Argentina: UFO North of Greater Buenos Aires

Daniel Szauter of CodigoOVNI.com writes: "On November 28, 2008, as a resident of the northern area of Greater Buenos Aires was getting ready to watch the transit of the ISS (International Space Station) she was startled by an object in her proximity and precisely toward the sector where she was expecting to see the ISS. [There is an mp3 audio] of Daniel Szauter's interview with the witness and her drawing of the object in question." (Special thanks to Daniel Szauter, CodigoOVNI and Guillermo Gimenez)

Argentina: A UFO "Lightball"

Damián Heras of SolidaEvidencia writes: [...] This UFO "lightball" was filmed at 5:20 a.m. when it was covered by a large cloud in the northern part of the sky. I was able to follow it until it vanished. At that very instant, an airliner was flying towrad the Jorge Newberry Airport from the northwest to the northeast. Once I finished recording the airliner, I monitored the large cloud bank in which the object had vanished, but it never emerged again." The contrast between the "lightball" and the airliner can leave no question as to the difference between these objects. Many thanks to Guillermo Gimenez for providing us this information.

Inexplicata - UFOs Over Latin America 2008

INEXPLICATA presents its round-up of alleged UFO images taken in Mexico and South America in 2008. The video can be seen on www.inexplicata.blip.tv or on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXJKRFyHr8Y.

Seasons Greetings from Inexplicata!

It's that time of year again! We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our readers worldwide for their unwavering support of INEXPLICATA and their interest in UFO and paranormal matters in Central and South America, the Caribbean and Spain. 2008 was a tremendously active year since the first day of January (the Mexican CE-2 in the state of Guerrero) right through the most recent developments of the Argentinean UFO Wave (well over 450 cases to date and going strong). All the joys of the season to you and yours, and we hope to see you again in 2009!

Argentina: UFO Photographed over Rio de la Plata

INEXPLICATA wishes to thank contributing editor Guillermo Gimenez and researcher Demián Heras for sending these images. The note from Mr. Heras's reads thus: "They [the photos] were taken by researcher Carlos Turus, who took over 50 photos near the River Plate and was fortunate enough to capture these objects which do not coincide with terrestrial vehicles. He says there was no conventional air traffic in the area at the time." (Photos taken March 3, 2008).

Argentina: Phantom UFO Over Casa Rosada

Mr. Hector Boetto of www.cieloaguatierra.com presents the photo of an unidentified object photographed over the Argentinean equivalent of our White House - La Casa Rosada - during a public concert held on December 14, 2008. The musical event, an unusual display of bell sounds, appears to have delighted not only the Porteños on a bright summer day, but also someone "from above". INEXPLICATA thanks Mr. Boetto and Guillermo Gimenez for sharing these images with us.

Argentina: The Anibal Santucci Photos

Guillermo Gimenez of Planeta UFO has very kindly sent us the photos (and corresponding analyses) of the unidentified object photographed by Anibal Santucci in the Province of Buenos Aires.

INEXPLICATA Interviews Manuel Carballal

INEXPLICATA Interviews Manuel Carballal

Inexplicata contributing editor Manuel Carballal has seen it all, and endured the slings and arrows of believers and opponents of the paranormal alike. Along with researchers Javier Sierra and Josep Guijarro, he forms part of the “third generation” of Spain’s UFO community and has gone on to enjoy success in television, radio and in print. We managed to steal a few minutes from his schedule to ask him a few questions:

Hi Manuel – I remember that the first of your projects that I translated was for my Samizdat bulletin back in 1994. What’s your opinion about the trajectory that UFO research has taken since then?

Entirely foreseeable. Interest in UFOs, like all fashions in Western civilization, is cyclical. In Spain we have gone through UFO boom and bust cycles, respectively, in the 70s, 80s, 90s...I intuit that they’ll be in fashion again, and it’s only logical that the number of people involved in its research, and therefore the energy with which said research is carried out, fluctuates from one period to another. But even when many curiosity-seekers and fans engage the subject enthusiastically, and become disenchanted with the subject when the fashion fades, we are always left with a core group, a natural selection, which consists of those who feel true passion for the study of the unknown. For this reason, and for all the discoveries we have made over the past 14 years, I think that we know a lot more about UFOs now than in the 90s, the 80s and of course, more than in the 50s. It’s also true that the “noise” generated around certain radical groups of ET believers, pseudo-skeptics and pseudo-scientists, alien cults, etc. is louder than ever, since the modern media is faster and more global than ever before. However, new cases have emerged in recent years – new sources that have provided far greater perspective on what we know, for example, the connection between UFOs and the military. For example, I can tell you that in the last year and a half I’ve learned more about the back of the UFO declassification shop in Spain, and in other European countries as well, than over the past 15 years. And all of this thanks to a new information source directly involved in the declassification, who is furnishing us a veritable flood of files, documents and unknown reports. And this represents an infusion of enthusiasm and energy to keep researching.

Manuel, at this stage of the game, so to speak, is it still worth devoting ourselves to the study of UFOs and the paranormal?

I can’t think of anything better to devote my spare time to. Research into anomalous phenomena forces us to become familiar with all fields of science and culture that can offer us explanations for one case or another. It is for this reason that researchers are obligated to seek training in fields as disparate as astronomy, illusionism, physics, astronautics, chemistry, architecture, theology, history...with regard to other “passions”, I think that if we had been seduced by coin collecting, stamp collecting or hot-rodding, we wouldn’t have read as many books, wouldn’t have traveled so much, or would have met so many extraordinary people as we have, feeling this passion for anomalies. In the end, what we’re pursuing is something so huge and pretentious as to seek the existence of other life forms, other parallel realities, the Newtonian paradigm that outlines our map of the universe...and this unquestionably requires all our efforts. Therefore, yes. It’s worthwhile, without question.

However, it is true that some people believe that these subjects represent an easy way to make money or acquire celebrity. Particularly those who have failed in scientific or cultural fields and see the assault or the irrational defense of mysteries as a modus vivendi. I would like to think that natural selection will cause these parasites of the mysterious to tire and move away from this subject.

Your journal, El Ojo Crítico, will be celebrating its 15th anniversary before long. How do you account for its success and longevity?

Well, I can only think of one answer: the stubbornness and imagination of those of you who, with your articles and cooperation, have made it possible. When the first issue of El Ojo Critico appeared 15 years ago, there were many other bulletins and fanzines created by well-known researchers and disseminators such as Javier Sierra, Iker Jimenez, the CEI, etc. As time went by, the ease of use of the Internet, and above all, the price of photocopying, forced all the others, except EOC, to disappear. And this is a shame to me. I find it highly positive to have alternatives to large circulation commercial publications. Means of communication that allow us to publish less commercial critical articles and more specialized critiques. And I suppose that it’s precisely because we pursue this independent, often transgressive line, with which it was born 15 years and 60 issues ago, that so many fans and researchers have requested the print copy of EOC or download it directly from its web, www.ojo-critico.blogspot.com or from the dozens of friendly websites that also enable its download. In some of them, such as E-Lecturas or La Sombra del Espejo, the moderators tell me that the thousands download the newsletter, so we’ve lost track as to how many people may read us.

No one gets away without answering this question: What’s your take on Roswell?

Experience has taught me that it’s overly bold to opine about what one doesn’t know, and I’ve never been to Roswell. That can only be done in the U.S. (I don’t believe in investigations done by e-mail or by phone). However, I’ve had the opportunity to investigate several very interesting cases involving unidentified flying object crashes on Spanish soil, and clandestinely collected by U.S. troops. In some of these cases, such as the object that crashed in southern Spain a few years ago, a Spanish citizen was able to take up to 10 photos of U.S. troops from the Rota Base collecting the object’s remains, which had caused deathly fear among several witnesses prior to its collision, and which even resulted in a parliamentary complaint to the Ministry of Defense by the Izquierda Unida political party. In the end we found out that it was an American spy plane that was flying illegally in Spanish airspace. This has occurred on other occasions, so I’m not surprised to find that civilian witnesses are telling the truth when they describe the collision of a strange object, and that military personnel rapidly cordon off the area to clandestinely recover the remains. The provenance of the crashed object is a different matter altogether. However, I have hard time imagining a marvelous technology that’s able to surpass the speed of light, capable of overcoming all of our aeronautical and physical shortcomings, and later crashes in such a suspiciously human fashion. It would be tantamount to saying that Apollo 11 reached the Moon, and that Armstrong got out of the lunar module in an oxcart.

With so many years of work behind you, would you share any advice with young researchers who are wading into the murky waters of the paranormal?

I’m not one to dispense advice, but the perspective of the years, and having met so many people in this time period, has taught me that it’s very important to not lose one’s enthusiasm. As I tried to describe in an article that caused, and still causes, a controversy in the Spanish paranormal research community (“La prostitucion del periodismo paranormal”), when you enter this field you tend to believe in the good will of researchers, “skeptics”, witnesses, disseminators...and over time you find out that there are financial interests and vanities as in any other field. Then, with the unavoidable disenchament of learning that many alleged skeptics, or visionaries, or researchers are in fact charlatans, it’s easy to feel the urge to quit it all. However, the anomalous events, the mysteries, the UFOs, have existed far longer than any of us, and will endure after we’re gone. And if what motivates you isn’t the wellspring of these enigmas, rather than the people who seek to monopolize them, you learn that you don’t need anyone’s blessing to continue with your personal search. That’s what makes these subjects so wonderful. We have so much to learn yet...

[Manuel Carballal’s blog can be visited at www.manuelcarballal.blogspot.com]

Argentina: "UFOs Don't Pay Tolls"

Source: Grupo G.A.B.I.E. (Argentina)
grupo_gabie@yahoo.com.ar www.grupogabie.blogspot.com
Date: 12.12.08

Argentina: "UFOs Don't Pay Tolls"

Last week, we learned that a friend of ours had undergone a strange experience in his car as he headed toward the town of Pilar (Bs.As.) on personal business. Upon receiving information from this person, Ariel asked him to provide a brief summary of his experiences that afternoon in order that we might schedule a personal interview later on. This summary is transcribed verbatim:

Saturday 11.22.2008, 19:30 hs. -- "A luminous object was seen in the sky near the Pan American Highway and Route 197, in a northerly direction. The light moved at high speed but could be perfectly seen. It moved from West to East and could be compared to the reflection of the sun on a piece of glass. The size could not be determined and it left no wake. This light was first seen through the upper part of the car's windshield (not on the horizon). When I observed it, it flooded me with light."

During the interview, we were able to ascertain that the witness believes in the subject, but had never experienced anything similar in person. He is able to readily distinguish between a plane, a helicopter or another known flying object. The object in question came from the west (from the Roggero Reservoir?) and took less than a second to cross Alejandro's (the witness) visual frame, flying over the Pan-American Hwy. and giving off a powerful beam of silver light that hurt the witness's eyes. It was daylight with the sun visible in the distance. The sky was clear from the observer's position and there were distant clouds. Meteorites are dismissed as a possibility due to the absence of a wake.

Although the witness states that he does not know the object's elevation, we can say that the mere fact that it bathed him in light, and having it close enough to see it at 45 degrees (observation from the upper part of the windshield, aids the theory that the object was nearby and at a low altitude. Even though it was tremendously fast, small planes and jets are discarded due to the lack of approximation routes to local airports or air clubs (Torcuato and San Fernando)

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez, Planeta UFO).

Argentina: UFO Videotaped Over Luján

Source: Planeta UFO Date: 12.12.08 Argentina: UFO Videotaped Over Luján An unidentified flying object (UFO) was recorded for several minutes in Argentina's Buenos Aires Province, specifically at the locality of Luján. (Thanks to Lucas A.G. and Guillermo Gimenez)

From the Vault: The Varginha Case-A South American Roswell?

[A recent search for older material kicked up Dr. Rafael Lara's excellent analysis of the 1995 Varghina Case. While 13 years separate us from the case, it is certainly worth remembering those still-unexplained events in Brazil. Read on! - SC]


The Varginha Case: A South American Roswell?
By Dr. Rafael A. Lara

It all appears to have started on September 16, 1995 when a strange object hurtled to the ground on the Bacaba estate, belonging to professor Amauri Barbosa Ribeiro, head of the Civil Engineering and Architecture Department of the Federal University at Teresina. A newspaper belonging to Brazil's GLOBO television network reported that a number of individuals had witnessed the descent and collision of an object somewhere in the wilderness of Maranhao state. According to noted "meteorite hunter" Wilson Carvalho, there were no traces of a metal artifact anywhere, leading him to believe that the "meteorite" could be several meters under ground.

Among the first to reach the scene was Pablo Villarrubia Mauso, a correspondent for Spain's Año Cero magazine, who immediately contacted the chief of the research team, Nei José de la Costa, a student of physics in the Federal University at Piauí (1), who had interviewed numerous witnesses describing a tremenodus lights crashing against the surface. These witnesses declared that the object's luminosity was such that "a needle could be found on the floor" at that nighttime hour. The local peasantry spoke of a loud noise that some identified as thunder and caused others to believe that an aircraft accident had taken place.

According to Amauri Barbosa, the crater was excavated to a depth of 18 meters without having found traces of any object whatsoever. However, the excavation uncovered 2 subterranean tunnels, 18 and 12 meters long respectively. Researcher Sergio Alves with the Paraíba Center for UFO Studies opined that the malfunctioning UFO entered Earth's orbit and fused into a metallic clump impossible to identify.

It appeared that something was about to happen.

On January 20, 1996, Eurico de Freitas and his wife, residents of the Numa hacienda, some ten kilometers away from Varginha, witnessed a bizarre submarine-shaped celestial object flying over the farm and terrifying the animals. At 15:30 hours on the same day, in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Varginha (Minas Gerais state), threeyoung women, Valquiria and Liliana da Silva, along with Katia Javier, ages 14,16 and 22 respectively, stumbled upon a strange creature ("a horrible inhuman thing," in their own words), crouched on the ground with its hands between its legs. A short distance away, they clearly saw a figure with large red eyes, greasy brown skin, long arms and legs and enormous feet (2). The most impressive details made reference to an enormous, completely hairless head covered in varicose-like veins that were also present along the neck and the rest of the body. The top of the creature's skull apparently presented three protuberances no greater than 5 cm. in length (3,4). Ubirajara Rodríguez, a Brazilian researcher, considers this case to be legitimate and that the creature discovered in Varginha's Barrio Santa Ana is an extraterrestrial. This investigator believes said creature was captured by members of the town's fire brigade and transported in a wooden box, covered with a white dropcloth, to the Escuela de Sargentos de Armas (School of Sergeants at Arms) located in Tres Corazons (Minas Gerais) (5). This fact was corroborated by bricklayer Henrique José de Souza, who witnessed the showy and highly unusual display of activity at the local firehouse on the evening of January 20th, "they appeared to be ready for a rescue operation more than anything else..."

The army was also involved: an officer interviewed on the Fantástico program, his voice distorted to conceal his identity, described his purported involvement in transferring the alleged ET to the hospital where the examination took place. The unidentified officer's description of the creature matched the one given by the other witnesses, but what exactly happened at Varginha's Humanitas Hospital? According to researchers, the alien underwent a general exam followed by surgery. Adilson Usier, the hospital's director, stated that he had never heard of such a thing and that it was ludicrous to think that an extraterrestrial had been admitted to the hospital (6). Nonetheless, there are persistent rumors that two badly injured ("machucados", in Portuguese) extraterrestrials had been found and had subsequently been transferred to the University of Sao Paulo, where they would have been attended by a trauma specialist identified only as "Rogerio," who denied any involvement in the affair, but allegedly told a reporter from the Gazeta de Varginha newspaper "I don't know what it is. It could be a natural aberration of a kind I've never seen before." (6). The director of Humanitas Hospital blames the confusion on the exhumation, at the family's request of a 110 kg. individual, an operation which caused agitation among the hospital staff.

As is the case with any UFO incident in any country, the military was clearly involved, and over 60 Brazilian ufologists indicate that the army is responsible for the capture and concealment of at least two extraterrestrials, according to some accounts: on January 23, at 0400 hours, three troop transports took the Tres Corazones Military School, where the cargo was delivered to another military unit, probably the "Escuela Preparatoria de Cadetes" (Cadet Preparatory School), according to investigator Rodríguez. The entire operation , according to Rodríguez, was directed by Lieutentant Colonel Olimpio Wanderley Santos. The army, however, vehemently denies this allegation. High-ranking officers: Col. Luis Cesario de Silveira Leite, spokesman for the Eastern Army Command; General Sergio Pedro Coehlo, commandant of the ESA; Olimpio Wanderley Santos himself, and others have discarded the researcher's allegations.

In May 1996, all of Brazil's UFO research organizations issued a manifesto requesting the intervention of government agencies to investigate the case (5). An undeniable aspect of this uproar is the sudden popularity of the residents of Varginha and its sudden economic turnaround as a result of the appearance of alleged aliens. Local businesses proudly display stylized images of the aliens along with a number of spaceship images. According to area merchants, sales increased considerably in recent months.

The latest information received indicates that both Ubirajara Rodríguez and Vitorio Pacaccine are in contact with fourteen Brailizian military men who keep them abreast of developments in the strictest anonymity. There are reports of unidentified individuals who are trying to sell a video of the alleged capture of the extraterrestrials. The asking price? between ten and thirty thousand dollars. (7).

Comments

It is notable that the alleged meteorite which struck the Bacaba estate fell in the Prnarama region, made famous in the late 1970s and in the early 1980's by the investigative efforts of a number of UFO investigators--foremost among them Jacques Vallée--concerning the aggressive UFO incidents in the area (cases included burns, amputations and even the deaths of witnesses). It would appear that the Varginha incident boasts a series of occurences that could easily fit into the "Roswell Syndrome," complete with its economic repercussions. It was originally stated that one alien was found, then two. Will we wind up having three, four or more in the future? A most significant detail can be found in the statements made by premier Brazilian ufologist Irene Granchi, who delcared that the creature "might not be an extraterrestrial but an intraterrestrial (!!), since southern Minas Gerais is considered by the Sociedad de Eubiosis de Brasil as an entrance to the inner earth, particularly the region stretching from Sao Lourenço to Sao Tomé..." (4). Does this bear any relation whatsoever to the presence of tunnels found on the Bacaba farmstead? From a personal perspective, I do not share such a point of view. The case is real enough, but all that matters now is to pursue the investigation to its ultimate conclusion, wherever it may lie.

REFERENCES

(1) Villarrubia, Pablo. ¿OVNI o Meteorito? Año Cero magazine pp. 6-7. April 1996.
(2) "Alienígena é capturado em Minas Gerais e as autoridades negam" Revista UFO, pp. 16-19. April 1996.
(3) "O retrato do extraterrestre". Jornal do Brasil (newspaper). February 2, 1996. p.3. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(4) Villarubia, Pablo. "Capturado un extraño ser". Año Cero magazine pp. 14-18. May 1996.
(5) "O caso do ET de Varginha" Isto E (journal). May 22, 1996. pp.124-129. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(6) "Contatos imediatos em Varginha". Jornal do Brasil (newspaper). February 2, 1996. p.4. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(7) Villarrubia, Pablo. "El vídeo más buscado" Año Cero magazine p. 14. August 1996.

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU)

UFO Contacts and Abductions

UFO Contacts and Abductions
By Ing. Gustavo Nelín

60 years have gone by since Kenneth Arnold saw "flying saucers" from his private plane over Washington State. In the intervening years, we hardly know anything else about the matter. Nonetheless, the UFO phenomenon has in some way managed to become more extensive, invading fields such as the psychic and the religious, aside from such rumors as the Roswell crash or the ever-present Hangar 18, which are related to the "great UFO cover-up" allegedly perpetrated by the U.S intelligence community.

From George Adamski onward, a wave of rumors involving contact by apparently extraterrestrial beings sweeps across the country. They were tall and blonde, hailing from the planet Venus, and came in peace, acting as our elder brothers.
Between 1968 and 1978, small humanoid beings -- having large black eyes and lacking ears or noses -- are reported in different parts of the world. Hypnotic regression reminded the protagonists of the Betty Hill case (1961) that they experienced a surgical procedure aboard their ship, and these creatures claimed to be from another star system.

Between 1980 and 1990, ufologists intensified their search for the UFO phenomenon. Bestselling books on the subject, such as Missing Time, Intruders, Communion and Transformation, dealing with the subject of nocturnal abductions, deal with extraterrestrial "grey" creatures who perform sinister experiments on helpless human beings who are unable to remember the events without the benefit of hypnotic regression.

The contactee phenomenon is hardly a new one: it is well known throughout the histories of many cultures and civilizations, and to a lesser degree, there are also historical antecedents for the abductions.

By "contactee" we must understand the relationship, be it visual, auditory, telepathic, onirical or even physical, with intelligent non-human creatures.

Contactees may be divided into the following categories:

1. Prophets, visionaries, and psychics such as Jesus, Nostradamus, Adamski, Rael, Moses, Hill, etc.
2. Groups or cults such as the Ashtar Command, Tuella, Marla, the Mormons, E. Siragusa, Scientology, Nazism, etc.
3. Entire nations, such as the ancient Hebrews and their YHWH, the Etruscans and their "guide", and the Aztec Empire and its deities.

By "abductee" or UFO abduction, we must understand this to mean those cases in which a person or persons are introduced into an unknown vehicle, against their will, and where they routinely undergo physiological or medical examinations of some kind or another, and the subject(s) generally have no

Recollection of the event. The Mexican case involving a pilot like Antonio de los Santos Montiel is also an abduction experience.

A Biblical case dealing with a conscious abduction is that of the prophet Elijah, who was taken to heaven in a fiery whirlwind from which he was able to see the earth becoming smaller, and time in heaven went by more slowly (principles of the Special Theory of Relativity).

The Brazilian case of Antonio Villas Boas, in which the abductee is forced to have sexual contact with a female humanoid alien in order to procreate a child on another world.

As Charles Fort was moved to observe, it appears that we are owned by something.
Physical contacts of the "fourth kind", also known as abductions in the UFO world, are beginning to occupy a considerable space in the extensive literature on the subject. Yet there has been a change taking place in the last fifty years, and it involves the degree of fanaticism among the believers in the phenomenon from a cultic or religious standpoint: that the space brothers are the gods of antiquity, humanity's saviors, and are here to rescue us in case of an emergency!

This idea has increased to such broad proportions in these times due to economic crises, pollution, wars, the threat of nuclear warfare and the systematic destruction of nature and global ecology.

It is as if the gods of yesteryear no longer satisfy the people of the world, but the hope of finding extraterrestrial intelligence in some part of the universe has inspired the U.S. to spend 500 million dollars in its quest by means of SETI.

The Vatican has already stated that should any beings exist on other world, it will baptize them; Protestant churches have already planned to evangelize them, and the White House plans to democratize them.

To date, we really do not know what is going on, but it is evident that what is transpiring is nothing new -- merely part of the great manipulation to which humanity has been subjected since man achieved consciousness and knows that he is not alone in the universe, the solar system, or even on Earth.

(Translation (c) 2008 S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Ing. Gustavo Nelin)

Reflections On Ufology in the Canary Islands

Reflections on Ufology in the Canary Islands
by Manuel Carballal

Recently, Jose Gregorio Gonzalez, a good friend and editor of FRONTERA SCIENTIFICA (Scientific Frontiers) asked me, in one particular radio show, about the state of UFO research in the Canary Islands and what had the new generation of ufologists contributed to the vast corpus of the subject. My reply was swift: no authentic UFO research exists on these islands, being that reporting isn't the same thing as investigating, and only the former has taken place there.

The Canary Islands have been an inexhaustible source of news on strange and mysterious phenomena that have almost always remained unexplained precisely because the story was issued before any attempt at a logical explanation for the phenomenon. When investigating, we can neither be in favor or against the ETH--rather, we must be open and plural to any possible explanation. The UFO phenomenon is much too complex to be reduced to supernatural and messianic hypotheses, which ironically, have been the theories that reign in the Canary Islands. In other words, the belief that every light in the sky is an alien spaceship on a mission of redemption. This sort of generalization seems dangerous to me. Perhaps we do not realize it, but it is the popularizers who create states of opinion capable of reinforcing previous beliefs, and if we state: UFO = ET SPACESHIP, we can find ourselves reinforcing every contactee movement.

The lack of a serious methodology has characterized ufology in the Canary Islands. Listening to witnesses is simply not enough --even though it is the ufologist's primary tool. Information must be contrasted, data must be verified, possible causes must be discarded...only then can we propose the alien origin of the UFO phenomenon as a hypothesis. Bear in mind that 90% of UFOs can be explained as atmospheric or meteorological phenomena, meteorites, terrestrial prototypes, etc. The remaining cases tend to be more complex and of a higher level of strangeness. Even so, they can still have multiple explanations, and it is here that we venture into the most exciting of all, the one sharing a common nexus with human beings and the phenomenon's transcendental nature. The mind may hold the key to an infinty of cases, and if we link through it all the factors which make up an individual's socialization process, we may discover that the same phenomenon is reinterpreted as an apparition of the Blessed Virgin in one mind and as a UFO in another. In the final analysis, everything boils down to subjective interpretations of reality issued by individuals whose minds have been conditioned by their belief system. I remember that as a Journalism major we were reminded of the need for objectivity and impartiality, only to discover at the end that neither one of these exists. For instance, UFO researchers are not present at a UFO sighting, and what we report on is the version of something that has already been coded, decoded, and reinterpreted by the witnesses. We are not reporting on a UFO sighting, but rather, on the testimony of someone who claims to have seen one.

Spain: An Interview with the Spanish "Fox Mulder"

Spain: An Interview with the Spanish “Fox Mulder”
By Manuel Carballal

[Spain’s indefatigable Manuel Carballal has been one of INEXPLICATA’s contributing editors since our first issue in 1998. A world traveler, radio host and television personality, his books include OVNIS y Pilotos, La Ciencia Frente al Misterio, Los Peligros del Esoterismo and the landmark El Secreto de los Dioses. The following interview with Lt.Col. Antonio Munaiz of the Spanish Air Force (Ejercito del Aire) is from Carballal’s “Mundo Misterioso” broadcast – SC]

When this author located and interviewed Colonel Munaiz for the first time, the result caused a true commotion, resulting in one of many confrontations between researchers and pseudoskeptics. On September 19, 1998, the Mundo Misterioso radio program aired the exclusive taped interview with the most experienced inquest judges in matters of UFO research.

Colonel, what is your perception of UFO research in Spain?

Munaiz: You must keep something in mind. Among those who call themselves researchers you find two kinds: the official researcher, who must be completely objective, and then you have others who engage in research, but who slant all the information in favor of their preconceived notions. Among those you find the ones who bend over backward to prove the existence of aliens and others who do whatever they can to knock down that idea, but they all fall into the same group. In my case, as my investigations were official, and since I had no preconceived notions about the subject, my efforts were entirely serious. In other words, all of the information I collected was analyzed with the scarce means at my disposal, and I endeavored to reach a logical and rational conclusion. Whenever possible, I would offer my conclusions in extensive reports with drawings and photographs.

What is your take on scientific researchers?

There are many armchair researchers. They stay put. For official research purposes, the only tool I was given was a car, and I would go and visit the witnesses. Among the conclusions I drew about witnesses, the most reliable aside from pilots and people of that nature were the peasants. The peasants were the most reliable. If they say they’ve seen something strange, that means they’ve seen something strange, because the countryside is something they’re thoroughly familiar with and no one can tell me that a farmer has ever mistaken a strange light for Venus. I won’t believe it. Of course, then you have the Guardia Civil [Spanish state police – SC] who helped me greatly. If a member of the Guardia Civil, who is also a professional investigator, happened to be a witness, then his reliability was complete. These men perhaps lacked an aeronautical knowledge, but their testimony was completely reliable, because they would ordinarily refuse to testify. They had to have an order from their superiors, therefore I would show up with a investigation order from my General, I would present it to the commanding officer, and the order was given immediately.

Did any of the cases you looked into ever lack a rational explanation?

I remember there was a case where no conclusion was reached. It was truly interesting because it involved commercial airliner pilots, a military pilot holding a lieutenant colonel’s rank who saw it from the ground, plus radar operators. It occurred in Tenerife [Canary Islands] and it did not appear in the press. I was therefore able to investigate it at leisure. This case was truly secret because the parties involved were highly competent people, and I guaranteed that their names would not appear, although many years have gone by and two of the witnesses are dead. The conclusion involved an Unidentified Flying Object.

Do you remember the Galdar Incident?

The Galdar Incident was exactly the opposite. I questioned the doctor, who belonged to a privileged profession. Of course, I wore a uniform. I noticed that he was very nervous and said strange things. I took his statement in writing, because doing so would allow me to present it to a handwriting expert to see the fellow’s personality. This case was very famous. I remember visiting an onion field that played a critical part in the case. I visited the field’s owner and told him: “all of the onions have been flattened. Naturally, you’ve squashed the onions to make sure they’ll fatten.” Of course, he replied. “Therefore, nothing’s landed on this field.” The only thing that’s landed here, replied the owner, are the journalists who’ve messed up my onion field. [...] I asked the doctor involved in the case if he would submit to hypnosis, and he said no. If he’d been questioned under hypnosis, and given me the same answer as he did before, it still wouldn’t mean that something happened. The man could’ve hallucinated and is telling me what he feels to be the truth, but it doesn’t make it true. It just means he’s not lying. But he refused, and was going to have a co-worker [hypnotize him].

You investigated many other legendary cases in Spanish ufology.

I recall another very interesting case that was seen by very qualified personnel – the crew of the Juan Sebastian Elcano and an airliner in flight. And in that case, we were able to prove through triangulation that looked like the Aurora Borealis, which cannot bee seen from the Canary Islands. Many people saw it, even my wife. Matter of fact, I had to question her and it was hard to do, because we broke out laughing. And well, through triangulation, after consulting the Tenerife Astronomical Center, we determined it was something that had ionized the atmosphere. I think it was the only time I was told, through my General, that I had guessed correctly. Something had exploded, either a satellite or something similar, and that the “show” was on account of it.

What is your opinion about your fellow pilots who have seen UFOs?

Among pilots you also find two types: the ones who’ve seen weird things, and the ones who deny seeing them. The ones who deny it are trying to say that the others are either crazy or clowns. I know both types, and one doesn’t seem less serious than the other. Furthermore, they usually don’t share their experiences unless you’re a friend of theirs. I have yet to come across a witness who was a drunk. The fact that the drunk doesn’t see anything because he’s dead drunk doesn’t seem like an excuse to me.

How did you end all your reports?

I submitted all of the information, because with the means at my disposal, it was impossible to reach a conclusion. I passed the reports along to the Institute of Scientific Research or the appropriate authority. I am the inquest judge and as in jurisprudence, I will remand it to a higher court and let the court decide. I proposed the creation of a national board consisting of pilots, radar operators, astronomers, physicians, psychiatrists, etc. and if a report of this nature was received, they could analyze it in a truly disciplined manner. That’s how you can reach a conclusion. Because there are many cases that don’t involve extraterrestrials, merely unknown natural phenomena that are very interesting. So investigate them!

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. From El Ojo Critico No. 58, July 2008)

Argentina:The Saucers of October

Source: Solida Evidencia http://www.solidaevidencia.blogspot.com/
Date: December 5, 2008

Argentina: The Saucers of October

Two Unidentified Object s reported on October 26, 2008

This report discusses two objects that were seen and recorded by researcher Demian Heras, who was watching the sky in broad daylight.

The first sighting occurred at 2:55:54 PM, with the object being luminous and having variable geometry. Although it may not appear so, the object is unknown and assumes the shape of a disk, circular configurations and even shapes very similar to the those of the luminous white objects recorded by Cristian Soldano on October 6 of this year (Soldano’s website can be visited at www.orbitalvision.blogspot.com and the UFO is titled “OVNI Copo de Algodon” – the cotton ball UFO)

This phenomenon has been repeating for several years, but its geometric shape could confuse anyone. The object is seen to travel from south to north, very slowly, while increasing and decreasing its magnitude with very odd shapes, ultimately disappearing behind a water tank. After recording the object, I took a look behind the water tower behind which it had vanished and there was nothing there.

The second sighting was recorded at 3:13:41, resembling a luminous star shape in the sky, but very clearly visible as the sky was completely clear. The object, upon being recorded, began moving slowly toward the northwestern horizon on a northwestern trajectory and was located some 80 degrees northeast, quite near the sun, as it was some 4 degrees to the right of the sun. At a given moment, this object vanished without a trace.

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez and Solida Evidencia)

Mexico: Unknown Light North of Mexico City

Source: www.analuisacid.com
Date: 12.02.08

Mexico: Unknown Light North of Mexico City
By Ana Luisa Cid

I recorded this video on Sunday, November 30, 2008 to the north of Mexico City, heading toward the zenith. I only became aware of the object when I checked the images on a TV set. There was a family gathering at my mother's house that day, so I took advantage of this fact to go out and record airliners in flight (around 16:00 hours). From that location they can be clearly seen as they head for the airport. What could this object be? Anything from a UFO to space junk, or perhaps a heavenly body, although it was not visible at the moment that the recording was made. I'm rejecting the likelihood that it could be an artificial satellite, according to the Heavens Above registry, which indicates the time and location of satellites over Mexico City, particularly the International Space Station and the Iridium satellites, which are the brightest in the sky.

The video can be seen at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FlvkRqqljc

At dusk I recorded the conjunction between the Moon, Venus and Jupiter.

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales IHU)

Argentina: Rosario de Lerma UFO Was Lightshow

Source: Planeta UFO and FM 89.9 (Salta, Argentina)
Date: 12.02.08

Argentina: FALSE ALARM at Rosario de Lerma

On Saturday night, alarmed residents contacted the police to report the presence of a UFO in the skies over Rosario de Lerma.

Mrs. Marica Gallo, a local resident, has informed that the matter has been cleared up.

The "light show" had its origin at the tobacco workers' union, where a family gathering was being celebrated.

The powerful green lights that moved up and down, creating an effect that led viewers to believe that they were witnessing an unidentified flying object. The sighting lasted 5 hours, causing disquiet among the locals, who were able to enjoy a spectacle never seen before in the valley.


(http://www.fm899.com.ar/notas.asp%3FId%3D23352%26IdSeccion%3D2&ct=ga&cd=tMBOvczZnWs&usg=AFQjCNEoLsaaQvw5-8130i_d5OJmj_bFxw)

(Translation (c) 2008, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez)