 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2010) |
 Nation of the Caquetíos under Cacique Manaure | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
|---|---|
 Venezuela | |
| Languages | |
| Caquetio | |
| Religion | |
| Traditional religion | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Arawak, Quiriquire, Jirajara |
Caquetío are natives of northwestern Venezuela,[1] living along the shores of Lake Maracaibo at the time of the Spanish conquest. They moved inland to avoid enslavement by the Spaniards, while their numbers were drastically affected by colonial warfare, as were their neighbours, the Quiriquire and the Jirajara. The Caquetíos were also present in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire when these islands were first colonized by Alonso de Ojeda in 1499. The occupants of this region were known as Caquetíos by the Spaniards and their language (Caquetío) belongs to the Arawakan family of languages. The Caquetío and the Jirajara spoke the same language, and their cultures were quite similar. The Arawakan or Caquetío language is termed a "ghost" language because virtually no trace of it survives. Only the name remains, saved in 17th-century texts.[2]
- ^ "Definition of CAQUETÍO". www.merriam-webster.com. Retrieved 2023-11-28.
- ^ «Caquetío» Encyclopædia Britannica