Valera is a city in Trujillo State in Venezuela, situated between the rivers Momboy and Motatán. The current mayor is José Karkom, who has had that post since 2013. The city is home to Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Colombian and Spanish communities. It is also home to the Universidad Valle del Momboy, a private university, as well as the Instituto Universitario de Tecnología de Trujillo (IUTET). Also, the Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez (UNESR), the Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador (UPEL), among others.