▁land ▁dem arc ation ▁within ▁two ▁years ." ▁ ▁Leg al ▁rights ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁constitution ▁of ▁Venezuela , ▁legal ▁rights ▁for ▁ind igen ous ▁pe op les ▁were ▁increasing ly ▁lag ging ▁behind ▁other ▁Latin ▁American ▁countries , ▁which ▁were ▁progress ively ▁en sh r ining ▁a ▁common ▁set ▁of ▁ind igen ous ▁collect ive ▁rights ▁in ▁their ▁national ▁constitution s . ▁The ▁ 1 9 6 1 ▁constitution ▁had ▁actually ▁been ▁a ▁step ▁back ward ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁constitution , ▁and ▁the ▁ind igen ous ▁rights ▁law ▁for ese en ▁in ▁it ▁l angu ished ▁for ▁a ▁de cade , ▁un pass ed ▁by ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁Ult imately ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁constitution al ▁process ▁produced ▁" the ▁region ' s ▁most ▁progress ive ▁ind igen ous ▁rights ▁regime ". ▁In nov ations ▁included ▁Article ▁ 1 2 5 ' s ▁guarantee ▁of ▁political ▁representation ▁at ▁all ▁levels ▁of ▁government , ▁and ▁Article ▁ 1 2 4 ' s ▁prohib ition ▁on ▁" the ▁registration ▁of ▁pat ents ▁related ▁to ▁ind igen ous ▁gen etic ▁resources ▁or ▁intellectual ▁property ▁associated ▁with ▁ind igen ous ▁knowledge ." ▁The ▁new ▁constitution ▁followed ▁the ▁example ▁of ▁Colombia ▁in ▁res erving ▁parliament ary ▁seats ▁for ▁ind igen ous ▁deleg ates ▁( three ▁in ▁Venezuela ' s ▁National ▁Assembly ), ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Latin ▁American ▁constitution ▁to ▁reserve ▁ind igen ous ▁seats ▁in ▁state ▁assemb