The Spanish ship San José ran aground onto coasts controlled by the indigenous Cunco people, who subsequently killed the crew.

The 1651 wreckage of San José and the subsequent killings and looting carried out by indigenous Cuncos was a defining event in Colonial Chile that contributed to Spanish–Cunco tensions that led to the Battle of Río Bueno and the Mapuche uprising of 1655.

Cuncos, Juncos or Cunches is a poorly known subgroup of Huilliche people native to coastal areas of southern Chile and the nearby hinterland. Mostly a historic term, Cuncos are chiefly known for their long-running conflict with the Spanish during the colonial era of Chilean history.