Guaraní Occidental
A Guaraní people of the Chaco, known in the literature as Ava or Chiriguano, with communities in Boquerón.
What it is
The Western Guaraní belong to the Guaraní groups that about five hundred years ago migrated from the Río Apa area in the east to the sub-Andean region of Bolivia. In the 20th century some families settled in the Paraguayan Chaco, in places such as Pedro P. Peña and Macharetí. The INE records them as separate from the Guaraní Ñandéva and from the Avá Guaraní of the east.
Culture
They combine horticulture (maize, beans, cassava), hunting and fishing, and are known for textiles, basketry and pottery. The literature describes them as a people with a long history of resistance to colonisation. If you want to approach their crafts, do so at the Instituto Paraguayo de Artesanía fairs or at the artisan houses the communities themselves open, and do not enter a community without an invitation and prior arrangement. To learn more, the Museo Etnográfico Dr. Andrés Barbero (Asunción) and the Centro de Artes Visuales / Museo del Barro, which holds an Indigenous art collection, are two starting points; check opening hours before you go.
Where they live
Boquerón
If you visit a community, do so with permission from its leaders or through Indigenous organizations, and ask before taking photos.
Indigenous peoples
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 6 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.