In the context of the liberalization of their regulatory frameworks, most countries in Latin America have incorporated the extended refugee definition of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration in their domestic legislation. However, this particular definition has only been applied in very few cases. In light of the mass displacement of Venezuelan migrants, and within a context of toughening migration policies, in general, and directed towards the Venezuelan population, in particular, it is necessary to discuss the possible application of the extended definition to this population. Without denying the importance of the political implications of such application, this article addresses the challenges in conceptualizing its situational elements from a legal perspective, specifically focusing on the massive violation of human rights. To do so, we propose a conceptual framework for understanding this particular situational element and its application to the Venezuelan case.