Antonio Huneeus

J. Antonio Huneeus (also known as Jaime Antonio Huneeus) is a Chilean-American journalist and long-time UFO researcher whose work spans more than four decades. Known for his methodical, documentation-driven approach, Huneeus is widely regarded as a credible and non-sensationalist voice in ufology, particularly among researchers who emphasize historical context, international case studies, and institutional records.

Public biographical accounts of Huneeus’ early life vary slightly, reflecting the international nature of his background. He is generally described as having been born circa 1950, with strong ties to both New York and Santiago, Chile. The son of a Chilean diplomat father and an American mother who worked in U.S. government service, Huneeus spent significant time in Chile during his youth and maintains a Chilean-American identity. He studied French at the Sorbonne University in Paris and journalism at the University of Chile in Santiago during the 1970s. This international upbringing and education would later shape his global perspective on UFO research.

Huneeus began his professional journalism career at El Mercurio, one of Chile’s most influential newspapers, where he developed a foundation in investigative reporting and editorial discipline. After emigrating permanently to the United States in the late 1970s, he continued working as a freelance journalist and editor, covering science, technology, and political affairs. Over time, his long-standing interest in UFO reports evolved into a focused research pursuit grounded in documentation, interviews, and archival sources.

One of Huneeus’ most significant contributions to ufology came in the 1990s, when he served as a co-author—alongside researchers such as Don Berliner and Marie Galbraith—of the UFO Briefing Document: The Best Available Evidence. Funded by philanthropist Laurance Rockefeller, the document was prepared for policymakers and government officials and remains one of the most widely cited summaries of UFO evidence intended for serious institutional review.

Huneeus has also edited and contributed to major works examining international and historical UFO cases, including A Study Guide to UFOs, Psychic and Paranormal Phenomena in the USSR, an anthology that brought attention to Soviet-era ufology and post–Cold War disclosures. Across his career, he has written hundreds of articles for publications such as FATE Magazine, OMNI, UFO Report, MUFON UFO Journal, The Anomalist, HuffPost (formerly The Huffington Post), and numerous international outlets across South America, Europe, and Asia.

A central phase of Huneeus’ later career was his long association with Open Minds Magazine and OpenMinds.tv, where he served as a prominent contributing writer, editor, and international reporter throughout the 2000s and 2010s. In this role, he covered UFO cases and conferences worldwide, appeared on the program Spacing Out!, and helped position Open Minds as a hub for globally focused UFO journalism.

Huneeus is particularly respected for his expertise in international ufology. He has extensively documented cases from Latin America—especially Chile, long considered a UFO hotspot—as well as Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Uruguay, Europe (including the Belgian UFO wave), Russia and the former Soviet Union, and parts of Asia. He has presented and commented on the work of Chile’s official UFO study body, CEFAA, and discussed military and pilot encounters from South America at events such as the 2013 Citizens Hearing on Disclosure in Washington, D.C.

His research often explores the intersection of UFO phenomena with military institutions, government secrecy, religion, mythology, and media framing. Rather than treating UFOs as isolated anomalies, Huneeus consistently situates them within broader cultural and historical patterns, examining how narratives evolve over time and across societies.

Huneeus has been affiliated with the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) since the 1980s, serving as a field investigator and contributor. He has appeared in numerous documentaries, television programs, and radio shows, including Shaun Ryder on UFOs (2013), filmed in part in Chile’s Atacama Desert, European investigative programs such as Enquête sur les OVNIs, and multiple appearances on Coast to Coast AM.

In recognition of his contributions, Huneeus received the Ufologist of the Year award from the National UFO Conference in 1990, reflecting his standing within the research community. He later received the “Courage in Journalism” award at the X-Conference in Gaithersburg, Maryland, in 2007.

While Huneeus’ most visible public activity peaked between the 1990s and 2010s, his influence continues through his extensive body of published work, archival research, and international reporting. His career is often cited as an example of how UFO research can be conducted with journalistic rigor, global awareness, and an emphasis on evidence over speculation.