A llanero (Spanish pronunciation: [ʝaˈneɾo], 'plainsman') is a South American herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying eastern Colombia and western-central Venezuela.

During the Spanish American wars of independence, llanero lancers and cavalry served in both armies and provided the bulk of the cavalry during the war. They were known for being skilled riders who were in charge of all the tasks related to livestock and other ranch-related activities. The historical figure emerged in the 17th century until its disappearance at the end of the 19th century, with the Andean hegemony and the birth of the Venezuelan oil industry.

Its ethnic origin dates back to the union of the Arawaks, Andalusians, Canarians and to a lesser extent the slaves brought by The Crown during the Spanish colonization of the Americas. The way of working and being comes from the current Apure and Barinas states of the Venezuelans who adapted and modified Andalusian customs, and then exported them to the New Kingdom of Granada. Thanks to their mannerisms, ethnic origin, dialect, culture, and role in the Spanish American Wars of Independence, Venezuelan civil wars and in Montoneras it has been romanticized and idealized and become the Venezuelan national hero and mythos.