San Esteban has many strong points, including support from intellectual sectors—political and academic—within Carabobo state, and relatively good infrastructure with an adequate number of administrative staff and patrol staff. However, management problems have resulted in inappropriate distribution of staff and inhabitants living in the park have created threats related to improper land and resource uses and other activities that contradict the park’s protection objectives. 

Because of these threats and other serious problems like poaching and overfishing as well as future threats related to unregulated tourism, population growth, and highway construction, San Esteban National Park is considered threatened. That is, there is a high risk that the park will not meet its objectives in the near future, mostly that it will not be able to protect its biodiversity, unless immediate remedies are sought and implemented.