"Most children under the age of 10 [in Arena Blanca] are monolinguals in [Mako]... in [Isla Bomba] everyone speaks Piaroa and Mako... Mako remains the language used for everyday interaction with other Mako people both at home and in socialization spaces. Mako is also the language of shamanism, where that practice is still active, and the language of government inside the communities."

"Spanish is primarily used only in situations involving the presence of criollos... it is also used in schools. The use of Piaroa differs from community to community; it positively correlates with the number of Piaroa speakers in any given village...

The legal framework and instruments to promote the use of Mako in the indigenous communities where the language is spoken and in the education system exist; however, many of these policies remain unimplemented...

The Mako people whom I know and with whom I have interacted over the last three years are most definitely not ashamed of using their language—for example, they use it overtly amongst themselves while in the cities—and, in fact, seem to see it as essential to their community and their identity. It is impossible to guarantee that all the members of all the Mako communities value their language and wish to see it promoted but I think it safe to affirm that most members of the communities with whom I have worked or those I have just visited support language maintenance."

"There is a practical orthography; some materials have been written but remain largely inaccessible to most communities; Mako literacy education is not part of the school curriculum."

Most Mako are speakers of the language.