Native America Calling: What America’s bold actions in Venezuela could mean for the country’s Indigenous peoples

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Native America Calling: What America’s bold actions in Venezuela could mean for the country’s Indigenous peoples

Thursday, January 15, 2026

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What America’s bold actions in Venezuela could mean for the country’s Indigenous peoples

The capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States has prompted questions about what comes next.

No one is more concerned about the answer to that question than Venezuela’s Wayúu people and the other Indigenous tribes that make up as much as 3 percent of the population. They are no fans of Maduro, enduring the same oppressive tactics as other residents, contributing to disproportionate socio-economic hurdles.

Indigenous peoples are also suffering at the hands of both legal and illegal mining operations. What will President Donald Trump’s stated interests in gas and mineral development mean going forward?

The Wayúu people are the largest Indigenous group in Venezuela and neighboring Colombia. Some communities have been moving to the Colombia side of the border due to long-standing issues in Venezuela. Photo: Ali Eminov

Guests on Native America Calling

Alicia Moncada (Wayúu), director of advocacy and communications for Cultural Survival

Carlos Roa, journalist and editor for IQ Latino and a member and spokesperson with Asociación de Periodistas Venezolanos en el Extranjero / Association of Venezuelan Journalists Abroad (APEVEX)

Alejandro Velasco, professor of Latin American history at New York University

Laura Botero, Ph.D student at the University of Texas at Austin