In colonial and early republican Chile capitán de amigos (lit.
captain of friends) were Spanish and Mestizo officials who surveilled friendly indigenous tribes (Spanish: indios amigos).
[1] It was not uncommon for a capitán de amigos to live among the indigenous peoples he was in charge of, sometimes marrying indigenous women and even adopting prohibited customs such as Mapuche polygamy.
[1] Knowing both Spanish and indigenous cultures some capitanes de amigos took advantage of this to profit in frontier trade.
[1] In times of indigenous revolts information provided by capitanes de amigos was crucial for Spanish and Chilean authorities.