i on f

ora s y l um , w i thhol di ng of r e m ova l , a nd r e l i e f

unde rthe C onve nt i on A ga i ns tT ortur e , on S e pt e m be r16, 2002. I n hi s appl i c a t i on, a nd dur i ng hi s he a r i ng be f or e the I J , G ue rr e r o t e s t i f i e d tha the w a s a f r a i d of pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on a n i m put e d pol i t i c a l opi ni on a nd a l l e ge d the fol l ow i ng fa ct s. H e c l ai m ed thathe had p re vi ou sl y w orked for a com pany ca l l ed th e A g r o p e c u a r iaT r ia n aL lo r e d aC o m p a n y , w h ic h m a n u f a c tu r e d B io te r , a3

c he m i c a l us e d t o e nha nc e c r op gr ow th. W hi l e r e turni ng f r om as a l e s tr i p f

orthe com pany i n 2 00 0, he w as st op ped b y gueri l l as fr om the R evol ut i on ary A rm ed F orce s of C ol um bi a ( “ F A R C ”) . T hey a sked hi m abou thi s produ ctand con fi sc at ed i t , before l ett i ng hi m l ea ve. L at erhe re ce i ved a t el epho ne ca l l fr om an i nd i vi du al na m e d L ui s M a l dona do, s e e ki ng f urthe ri nf

orm a t i on aboutB i ot e r . A l though M al do nado cl ai m ed he w as ca l l i ng pu rs uantt o a re fe rr al fr om a c o-w orker, G uerr er o l at erl earned thatthi s w as fa l se . G uerr er o and m em bers of hi s e xt ended f a m ilys o o n b e g a n to r e c e iv e th r e a te n in g p h o n e c a lls f r o m F A R C . S h o rtly there af t er , G uerr er o w as st op ped b y F A R C gu er i l l as agai n, and they dem anded that h e p r o v id e th e m w ith e ith e rm o n e y o rB io te r , a n d th r e a te n e d to k ill h im a n d h is fam i l y i f h e d i d n o tco m p l y. C o n cern ed ab o u th i s safety an d th ato f h i s fam i l y, G ue rr e r o l e f

thi s j ob w i th the c om pa ny , buthe t e s t i f i e d tha tthe c a l l s c ont i nue d a nd gr e w m or e thr e a t e ni ng. G ue rr e r o c a m e t o the U . S . t e m por a r i l y t o w a i toutthe threa t s, bu tw hen h e r eturned, he foun d thatthe threa t s had no tce as ed. G uerr er o the n de c i de d t o l e a ve pe rm a ne nt l y a nd he a nd the G ue rr e r o f a m i l y s oughta s y l um i n th e U n i t ed S t at es. G uerr er o st at ed thathe bel i eves thatF A R C soug htt o o bt ai n B i ot eri n o rder t o u se i tt o g row i l l egal cr op s. H e a l l eged thathi s r ef usal t o p rovi de B i ot erw as pr obabl y i nt e rpr e t e d a s apol i t i c a l ge s tur e a ga i ns tthe F A R C . H e t e s t i f i e d tha tthe th r e a ts a g a in s t h is f

a m ilyh a v e c o n tin u e d a n d th a t a lth o u g h th e p o lic e in C o lu m b ia4

ha ve of f e r e d pr ot e c t i on, the y w i l l be unabl e t o a s s i s thi m . H e a r gue s tha tba s e d on the above f

a c t s , he e s t abl i s he d aw e l l - f ounde d f e a rof pe r s e c ut i on ba s e d on a pr ot e c t e d gr ound, na m e l y pol i t i c a l opi ni on, a nd a s ks us t o r e ve r s e the I J ’ s de c i s i on. S tanda rd o f R ev i ew W h en re v iew in g a s u m m ary a ff irm an ce b y th e B IA , w e tre at th e I J’s deci si on as the fi nal agencydet erm i nat i on . 8 C F R § 1 00 3. 1(e) (4); Me ndoz a v . U . S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 32 7 F . 3d 12 83 , 12 84 n. 1 (11 th C i r. 20 03 ). T he IJ ’ s c on cl usi on s of l aw a r e s ubj e c tt o de nov o r e v ie w . D -M uh um ed v. U

. S. A t t ’yG en . , 388 F . 3d 814, 817 (11th C i r. 20 04 ). H ow ever , w e r evi ew the IJ ’ s f ac tual det erm i nat i on s t o see i f they a r e s u p p o rte d s u b s ta n tia l e v id e n c e . A l N a jja rv . A s h c r o

ft , 257 F . 3d 1262, 1283- 84 (11th C i r. 20 01 ). D is c us s i on U n d e rth e I N A , a n a s y lu m s e e k e rh a s th e b u r d e n o f e s tab lis h in g aw e llf o u n d e d f e a ro f p e r s e c u tio n o n a c c o u n t o f ar a c e , r e lig io n , n a tio n a lity , m e m b e r s h ip in ap a rtic u la rs o c ia l g r o u p , p o litic a l o p in io n . I N A § 1 0 1 ( a ) ( 4 2 ) ( A ) , 8 U .S .C . § 1101( a ) ( 42) ( A ) . I f

a n appl i c a ntc a n e s t abl i s h the e xi s t e nc e of pa s tpe r s e c ut i on, there i s are bu tt abl e pre sum pt i on thathe has aw el l -f ou nd ed fe arof future p e r s e c u tio n . See 8 C . F . R § 2 08 . 13 (b)( 1). If he cann otdo so, he m usti nst ea d d e m o n s tr a te aw e ll- f

o u n d e d f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n th a t is b o th s u b je c tiv e ly g e n u in e a n d o b

je c tiv e lyr e a s o n ab le . See A l N a jja r, 2 5 7 F .3 d a t 1 2 8 9 .5

A l though ne i the rthe I N A northe r e gul a t i ons de f i ne “ pe r s e c ut i on, ” w e ha ve hel d that“ pers ec ut i on i s an extre m e c on ce pt , re qu i ri ng m ore than few i sol at ed i nc i de nt s of

ve rba l ha r a s s m e ntori nt i m i da t i on, a nd . . . m e r e ha r a s s m e ntdoe s not am ou ntt o p er se cut i on . ” Se pulv e da v . U

. S. A t t ’ yG e n. , 4 0 1 F .3 d 1 2 2 6 , 1 2 3 1 ( 1 1 th C i r . 2005) . T he thr e a t s a nd ha r a s s m e nts uf f e r e d by G ue rr e r o w hi l e i n C ol um bi ado notr i s e thi s l e ve l a nd G ue rr e r o thus c a n note s t abl i s h pa s tpe r s e c ut i on. A dd i t i on al l y, w e not e thatw hi l e other B i ot ersa l es re pres ent at i ves have been th re aten ed in th e p as t, n o n e o f th em h av e a ctu ally b ee n attack ed . W e a cc ep t th e I J’s f i ndi ng tha tG ue rr e r o’ s s t a t e m e nt s w e r e s ubj e c t i ve l y c r e di bl e , w e the r e f or e f i nd th a t h e c a n n o t d e m o n s tr a te th a t h is f e a ro f f u tu r e p e r s e c u tio n is o b

je c tiv e ly r e a s o n ab le . A ddi t i ona l l y , a n appl i c a nti s a l s o r e qui r e d t o de m ons tr a t e tha ta ny f e a rof p e r s e c u tio n r e s ts o n as ta tu to r ilye n u m e r a te d g r o u n d s u c h a s ap o litic a l o p in io n . I N S v . E l i as - Zac ar i as , 502 U . S . 478, 482- 83, 112 S . C t . 812, 816, 117 L . E d. 2d 38 ( 1 9 9 2 ) . A lth o u g h G u e rr e r o c o n c e d e s th a t h e w a s n o t ta k in g ap o litic a l p o s itio n in r e f us i ng t o a s s i s tF A R C , he c l a i m s tha thi s a c t i ons w e r e i nt e rpr e t e d a s s uc h by F A R C a nd f

orm e d the ba s i s f

orhi s a l l e ge d pe r s e c ut i on. W e have previ ou sl y r ec og ni ze d thatan i m pu t ed po l i t i ca l op i ni on , w hether c o rr e c tlyo rin c o rr e c tlya ttr ib u te d , m a y f u lf ill th e r e q u ir e m e n ts o f

th e I N A . A lN aj j ar , 25 7 F . 3d at12 89 . H ow ever , G uerr er o h as fa i l ed t o d em on stra t e thatsuch6

an op i ni on w as attri bu t ed t o h i m by F A R C . B ey on d h i s ow n specul at i on , G uerr er o di d n otal l ege any fa ct s s up po rt i ng the po si t i on thatF A R C i nt erpret ed hi s r ef usal as apol i t i c a l ge s tur e . A ddi t i ona l l y , w e not e tha tF A R C de m a nde d e i the rm one y or B i ot erfr om hi m . W e there fore agre e w i th the IJthatthe re po rt ed haras sm entw as i nd i ca t i ve of si m pl e e xt ort i on , ra ther than a po l i t i ca l threa t . A s w e f i nd that subst ant i al evi dence s up po rt s the IJ ’ s f i nd i ng thatG uerr er o d i d n otdem on stra t e a w e l l - f o u n d e d f e a ro f p e r s e c u t i o n o n ap r o t e c t e d g r o u n d , w e a f f i rm. AF F I RME D.