Paraguayan, Guarani-speaking in Spain

Introduction / History

The history of the Guarani people begins with three major known migratory waves: one that entered from Mato Grosso; one that came through the Chaco; and one that entered from the Paraná River. The reason for these migrations may have been the mythical search for ivy imaraä (the land without evil). The Spanish people made contact with the Guaraní around 1521; from then on, there were different types of relationships, from confrontation and wars to evangelization and sporadic alliances. The Guaraní were famous for resisting conquest, both by the Incas and later by the Spaniards. They were also considered extremely belligerent towards tribes and peoples who were not part of their factions.In the 16th century, the land inhabited by the Guaraní people was called Paraguay, which means “water of the sea” or “river of feathers."In the 20th century, Paraguayans started to emigrate to Spain due to the lack of opportunities in their country. By 2020, over 85,000 Paraguayans were living in Spain, 90 percent of them bilingual (Spanish-Guaraní), and only 57 percent of them communicate only in Guarani.Based on the 2022 census in the Latin American country, around 85 percent of Paraguayans in Spain are women of childbearing age, and they are all illegal.

What Are Their Lives Like?

The situation of Paraguayans in Spain is becoming increasingly complicated due to the high level of unemployment in Spain and because immigrants do not have professional training that would allow them to find jobs other than construction and domestic work.The lack of work, the inability to pay their rent, to support their families, or the uncertain situation in which they find themselves means that, in many cases, migrants return to their home country.Another problem faced by Guaraní residents in Spain is intense police pressure to find illegal immigrants, which leads to controversial situations such as detention in centers for expulsion and repatriation.Guaraní identity is being defended with increasing force in Spain; so much so that in June 2025, the first International Congress on Guaraní Linguistic Cultural Heritage was held in Alcalá de Henares, Spain.

What Are Their Beliefs?

The Guarani people believe in a concrete and living spirituality capable of relating to humans and manifesting itself in the fullness of nature and the cosmos, but never in a material image. Its name is Ñamandu, and it is not a god exclusive to the Guaraní people, but rather the father god of all living beings.Opposite Ñamandu, the benevolent father, the giver of life and sustainer of the balance of the universal order, is Añá, an evil force that generates death, disease, food shortages, and natural disasters.For the Guarani, this earth and this life are not perfect; they seek the Land without Evil, which is a real, concrete place, located to the east, beyond the Great Sea (Atlantic Ocean).Many of these ideas no longer prevail, as Paraguayans who migrate to Spain are mostly Catholic, since it is the South American country with the largest number of followers of this religion, and Christians in Paraguay have a good status in the country and do not need to migrate.

What Are Their Needs?

The Guarani need economic stability, whether in Spain, their adopted homeland, or back in Paraguay.They also need better professional training to access better jobs in Spain or, failing that, to achieve a better social position in their homeland.Paraguayans in Spain also require legal support to validate their status in Spain and avoid being deported to their homeland if they meet the conditions to remain in the European country.

Prayer Points

Pray for God’s Kingdom to be expanded in Spain because of the influence of the Guaranis in their midst.Pray that social and political conditions in Paraguay will allow for the development of the Guaraní people.Pray that Guaranis in Spain will come to know the true God and have a personal relationship with him.Pray that their faith in Christ will not be fanaticism but a real knowledge of him, and that they will long to share that faith in their chosen country.

Text Source:   Joshua Project