Cliver is Quechua, born in the Andean region of Peru. He studied Law and Anthropology in Peru before moving to Brazil, where he earned a Doctorate in Social Anthropology, a Master’s in Latin American Studies, and a specialization in Human Rights.

Guided by the premise that development on “our own terms” goes beyond economic growth alone, Cliver is deeply committed to defending the rights of Indigenous peoples. He believes true development strengthens capacities and resistance to the many forms of contemporary extractivism that Indigenous and Native peoples face daily.

Cliver has worked in Peruvian state institutions including the Judiciary (PJ), Social Health Insurance (ESSALUD), and the National University of the Altiplano (UNAP). He has also worked with national and international organizations such as the Indigenous Medicine Conservation Fund (IMC), Cultural Survival, Asociación de Servicios Educativos Rurales (SER), and the Instituto de Estudios de las Culturas Andinas (IDECA). Throughout his career, Cliver has focused on supporting resistance, empowerment, self-governance, and ethno-development within grassroots movements, associations, and communities.