The US Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) concluded on September 4, 2026, that the departure of Nicolás Maduro and the subsequent transfer of executive authority represent a change in conditions in Venezuela. ^[1] The BIA ruled that this new political reality must be mandatorily evaluated by courts when resolving asylum applications filed by Venezuelan citizens alleging well-founded fear of political persecution. ^[2] The BIA ruled that this change in conditions must be taken into account during the analysis of asylum applications filed by Venezuelan citizens who fear persecution due to their political positions. ^[3] The BIA stated that the evaluation of whether a foreigner's fear of persecution is well-founded is necessarily prospective and must consider events that occurred after the applicant left the country. ^[4] The legal decision was designated as Matter of A-E-V-M-, 30 I&N Dec. 20 (BIA 2026), Interim Decision #4241, and was issued by a panel including Chief Immigration Appeals Judge Malphrus and Judges Hunsucker and White. ^[5] The BIA clarified that the ouster of the previous leadership does not imply the automatic denial of applications nor the immediate extinction of persecution risk for applicants. ^[6]