There are no pyramids in the Uribante municipality of Táchira state. Researchers have discovered similar rock structures since 1987, which have nothing to do with pyramids, as has been circulating on social media for some years. This verification has been described as partially false because valuable rocks and archaeological artifacts have indeed been found at the site.
On April 8, 2021, the Facebook account Notioriente Cumaná Sucre shared a post with a lengthy text announcing the discovery of three pyramids in the Uribante municipality of Táchira state. This content was deemed partially false after verification by the Cotejo.info journalistic team.
The post is accompanied by a real photo of an archaeological site investigated in the Andean state. The article accompanying the graphic of the site actually being investigated says: “Three pyramids were discovered in Venezuela, in the Uribante municipality of Táchira state. They are still covered by earth and vegetation; only their flanks have been excavated.”
The 892-word review highlights that “this discovery” was made by French archaeologists participating in a project in the Uribante Caparo Hydroelectric Development Project and that they reported the discovery to the late President Hugo Chávez, who reportedly ignored the matter.
“These rocks form almost perfect triangles on the ground. The three pyramids have 30-degree angles, and their faces face the sunrise.” There has even been speculation that this news has not been made public because the archaeological investigations have not had financial support.
Regarding the alleged discovery of three pyramids in the Andean region, a video can be found on YouTube of an interview conducted by a group of students from the Territorial Polytechnic University of Táchira (UPT) with Reina Durán, an anthropologist, researcher, and archaeologist at the Táchira Museum since 1976. Durán denied the discovery of pyramids in Táchira.
This means that this hoax was already circulating three years ago. On that occasion, the specialist clarified that what is at the site are large rock structures cut and used by indigenous people for rituals.
“1987 was the first time we found material associated with the structure. We argued with geologists for a long time because they thought it was a joint, a natural rock formation with great depth, but they were cut stone blocks. I found the workshop at 700 meters, and the cut rocks are there,” the researcher said, emphasizing that until 2000, they were maintaining the structures, frequently cleaning the area, and conducting overflights in search of finds.
“I don’t know where they got that story about the pyramids. We have always insisted that these are structures built by indigenous people and that they were used for ritual purposes,” she revealed. She also said they found an anonymous writing that indicates the existence of a structure used to carry out rituals of punishment or reward by the local indigenous chief.
She noted that for many years they dedicated themselves to researching and excavating the area, and that they even obtained replicas of the rock. “I don’t know who invented the pyramids, because it took 10 years of continuous work. We were always going, and it was in 1977 that I first learned of the existence of this structure.”
According to the researcher, the area is registered as an archaeological site. But she emphatically denied the existence of pyramids, as claimed in the text recently published on Facebook.
Some websites passionate about the enigmas of antiquity and science reported on the alleged discovery of three pyramids in Táchira and echoed conspiracy theories about them. Such is the case of www.codigooculto.com, a website that published the following on March 4, 2020:
“Does Venezuela have three hidden pyramids? There is much controversy and secrecy surrounding these semi-buried structures in the mountains. Their age is impossible. Three possible megalithic pyramids were found covered in mountainous terrain. Only their foundations have been excavated, and they remain hidden (there could be a conspiracy by the Venezuelan government to keep them secret). This has been reported since 2003, and it is said that it is very difficult to reach their exact location. They have been reported to be 17,000 years old!”
On August 21, 2021, the Viajerasxlanaturaleza blog also published an article on the controversial topic of the pyramids, calling the claim a fallacy: “Many internet portals and videos repeat the same information, and some things don’t fit. The pyramid story is a fantasy, perhaps created to attract tourists. This on-site research assumes that the structure is part of pre-Hispanic indigenous constructions of indisputable archaeological value.”
The article cites statements by archaeologist Reina Duran, who stated that there were no pyramids at the site and that in her research over more than 10 consecutive years, she was able to verify that the rock structure was not continuous, and that part of it had even deteriorated due to the actions of nature and “treasure hunters.”
Rather rock structures of great archaeological and historical value, a World Heritage Site
The publication on the aforementioned website concludes that there are no pyramids in the state of Táchira, but rather rock structures of great archaeological and historical value, a World Heritage Site.
In August 2021, a thread also circulated on Twitter in which a user stated: “The three pyramids found in Venezuela that align with the pyramids of Egypt.” The tweet caused astonishment and great controversy among users of this network worldwide. The three pyramids found in Venezuela that align perfectly with the pyramids of Egypt. How is this possible? Why has nothing been investigated?
The fact-checking outlet EsPaja also denied the existence of pyramids in an archaeological site in Táchira state in August 2021, again citing Reina Durán, a renowned researcher from the Táchira Museum, as its main source.
“The rumor has been circulating online since approximately 2017 and is false. Reina Durán, archaeologist, anthropologist, and founder of the Táchira Museum, denied it in 2018. According to Bulletin No. 7 of the Department of Anthropology, the structure is located in El Porvenir in Las Cuevas, Uribante Municipality, at Km. 52 of the Chururú-Pregonero Highway,” the article states.
Used by indigenous people to perform ceremonies and rituals
In conclusion, the experts, led by anthropologist Reina Durán, maintain that these are rock structures of great archaeological value, used by indigenous people to perform ceremonies and rituals.
In this sense, this verification is classified as partially false, because there are indeed rock structures of historical and academic interest at the site that—although they may resemble pyramids—are not. Furthermore, the published photo is real and was taken on-site, but the accompanying text in the recent post contains factual inaccuracies.
