Friendship Island is an urban legend about a supposed island located in the south of Chile, in the Aysén region. No proof of its existence has been found. Along with the Cabo Valdés Case, it is one of the most famous ufological events in Chile, despite the fact that originally the story of Friendship Island had no relationship with aliens.

Various people have identified it with Kent Island, in Aysén, because part of it submerges with the tide. However, due to the lack of evidence, and its fantastic characteristics, it is also considered an urban legend, or outright a hoax. In the Chilean press it is considered a ghost island.

The Skeptical Association of Chile denies the existence of the island, calling it a hoax and rejecting that it corresponds to Kent Island.

History

During the 1980s, various radio amateurs in Chile claimed to be in contact with a group belonging to a foreign religious congregation, settled on one of the islands of the Chiloé Archipelago. Their only contact with the outside world was the radio and a boat, generally keeping them away from the outside world. According to the stories of the supposed visitors, Friendship Island would be found in the Aysén Region, between the Chonos and Guaitecas archipelagos. Inside the island there would also be a mine of rare metals, the production of which would make it possible to solve the expenses of the religious community. Its inhabitants would be people with Caucasian features, and very tall.

The media impact on the existence of the island, which reached the main media in Chile (including TVN), motivated two search expeditions; one with the support and personnel of the Chilean Navy and another private. None of them managed to locate groups like those described.

During the 2012 Phenomenon, various believers of the new age and various pseudosciences tried to organize expeditions to the area, all without success.

Conspiracy theories

Given the physical characteristics of the island's inhabitants, ufologists allege that they correspond to Nordic extraterrestrials. Osvaldo Murray has alleged that they would actually correspond to a community of former Nazi leaders, similar to the case of Colonia Dignidad.

Cultural references

In 2012, the short film Do you know anything about Friendship Island? was presented at the Cannes Film Festival. that questions and reviews the urban legend of Friendship Island from the perspective of the area's inhabitants. It had the support of the Japanese Embassy in Chile.

The first episode of the History Channel series Inexplicable: Latin America dealt with this urban legend.

Also see

Conspiracy theory