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People group profile · PG022298

The Wayuu of Colombia

The Wayuu of Colombia, numbering about 208,000 people, are No Longer Unreached. They are an Arawakan Indigenous people of the La Guajira Peninsula whose society is organized through matrilineal clans and who have maintained a distinct Wayuu identity across the Colombia-Venezuela border despite centuries of resistance to outside control.

They are an indigenous people in the South American Indigenous people cluster of the Latin American and Caribbean Peoples. Their primary religion is Animism, and they primarily speak Wayuu.

Pray for the WayuuPrint profile

AI-generated illustration representing the Wayuu people
AI-generated illustration, not a photograph. Photo by Google. (2026). Image generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash: Wayuu

Fast facts

Country
Colombia
Population
208,000
Affinity group
American Peoples
People cluster
South American Indigenous
Primary language
Wayuu (guc)
Primary religion
Animism
Strategic Progress Index
No Longer Unreached
Evangelical
2% or Greater but Less than 5%
GSEC
2% or Greater but Less than 5% Evangelical
Lostness priority
Marginally Reached People Group
Region
South America, Americas
Location
La Guajira department: Guajira peninsula, Caribbean coast

Where they live

Gospel status

The Wayuu are No Longer Unreached, which means 2% or more are evangelical Christians. In GSEC terms, this people group is greater than or equal to 2% evangelical.

  • Congregations exist Yes
  • Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted

Next steps for the Wayuu

  • Pray for the churches among this group to grow in faithfulness and maturity
  • Equip believers to reach the unreached peoples around them
  • Send out laborers from this people to the nations

Primary religion

Animism · Ethnoreligion

70% adherents

Primary language

Wayuu · Arawakan family

100% speak Wayuu

Gospel resources in Wayuu

  • Bible available, published 2010
  • JESUS Film available
  • Radio programs not available
  • Gospel recordings available
  • Audio resources available
  • Bible stories not available

Films

Bibles

Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.

Pray for the Wayuu

  1. Romans 10:14–15. Ask God to send messengers, so that people can hear, believe and call on the name of the Lord.
  2. Matthew 9:37–38. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.
  3. 2 Timothy 2:2. Pray for faithful local leaders who will teach others, so that the church multiplies.
  4. Ephesians 5:8. Pray that those walking in darkness will turn to the light and live as children of light.

Download a prayer guide

Wayuu, Guajiro in other countries

The same people (ROP3 103496) is reported in 1 other country.

People groupCountryPopulationStatus
WayuuVenezuela214,000Engaged yet Unreached

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