Warao Displacements and Coloniality: History, Territory, and Subalternization

Abstract

Until the 1980s, migrations in Latin America were analyzed without considering ethnic-racial dimensions, which rendered invisible the inequalities affecting the movements of Indigenous peoples. From a decolonial perspective, these mobilities came to be recognized as historical processes related to colonialism and territorial expropriation. Classical theories, however, fail to account for the specificities of these migrations, which intertwine internal and cross-border flows. Between Venezuela and Brazil, cases such as that of the Warao reveal long trajectories marked by violence and deterritorialization. In this study, we conduct an analysis of the historical pathways of this people, highlighting the need for a deeper reflection on the responsibilities of States in their vulnerability.