The Indigenous World 2026: Venezuela

Written on 22 April 2026. Posted in Venezuela

Venezuela is a multi-ethnic and multicultural state that is home to more than 40 Indigenous Peoples, including the Wayúu, Pemón, Kariña, Yanomami, Warao, Yukpa, Yek'wana and Sánema. These peoples have their own languages, worldviews and systems of social, political and cultural organization, closely linked to their ancestral territories. The Indigenous population is concentrated mainly in the states of Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro, as well as in Zulia, Apure, Monagas, Sucre and Lara, regions known for their high ecological and cultural diversity.

On 03 January 2026, Venezuela experienced an exceptional event: the incursion of U.S. troops onto its territory, which culminated in the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, and left more than 100 people dead. This act represents a serious threat to the self-determination of peoples, a fundamental right of Indigenous Peoples recognized by Article 6 of ILO Convention 169. Paradoxically, however, the Venezuelan government has managed to initiate political and economic negotiations that have avoided a major military escalation. In a context of increased international attention, while critical, this situation could offer an opportunity for Indigenous Peoples to strengthen their participation in decision-making on resources, environmental policies and collective rights, despite the backdrop of the threat of war, pressure on subsoil resources and high uncertainty.

Venezuela has ratified ILO Convention 169, incorporating its principles into the 1999 Constitution and into laws such as the Organic Law on Indigenous Peoples and Communities (LOPCI) and the Law on the Demarcation of Indigenous Habitats and Lands. These regulations recognize territorial rights, political participation, cultural identity and the pluricultural nature of the State. Significant gaps nevertheless persist between legal recognition and effective implementation.

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Rights to lands, territories and natural resources

Indigenous Peoples’ right to their lands, territories and natural resources constitutes one of the pillars of international Indigenous law. Articles 13 and 14 of ILO Convention 169 recognize the special relationship that Indigenous Peoples have with the lands they traditionally occupy, as well as their right to ownership and possession thereof.^[1]

In 2025, this right continued to face significant limitations in Venezuela, particularly in the Amazon region. Various Indigenous and human rights organizations have documented the persistence of external pressures on Indigenous territories, associated with extractive activities and the lack of substantive progress in territorial demarcation processes. These situations have particularly affected peoples such as the Yanomami, Yek'wana, Sánema and Uwottüja, who are defending their territories from armed groups engaged in illegal gold mining.

Although the territories occupied by these peoples exceed 10,000,000 hectares and still lack formal titling instruments, they do have legal protections that limit external intervention. For example, the state of Amazonas, with 12,000,000 hectares, is maintaining the ban on extractive activities established in a 1989 presidential decree thanks to the resistance of local Indigenous organizations such as ORPIA, OIPUS and Kuyunu.

Indigenous territories function as essential ecological and social corridors for the Amazon, connecting forests, rivers and strategic ecosystems. According to the Amazon Network of Geo-referenced Socio-environmental Information,^[2] Indigenous forests connect protected areas and facilitate the flow of species and nutrients, while Wataniba^[3] has documented social interconnection through traditional exchange routes, hunting, fishing and cultural ceremonies. The fragmentation of these territories as a result of mining and deforestation affects community cohesion, limits free transit and puts the lives and health of local populations at risk. Wataniba's participation in the North Amazonian Alliance, in coordination with ORPIA, as well as in the 2025 COPs, has strengthened international advocacy for the protection of these territories and recognition of their collective rights.

Economic, social and cultural rights

Intercultural health

In 2025, international economic sanctions against Venezuela continued to severely affect the public health system, disproportionately affecting Indigenous Peoples due to their dependence on state services, their remote location and the lack of private alternatives. Imports of essential drugs, vaccines, medical supplies and equipment suffered significant delays due to financial restrictions and over-compliance on the part of international banks and suppliers.

Gaps in care can be seen in relation to high rates of malaria, chronic malnutrition and respiratory diseases in states such as Amazonas, Bolívar and Delta Amacuro.^[4],[5] The lack of infrastructure, roving medical personnel and adequate transport limits the cover of intercultural health programmes. Focused strategies, such as the active search for trachoma cases in Maroa and Rio Negro, demonstrate the need for specialist intervention.

Comparisons with Yanomami territories in Brazil show how effective access to primary health care can reduce malaria mortality (42%) and severe malnutrition (20%), reinforcing the urgency of intercultural programmes in Venezuela.

Mining and extractive pressure

Between 2020 and 2025, illegal mining in Amazonian Indigenous territories increased significantly. This expansion has resulted in ecological fragmentation, river contamination and community conflicts, affecting fundamental rights such as life, health and freedom of movement. Extractive activities also impact on a local economy based on agriculture, fishing and forest product collection, thus weakening food sovereignty.

The most revealing fact is that mining increased 31-fold between 2000 and 2024, an increase of 3,021%. This means that the current rate of expansion is equivalent to destroying approximately 10 football pitches of Amazon forest every hour, according to Wataniba.^[6]

In the last five years, mining in the state of Amazonas has remained in a phase of expansion, consolidating historical highs. The affected area increased from 1,785 hectares in 2016 to 4,053 hectares in 2023, with a slight reduction to 3,933 hectares in 2024. Mining pressure is thus still much higher than at the turn of the century, when the area was only 126 hectares in 2000.^[7]

The tensions that mining generates between communities affect social cohesion and increase vulnerability to violence, displacement and internal conflict. The active participation of Indigenous and Wataniba organizations in socio-environmental monitoring is building community capacity to manage resources and protect territorial integrity, in line with Article 15 of ILO Convention 169.

Political participation and self-government

In 2025, Indigenous elections were held for representatives to the National Assembly and local councils. For the first time, Indigenous Peoples elected their own councillors to different federal bodies, implying progress in terms of participatory democracy.

However, challenges related to the availability of culturally-relevant information, a level playing field and adequacy of procedures were identified. According to ORPIA,^[8] internal mediation guaranteed the legitimacy of the results, reinforcing self-determination and effective political participation in accordance with Article 6 of Convention 169.

Spaces for Indigenous deliberation, such as the National Plenary for the Indigenous Constituent Process, have consolidated bodies for Indigenous decision-making, reflecting the exercise of the right to self-government and the preservation of their own customs and institutions (Article 8 of Convention 169).

Environment and climate change

Indigenous territories are crucial for biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. In 2025, Venezuelan Indigenous Peoples participated in national, regional and international spaces, including the Indigenous PreCOP and COP 30.

Wataniba (2025) emphasizes that the protection of these territories is linked to the right to a healthy environment and Indigenous participation in environmental management, in line with Article 15 of Convention 169.

Although no Indigenous land or habitat titles were formalized in 2025, the representative organizations of the Uwottüja del Sipapo and Ye'kwana del Alto Ventuari Peoples (OIPUS and Kuyunu, respectively), together with ORPIA, did commence the drafting of life plans as contributions to the management plans for the natural protected areas that overlap with their ancestral territories. This initiative seeks to open up the possibility of government approval for the exercise of co-management. It should be noted that more than 60% of these territories are covered by some form of environmental protection.

Conclusion

The situation of Venezuela’s Indigenous Peoples in 2025-2026 reflected a complex scenario of challenges and opportunities:

• The U.S. military intervention and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores represents a serious threat to the self-determination and sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples.
• However, political and economic negotiations with international actors could open up spaces for Indigenous participation and institutional strengthening.
• Structural challenges still persist in territorial rights, health, education, environmental protection and access to resources.
• Illegal mining and extractive pressures continue to fragment territories and affect ecological and social connectivity.
• Indigenous and civil society organizations, such as ORPIA, Kuyunu, OIPUS and Wataniba, continue to be fundamental for the monitoring of rights, international advocacy and the coordination of territorial and environmental protection policies.

In summary, the current political situation, despite its severity, paradoxically offers strategic possibilities for strengthening participation, territorial defence and Indigenous self-determination, provided that the international standards enshrined in ILO Convention 169 and other human rights instruments are respected.

Wataniba - Amazonian Socio-environmental Working Group is an organization dedicated to the protection of the Amazon and the promotion and defence of the rights of the Amazonian Indigenous Peoples.

This article is part of the 40th edition of The Indigenous World, a yearly overview produced by IWGIA that serves to document and report on the developments Indigenous Peoples have experienced. Find The Indigenous World 2026 in full here

Notes and references

^[1] International Labour Organization (ILO). Convention No. 169. ILO, 1989. https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/%40ed_norm/%40normes/documents/sitestudiocontentelements/wcms_con_txt_itp_con_169_en.pdf

^[2] Red Amazónica de Información Socioambiental Georreferenciada (RAISG). Mapas y análisis de conectividad ecológica y presión extractiva. RAISG, 2025.

^[3] Wataniba - Grupo de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonía. Informes de monitoreo territorial y socioambiental. Wataniba, 2025.

^[4] Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). Datos de salud indígena y programas interculturales. PAHO, 2025.

^[5] Wataniba - Grupo de Trabajo Socioambiental de la Amazonía. Informes de monitoreo territorial y socioambiental. Wataniba, 2025.

^[6] Ibid.

^[7] Ibid.

^[8] Organización Regional de los Pueblos Indígenas de Amazonas (ORPIA). Informes de participación política y defensa territorial. ORPIA, 2025.

Tags: Land rights, Climate, Human rights, Indigenous Peoples Human Rights Defenders