Overview
- The Intergovernmental Committee approved the inscription on December 9 during its 20th session in New Delhi.
- UNESCO highlights the joropo’s central place in festivals and community life, noting it as a living practice transmitted across generations.
- President Nicolás Maduro hailed the decision as a major achievement for Venezuelans and congratulated practitioners.
- Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas said the national dossier covered every form of joropo and asserted the committee approved it unanimously without objections.
- The practice blends Indigenous, African and European influences, features instruments such as the arpa, cuatro, maracas, violin and bandola, is danced in couples, and is widespread from family gatherings to regions beyond Venezuela, including Colombia.