Photo: G anavictoria / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

VENEZUELA · SECURITY

An Indigenous man was found buried near his community in Venezuela’s southern state of Bolívar, and a rights group blames Colombian guerrillas. FundaRedes, a Venezuelan human rights organisation that documents armed groups in border regions, announced the killing of Alberto González on Monday 9 November 2026.

The group attributes the death to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian guerrilla force that the US government has listed as a foreign terrorist organisation since 1997. Venezuelan authorities had issued no public statement on the case by 08:00 GMT on Tuesday 10 November, as far as we could establish.

What We Know About the Killing

FundaRedes, which posts on the social network X, says González belonged to the Hüottüja people, also called Piaroa, and that his body was found buried close to Rimu Aje, his community in the Alto Suapure area of Cedeño municipality. The Hüottüja are an Indigenous people of southern Venezuela, and Alto Suapure lies in Bolívar state.

The group says armed incursions are costing lives, threatening families and forcing Indigenous households to leave their ancestral land. It says it has documented the spread of guerrilla groups in Venezuela and calls on the state to protect Indigenous communities, guarantee their rights and investigate the crimes.

FundaRedes says the state and the armed forces have long been absent from the south of Cedeño municipality. Details on how the body was found are not public.

Ciudad Bolívar, the capital of Bolívar state, on the Orinoco, Venezuela’s main river. File photo, December 2006. (Photo: Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, CC BY 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons)

Why Bolívar State Matters Beyond the Village

Bolívar is Venezuela’s mining and heavy-industry heartland, home to gold, iron ore and the Guri hydroelectric dam, a major source of the country’s power. The state also borders Brazil to the south.

Across the border, Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella ordered a “total offensive” against the ELN and the dissidents of the FARC, the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, on Monday 19 October. He announced it during a visit to Arauca, a Colombian department on the Venezuelan border.

What It Means for You

For US readers this is a security signal rather than a market event: FundaRedes says guerrilla groups are expanding their presence in Venezuela. We reported an ELN clash in Táchira state on 1 October.

Anyone planning travel or fieldwork in southern Bolívar should follow official travel advisories, since FundaRedes reports armed incursions in the area. Investors weighing Venezuelan mining or power projects get a reminder that security in the south is unsettled, a theme in our Latin America Power Index, our own ranking of regional power.

What Is Not Known

It is not known who killed González, when he died or whether the ELN was involved, because the attribution comes only from FundaRedes. Whether anyone else was killed in Rimu Aje is also unconfirmed.

Nothing public shows how Venezuelan prosecutors or the army will respond. The next markers to watch are an official statement on the case and any move by families to leave Rimu Aje.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is blamed for the killing of Alberto González?

FundaRedes, a Venezuelan human rights group, attributes it to the ELN. No court or Venezuelan authority has confirmed that, so it remains an allegation.

Where is Alto Suapure?

It lies in Cedeño municipality, Bolívar state, in southern Venezuela. Bolívar state borders Brazil to the south.

Sources: public statements by FundaRedes on its X account, 9 November 2026 (x.com/FundaREDES_). Venezuelan authorities: no public statement found as of 10 November 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error