His focus returned to steeplechasing in the 2009 season. He came second at the 2009 ALBA Games, fifth at the World Military Track and Field Championships, then ran a personal best of 8:36.17 minutes at the 2009 South American Championships in Athletics in Lima – finishing just one second behind the host nation's Mario Bazán who broke the championship record. Two weeks later, he competed at the 2009 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics and won the silver medal. He won the 2010 Venezuelan steeplechase title, but missed the rest of the track season that year.