The Chamacocos of Paraguay

The Chamacocos of Paraguay, numbering approximately 850 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Indigenous people of the Gran Chaco of Paraguay and adjacent Brazil. They speak Chamacoco (Yshyr), a Zamucoan language, and traditionally practiced hunting, fishing, and gathering while maintaining distinctive spiritual and cultural traditions. They mostly adhere to Animism and Chamacoco is their primary language.

Photo by Google. (2025). Image generated by Gemini 3 Flash: Camacoco

Fast Facts:

Affinity Group: Latin American and Caribbean Peoples
Country: Paraguay
People Cluster: South American Indigenous
Primary Language(s): Chamacoco (ceg)
Primary Religion(s): Animism
Population: 850
Strategic Progress Index (SPI): No Longer Unreached
Global Status of Evangelical Christianity (GSEC): 5% or Greater but Less than 10% Evangelical
People Group ID: PG017219
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Pray for the Chamacocos of Paraguay

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: Animism
Religious Affiliation: Ethnoreligion

60%
%
Animism Adherents

Dig Deeper (Language):

Primary Language: Chamacoco
Language Family: Zamucoan

100%
%
Chamacoco Speakers

Media Resources in Chamacoco:

Films:
TitleLink
JESUSView Film

1 film

Bible Resources in Chamacoco:

Bible Name (Translation)VideoAudioText
2000 New Tribes Mission Paraguay✓✓✓

1 entry

Or check out the Chamacoco bible at Bible.com

Linked from YouVersion

SPI: No longer Unreached

The Chamacocos are No Longer Unreached, which means there are more than 2% evangelical Christian populations and there are churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. There is still more to be done among them.

Next steps for the Chamacocos:
Empower local believers to begin praying for their own people
Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting
Encourage local leaders to being leading church planting strategy and looking for Unreached and Unengaged groups nearby

Pray specifically for the Chamacocos of Paraguay

And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
readExodus 14:22

Pray that the God who split the sea so that the Israelites might pass through would do another great work among these people, softening the hearts of those who remain lost to the good news and saving them from their sins.

For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts.
readMalachi 1:11

Pray that they will worship God in spirit and truth, offering Him the sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving that He desires.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
readPsalm 51:15

Pray that as people place their faith in Christ, they will abide in Him, and God will help them to proclaim His praise and declare His goodness all day long.

So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.
readRomans 9:16

Ask God to raise up people who will trust in His sovereignty as they share the gospel, knowing that it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who has mercy.

Chamacoco Across Countries (ROP3 - 101987) reported in the following countries:

Strategic Progress Index
All

2 people groups

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

Peoplegroups.org relies on updates from the field and other organizations for much of our data, so if you have any updates, please contact us. We use various international naming standards. For a list of these standards and fields, visit our Data Standards section.

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