Solidarity has been a hallmark of the COVID-19 pandemic response in Paraguay. Many vulnerable communities have found ways to survive in the crisis context by mobilizing support from community and volunteer networks and civil society organizations, and also by accessing institutional forms of support, such as cash transfer programmes. How pervasive is collective action in vulnerable territories during the pandemic? Who engages in collective action, and to what end? And does it reduce vulnerability? This policy brief reports preliminary results of a survey on social capital in selected territories of Paraguay and its relationship with economic vulnerability during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data presented provide insights into how trust and social capital have enabled collective action in vulnerable territories of Paraguay during the pandemic. This evidence can inform policy debates on how to increase resiliency and reduce vulnerability and allow us to identify, design and evaluate interventions to increase access to formal and informal types of aid in vulnerable territories.