Opinion ID: 3063858
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Other Evidence Supporting Persecution

Text: Ferrer argues that he showed past persecution and a well-founded fear of future persecution on account of his political opinion. In support of his past persecution claim, he points to his kidnapping and beating, which he contends occurred because he opposed Chavez’s government. He asserts that his claim is further buttressed by the threatening phone calls he received from members of the Circles prior to the kidnapping, which the IJ and BIA incorrectly disregarded. He also criticizes the IJ for deeming his explanation for the kidnapping implausible based on her unsubstantiated belief that the Venezuelan government would have 15 acted differently if it truly was responding to his political opposition. Ferrer also contends that he established a well-founded fear of future persecution based on the attempted assassination attempt in June 2006. He asserts that the IJ and BIA erred in finding that there was a lack of objective evidence to support his explanation for the incident. An alien who arrives in or is present in the United States may apply for asylum. See INA § 208(a)(1), 8 U.S.C. § 1158(a)(1) (2008). To be entitled to asylum, the alien has the burden of proving with “credible, direct, and specific evidence in the record” that he is a refugee. Forgue, 401 F.3d at 1287. A “refugee” is defined as: any person who is outside any country of such person's nationality or, in the case of a person having no nationality, is outside any country in which such person last habitually resided, and who is unable or unwilling to return to, and is unable or unwilling to avail himself or herself of the protection of, that country because of persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. 8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(42)(A). An alien thus could prove his eligibility for asylum by showing either that he experienced past persecution on account of one of his political opinion or that he has a “well-founded fear” that he will be subject to future persecution because of that opinion. 8 C.F.R. § 208.13(b). If he proves past persecution on account of a protected ground, there is a rebuttable presumption that 16 he has a well-founded fear of future persecution. See id. Failure to establish a claim of asylum on the merits necessarily causes a claim for withholding of removal to fail. Forgue, 401 F.3d at 1288 n.4. Persecution is an “extreme concept, requiring more than a few isolated incidents of verbal harassment or intimidation.” Sepulveda v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 401 F.3d 1226, 1231 (11th Cir. 2005) (per curiam) (quotation marks and citation omitted). Attempted murder would constitute persecution, as would repeated threats and physical attacks over a period of several months. See Mejia v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 498 F.3d 1253, 1257–58 (11th Cir. 2007); Sanchez Jimenez v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 492 F.3d 1223, 1233 (11th Cir. 2007). Additionally, “[w]e may consider a threatening act against another as evidence that the petitioner suffered persecution where that act concomitantly threatens the petitioner.” De Santamaria v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 525 F.3d 999, 1009 n.7 (11th Cir. 2008). However, “evidence that either is consistent with acts of private violence or the petitioner’s failure to cooperate with guerillas, or that merely shows that a person has been the victim of criminal activity, does not constitute evidence of persecution based on a statutorily protected ground.” Ruiz v. U.S. Att’y Gen., 440 F.3d 1247, 1258 (11th Cir. 2006)