Chile: UFO Sightings by 18th Century Jesuits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source:IIEE Chile

JESUITS IN THE 16TH CENTURY OBSERVED UFOS

The Jesuits pioneered a revolutionary form of Christian socialism with the Guaraní people of Paraguay, challenging the greed of Spanish colonists and Portuguese *bandeirantes*. This atypical system—a model of social organization that flourished in Paraguay among the indigenous population and the Jesuits—was known as "reductions." This took place in the early 17th century (around 1607).

Upon arriving in the region, the religious order encountered the *encomienda* system, under which the Franciscans—in a sense—continued the regime of the Conquest in their dealings with the indigenous people. The Jesuits vehemently opposed this system; while the concept of "reductions" did not originate with them, they utilized this model to counter the *encomienda* system employed by the Franciscans.

In researching this history, we discovered that the archives of the Society of Jesus contain records of extraordinary incidents. They describe countless events revealing that this region—like so many others in South America—is a source of mysteries and enigmas, and that the UFO phenomenon accompanied the Jesuits and indigenous people as they laid the foundations of this new nation. There is a document in these archives that states the following:

"At the San Ignacio de Ipané mission, on August 10, 1631, something strange and luminous was seen streaking across the sky. Between 6 and 7 in the evening, a luminous orb of unusual size was seen rising in the east; it moved not hurriedly, but rather slowly, over the settlement, resembling a full moon. It cast off a great number of sparks toward the east, and upon reaching the western horizon, it flared up with intense light before going dark; then, after the time it takes to recite the Creed, it produced a tremendous blast like a thunderclap."

A few kilometers from this mission lies an area in the Chaco province known as *Campo del Cielo* ("Field of the Sky"—named for the vast number of meteorites that once fell there). While it is natural to consider the possibility of another meteorite, a word-for-word analysis of the document—such as the one conducted by researcher Antonio Las Heras in one of his excellent works on the subject—inevitably raises doubts as to whether the observed object was, in fact, a meteorite.

The object was traveling slowly; the phrase "was seen rising in the east" gives the immediate impression that it "gained altitude." This suggests it may have been one of the earliest recorded instances of a UFO lifting off from the ground in this region, which spans the province of Misiones near the borders with Brazil and Paraguay. Without delving into the nuances explored by this distinguished Argentine researcher, we believe the document in question is valuable; it provides evidence that we have long been visited by these flying objects—objects whose origins we still cannot define.

18TH CENTURY – ANOTHER ACCOUNT

The Paraguayan War was a dramatic and extremely bloody conflict, as all wars are. Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil participated, resulting in thousands of deaths among the combatants. It was precisely during this era that another significant UFO-related event was recorded in this small country. On November 26, 1866, a Brazilian brig commanded by Captain Augusto Leverger (later honored with the title of Baron of Melgaço) was sailing up the Paraguay River on a wartime mission when, while on deck at night, he observed a phenomenon that defied logical explanation. The event was recorded as follows:

"At 5:47 a.m.," Captain Leverger explains in his report, "with the sky perfectly clear and calm, I spotted a luminous globe that, with incredible speed, traced a 30-degree arc toward the northwest, leaving behind a streak of light in which three distinct bodies could be seen; their brightness was more intense than that of the streak itself and equaled—if it did not exceed—that of a full moon on a clear night. After 25 minutes of observation—during which part of the ship's crew also looked on—everything vanished abruptly, and there were no further atmospheric disturbances thereafter."

"In the city of Asunción," Leverger adds, "I spoke with the Brazilian ambassador and others who corroborated this account." Based on trigonometric calculations applied to the positions personally observed by Leverger, it is estimated that the phenomenon occurred within the atmosphere at a distance of only 59 leagues from Asunción.

This is the notarized text of Captain Leverger's statement. Subsequent inquiries made by the witness with authorities in Asunción determined that the sighting must have taken place in the atmosphere, just 59 leagues distant from the capital, and all investigations determined that the sighting was entirely consistent—and therefore of incalculable value. Through archival research, Marta Virginia Capalló—an Argentine researcher who tracked this event—determined that this might well be the first newspaper report on UFO sightings, predating even a story that appeared in the London *Times* in 1870.

To briefly summarize Captain Leverger’s sighting, it is nearly impossible to believe that the object he observed could have been manufactured using the technology available at the time. We must remember that aircraft only made their debut in the skies during the first decade of the 20th century, and test flights were sporadic. Explanations involving a meteorite or an atmospheric phenomenon also fail to align with Captain Leverger’s account, given the duration of the sighting: a full 25 minutes.

Little is known about the UFO phenomenon within the borders of Paraguay, a small country. Unfortunately, it has often made headlines due to the coup plotters of the day, though—more positively—it is also known for its immense passion for the continent's national sport: soccer.

It is no secret that the UFO phenomenon has a long history; we have frequently cited documents from the era of the Spanish Conquest and accounts by church chroniclers describing sightings and unusual events. These records reinforce the conviction that this phenomenon has always been with us; while its outward form may have changed over time, its essence remains the same—whether one likes it or not.

[Translation ©2026 Insttitute of Hispanic Ufology. Special thanks to Raul Núñez, IIEE]