The Akawaio of Venezuela

The Akawaio of Venezuela, numbering approximately 900 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Cariban people descended from the Karinya, historically dominant traders of Guyana's Mazaruni and Cuyuni river valleys, whose Venezuelan communities entered Spanish mission life before dispersing eastward after a mission's destruction in 1817. They mostly adhere to Ethnoreligion and Akawaio is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Akawaio

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Venezuela
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Akawaio (ake)
Primary Religion(s): Ethnoreligion
Population: 900
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): Engaged yet Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
People Group ID: PG016454
View on Joshua Project

Pray for the Akawaio of Venezuela

Join others around the world in praying for the lost to be saved, the gospel to advance, the global Church to grow, and for laborers to be sent out and sustained in the harvest.

Dig Deeper (Religion):

Primary Religion: Ethnoreligion
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

—
%
Ethnoreligion Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Akawaio
Language Family: Cariban

16%
%
Akawaio Speakers

Media Resources in Akawaio:

Films:

No film resources are listed for this language.

Bible Resources in Akawaio:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2010 Bible Society of Suriname✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Akawaio bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: Unreached yet Engaged

The Akawaio are Engaged yet Unreached, which means there are less than 2% evangelical Christian populations but there are sustained efforts at establishing self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice.

Next steps for the Akawaio:
Continue prayer and fasting for this group
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people

Pray specifically for the Akawaio of Venezuela

While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
readLuke 9:42

Pray that those who are living outside of the hope of the gospel will know and trust that Jesus offers freedom from the oppression of sin and hope in eternal life.

Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
readPsalm 96:7

Pray that entire households will come to faith in Jesus and that God will bless their families with faith in Him for generations to come.

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
readGalatians 3:28

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will be united in Christ across all differences of ethnicity, social status, and gender.

For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
read2 Corinthians 5:21

Pray that Christians will cross cultures and share the hope of Christ, and that many will trust the One who took their sins and offers them His righteousness.

Akawaio Across Countries (ROP3 - 100181) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

3 people groups

To download a comprehensive people group list in spreadsheet form, visit our Research Data page.

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