Mora-Moreno

MEMORANDUM **

Petitioner Manuel Salvador Mora-Moreno (“Moreno”), a native and citizen of Venezuela, appeals the Board of Immigration’s (“BIA”) summary affirmance of the Immigration Judge’s (“IJ”) order denying Moreno’s petition for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (“CAT”). We affirm the BIA’s decision with respect to past persecution, withholding of removal, and Moreno’s CAT claim. We find, however, that the record compels the conclusion that Moreno has established a well-founded fear of future persecution if he were returned to Venezuela. We therefore reverse and remand to the BIA for a determination of whether Moreno’s fear of future persecution is on account of any protected ground.

Moreno is the son of a well-known former Venezuelan government official, Manuel-Mora Izarra. Izarra was a high-ranking official of a political party that opposes the current regime of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Moreno’s mother was also an active member of that opposition party. While living in Venezuela, Moreno’s parents both received anonymous threats that their children would be raped or killed because of the parents’ involvement in politics…