Article 5 - Interpretation of the Law

(Unofficial translation) The Venezuelan State shall consider as a refugee any person to whom the competent authority grants such status, by virtue of having entered the national territory due to well-founded fears of being persecuted for reasons of race, sex, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, and who is outside the country of their nationality and cannot or does not wish to avail themselves of the protection of that country; or who, lacking nationality, cannot or does not wish to return to the country where they previously had their habitual residence. El Estado venezolano considerará como refugiado o refugiada a toda persona a quien la autoridad competente le reconozca tal condición, en virtud de haber ingresado al territorio nacional debido a fundados temores de ser perseguida por motivos de raza, sexo, religión, nacionalidad, pertenencia a determinado grupo social u opiniones políticas, y se encuentre fuera del país de su nacionalidad y no pueda o no quiera acogerse a la protección de tal país; o que, careciendo de nacionalidad, no pueda o no quiera regresar al país donde antes tuviera su residencia habitual.