Argentina: Zone 72 - The Mysterious Site in La Plata Where UFO Reports Multiplied

 

Source: Punto Capital Noticias (Argentina)

Date: October 1, 2026

 Zone 72: The Mysterious Site in La Plata Where UFO Reports Multiplied

 Between 10th and 20th Streets, along 72nd Avenue and just meters from the historic Meridiano V neighborhood, lies a stretch of land that has fueled one of La Plata’s most distinctive urban legends for decades. Sightings, strange lights, small objects, and mysterious marks on the grass are all part of a story that local ufologists began investigating in the mid-20th century. As the month of Halloween begins, Punto Capital Noticias presents a series of special features on mysteries, legends, and terrifying episodes linked to the city; this is the first installment.

 La Plata has its own stories capable of fueling a night of conversation among neighbors. Some originated around old buildings, others were passed down through generations, and some found the perfect setting in the sky to become legends. Among the latter, one name still sparks curiosity: Zone 72.

 The site is located on 72nd Avenue, in an area that various investigations and publications place roughly between 10th and 20th Streets—on the southern edge of the city center and very close to the Meridiano V neighborhood. Since the mid-1950s, accounts have accumulated there from people claiming to have seen unidentified objects or lights.

 La Plata Has Its Own "Uritorco"

Over the years, these accounts have built a sort of map of La Plata’s mysteries. The area began to be cited by UFO researchers, local media, and residents who claimed to have witnessed strange events. For the Argentine UFO Foundation (FAO), the sector became a point of interest due to the recurring nature of the testimonies. 1954: The strange object that appeared near a group of young people

One of the earliest incidents associated with "Zone 72" dates back to 1954, the year that marks the beginning of this unique story. According to an account gathered by FAO researchers, a group of young people reportedly spotted a small, white object that hovered briefly in the vicinity of the area.

 Reconstructions indicate that the device was small and—after appearing to be resting on the ground—rose up and sped away toward the west. Over time, researchers studying the phenomenon described it as a type of "probe" based on its characteristics.

 This was not an isolated incident. For researchers who tracked the area's history in the following decades, that alleged sighting was the first in a series of accounts that would eventually make Avenue 72 one of the locations in La Plata most closely associated with UFO activity.

 However, there is no independent evidence to determine exactly what the object was. What remains on record are the eyewitness accounts and subsequent reconstructions carried out by researchers of the phenomenon.

 1957: Another tiny object and a new story

Three years later, another account with similar characteristics emerged. In the winter of 1957, a local resident named Juan Maldonado reportedly spotted a small object near a cane field at the intersection of 9th and 74th Streets—not far from the site of the previous incident—at around 8:00 a.m.

 The description is striking: according to the testimony collected by the FAO, the device was approximately 40 centimeters in diameter, with an appearance the witness likened to a centerpiece covered in frost.

 The account states that Maldonado began to approach the object slowly, but upon sensing his proximity, the object reportedly gained altitude and vanished rapidly. The resemblance to the 1954 incident fueled the idea that this was not an isolated event, but rather a series of phenomena concentrated in a very small area of ​​the city.

 Lights, pyramidal objects, and other incidents

Over the decades, the list of stories linked to "Zone 72" grew. Accounts cited by local media and FAO researchers include a luminous, metallic object that reportedly moved slowly in a vertical direction in 1985, and—three years later—the alleged passage of a silent, gray, pyramidal object.

 In the 1988 case, the story incorporated an element that would become a hallmark of the legend: a few days after the alleged sighting, researchers discovered a circular mark in the grass. According to published accounts, the mark was approximately four meters in diameter and had a greenish hue.

The mysterious circular marks on the grass

The traces constitute one of the best-known chapters in the history of Zone 72. According to researchers linked to the FAO, around twenty circular marks were detected in 1999 on the ground located in the vicinity of 72nd Avenue.

Researcher Luis Burgos recounted years later that the marks appeared in a busy section of the avenue's central median—a detail that particularly drew the attention of those studying the alleged phenomena. Some showed dried-out grass, while others were described as having hues that differed from the surrounding terrain.

In the field of ufology, these traces were incorporated into the site's body of case studies. However, their origin was never proven to be the result of a spacecraft landing. This is precisely where a distinction arises between the journalistic account of Zone 72 and ufological interpretations: while records and testimonies regarding the marks exist, there is no scientific explanation confirming they were produced by extraterrestrial objects.

The 2007 snowfall and the green flashes

The story gained another peculiar episode on July 9, 2007, during the historic snowfall that blanketed much of La Plata. According to their accounts, some local residents claimed to have seen strange green flashes over the 72nd Avenue median.

The unique aspect of the story lay in the context. The city was experiencing an extraordinary weather event, and amidst the snow and unusual visibility conditions, accounts emerged regarding lights that some residents immediately linked to the history of "Zone 72."

As with other episodes, there is no evidence confirming an extraterrestrial origin for these lights. However, the story became part of the area's informal lore, reigniting a question that has persisted for decades: why do so many different stories seem to converge on this specific area?

The "energy corridor" theory

One of the most striking explanations emerged from within the field of ufology itself. Luis Burgos, a leading figure at the Argentine Ufology Foundation, noted that one hypothesis regarding the concentration of these phenomena relates to the old railway lines running through the area.

For researchers who support this view, the tracks might act as a sort of corridor linked to the recurrence of these phenomena. This explanation is a ufological hypothesis rather than a scientifically proven theory regarding an energy source connected to UFO activity.

The link to the railway, however, makes clear geographical sense: Zone 72 is closely tied to the historic setting of the Meridiano V station. In fact, the current Meridiano V Historic-Cultural District encompasses part of 72nd Avenue and the streets surrounding the old railway complex.

Thus, the old tracks became part of the lore surrounding Zone 72, offering a potential explanation for the cluster of accounts that—dating back to the 1950s—have repeatedly emerged from this relatively small area.

From UFOs to new local legends

The advent of the Internet and social media did not cause the myth to vanish; on the contrary, it found new ways to spread. In 2019, for instance, the story of a student who claimed to have had a strange experience during a stormy night near the intersection of 19th and 72nd Streets made the rounds.

The account involved a cat, a powerful lightning strike, and a series of events that the individual linked to "Zone 72." The story quickly spread across social media, sparking new amateur investigations into the alleged phenomenon.

That episode illustrates how the legend has evolved over time. It is no longer just about flying saucers and lights in the sky; Zone 72 has become a setting where new stories, testimonies, and personal experiences can be incorporated.

Some studies even suggest that part of the contemporary narrative surrounding the area took on the characteristics of a transmedia experience, with stories circulating across various platforms and feeding into one another.

Mystery, coincidence, or urban legend?

Zone 72 exists both as a physical location and as a cultural phenomenon in La Plata. What remains open to interpretation is the nature of the events associated with it over the decades.

From the perspective of ufology, the succession of testimonies constitutes a body of cases worthy of investigation. From a more skeptical viewpoint, the accounts can be attributed to atmospheric phenomena, errors in perception, hard-to-identify conventional objects, or simply the gradual construction of an urban legend.

The fact remains that the story has endured for generations. From the small object described in the 1950s to the lights spotted during the 2007 snowfall and the tales that later circulated on social media, 72nd Avenue holds a special place in the collective imagination of La Plata.

And perhaps that is the true uniqueness of "Zone 72": there is no need to solve the mystery for it to remain part of the city's identity.

[Translation © 2026 Inexplicata with thanks to Gloria Raquel and Punto Capital Noticias] 

 

A Lost Police Report, 48 Years Later: The 1978 Bahía Blanca UFO Case Gets New Evidence

 

Source: LaBrujula24.com

Date: 09.27.2026 

A Lost Police Report, 48 Years Later: The 1978 Bahía Blanca UFO Case Gets New Evidence

For nearly half a century, the story of two Chilean racing pilots, a blinding white light, and a car lifted off the road has been passed around as regional legend. Now the paperwork is about to surface.

The original police report filed in 1978 by Carlos Acevedo and Miguel Moya has been recovered and was slated for public display on Saturday, September 26, in Pedro Luro. Andrea Pérez Simondini, founding member of Argentina's CEFORA (Commission for the Study of the UFO Phenomenon), announced the find on the program Nunca es Tarde. She and researcher Daniel Lecomte tracked the document down, and the presentation promises new testimonies and fresh documentation as well.

The night in question

On September 23, 1978, Acevedo and Moya were competing in the Vuelta a la América del Sud, a ten-country driving marathon. Somewhere on the road from Viedma toward Bahía Blanca, they say, a light of tremendous intensity came up behind them and flooded the cabin. They first assumed it was the headlights of the German competitors' Mercedes. Then came a jolt, and the sensation that the car was rising.

By their account, the Citroën was lifted several meters into the air. When they came to, they had lost all sense of time and place, and the car was facing the opposite direction from the one they'd been traveling.

The details that don't add up

The strangeness didn't end there. At a service station down the road, the pilots found their fuel tank nearly empty, even though they had filled up in Viedma. Another competitor rolled in one hour and 45 minutes later and said he had lost sight of the Citroën along the route. Shaken, the two men went to the Pedro Luro police station, filed an official report, and asked for a police escort to Bahía Blanca. That report is the document now coming to light.

What the researchers dug up

Pérez Simondini's team went beyond the report itself. They gathered records on departure times, refueling stops, and the progress of the race, plus material from the Argentine Automobile Club's central archive, participant rankings, and testimony from people who helped organize the rally. Based on the timing evidence, she maintains that a stretch of 70 to 80 kilometers of road cannot be accounted for by the participants. She also says the new material lets researchers re-examine the versions of the story that have circulated for decades.

The event was also set to include a virtual appearance by members of Carlos Acevedo's family, along with the handover of a certified copy of the report, which will stay in Pedro Luro. "We believe this is the place where it should be displayed," Pérez Simondini said, promising "new evidence and previously undisclosed testimonies."

A missing tank of fuel, a missing stretch of highway, and a police report that sat unseen for decades: this case may be getting more interesting, not less.

[For more information on this case, please refer to the 2014 article published in INEXPLICATA;  https://inexplicata.blogspot.com/2014/01/argentina-police-report-documents-1978.html

[Translation ©2026 Inexplicata with thanks to Gloria Raquel] 

Mexico: A Year of UFO and Paranormal Reports in 2024

 

Source: INFOBAE

Date: 12.31.2024

Article by Mariana L. Martínez

Mexico: A Year of UFO and Paranormal Reports in 2024

Unusual lights in the sky—those that don’t look like the moon, stars, or aircraft—drew widespread attention in 2024. Several sightings spread rapidly online, including reports that remain unexplained or have become connected to local folklore. Interpretations have ranged from natural phenomena to paranormal or extraterrestrial theories

.“Fire witches” over La Teresona Hill

Residents have reported seeing glowing, round objects over La Teresona Hill in Toluca, in the State of Mexico. Witnesses describe the lights as yellow or orange, sometimes disappearing in what appears to be a burst.
Locally known as brujas de fuego, or “fire witches,” the lights have intrigued residents and social media users. Videos said to show the phenomenon have circulated widely online.
Reports of the lights date back decades, and explanations vary. Some accounts have associated them with Santería, Satanism, extraterrestrial activity, or energy portals. Others have suggested a natural cause. One possibility raised by experts is that the glowing spheres could be electromagnetic structures produced by lightning—similar phenomena have been discussed elsewhere.

INFOBAE also referenced a Nature article, cited by the newspaper El Tiempo in 1996, that considered links between such lights and thunderstorms. Researchers Antonio Fernández-Ranada and José Luis Trueba of the Complutense University of Madrid proposed that the lights might involve ionized air, which can form during electrical discharges.

Possible UFOs reported over Saltillo
 A photograph showing five shiny, silver-colored spheres arranged in a Y-like formation over Saltillo, Coahuila, prompted discussion among UFO enthusiasts and other social media users. The image was reportedly taken in August 2024, though it attracted widespread attention about a month later.
Rafael Gaitan told INFOBAE México that he saw the objects at approximately 9:45 a.m. south of Saltillo, near the mountains. He described the spheres as metallic and reflective. Because their origin has not been officially identified, they have been described as UFOs. So far, however, there is no evidence establishing that they were—or were not—non-human technology.

Reports of similar objects have also come from Tamaulipas and Veracruz, including sightings in 2022. The Saltillo image was widely shared on Facebook, particularly in groups devoted to UFO-related topics.

[Translation©2026 Inexplicata, with thanks to Mariana Martinez and INFOBAE.]

Spain: The Alleged UFO That Brought Valladolid to a Standstill in 1965

 Source: Tribuna de Valladolid
Date: 26-Sep-2026
An Article by Miguel Angel Fernández

The Day Valladolid Looked to the Sky: The Alleged UFO That Brought the City to a Standstill in 1965

Valladolid was in a festive mood that Thursday, September 16, 1965. The San Mateo celebrations filled the streets, and the city was enjoying one of those afternoons where attention was focused on the holiday program. Yet, for a few hours, something caused a large number of Valladolid residents to forget what was happening on the ground and turn their gaze toward the sky.

A large, luminous object had appeared over the city. Those who observed it described a triangular silhouette—whitish or silvery—that seemed to remain virtually motionless while swaying slowly. It was neither a fleeting flash nor something that vanished in seconds; the phenomenon remained visible for hours and could be seen from various points in Valladolid and neighboring provinces.

The following day, *El Norte de Castilla* featured the incident on its front page. The report noted the numerous calls the newsroom received from readers eager to know what they had seen overhead. The newspaper described an object of unidentified origin and recounted how residents had rushed into the streets and out onto balconies and terraces to track its movements.

The story would go on to become one of the best-known episodes in Spanish ufology. Yet, behind the label of "UFO" (Unidentified Flying Object) lies a far more down-to-earth tale: that of a city looking up at the heavens, a pilot attempting to approach the object, a priest training a telescope on the strange body, and various hypotheses that—six decades later—remain part of the story.

A Triangle Over the Pisuerga
Subsequent reconstructions place the start of the sighting around four in the afternoon, although the surviving accounts show discrepancies regarding the exact time. Some sources place the phenomenon later in the afternoon, around 5:30 PM. However, the various accounts agree on one thing: its extraordinary duration.

The object appeared to be at a high altitude and had a shape that particularly surprised those who observed it through optical instruments. Later accounts describe a triangular, metallic-looking structure featuring a sort of central dome or protrusion and small extensions at the tips.

News of the event was not confined to Valladolid; sightings were also reported from towns such as Tudela de Duero and Boecillo, as well as other parts of Castile. An estimate published at the time by *Semana* magazine suggested that around 300,000 people across various locations might have witnessed the phenomenon. This figure should be viewed as a journalistic estimate from that era rather than an actual headcount of witnesses.

The pilot who decided to approach
One element that has particularly fueled the legend is the appearance of a uniquely qualified witness: Heliodoro Carrión, a civil aviation pilot.

According to accounts later gathered by various researchers, Carrión was flying over the Tordesillas area when he received a radio report from the vicinity of Villanubla regarding a bright, triangular craft. The pilot decided to head toward the indicated location.

His description largely matched that of the witnesses on the ground. Carrión reported seeing a "whitish" object that seemed to oscillate slowly and rotate on its axis. He also recounted being able to visually compare it with a passing airliner, noting that the strange object had a wingspan several times larger.

The incident thus took on a particularly striking dimension: it was no longer just a matter of hundreds of people gazing at a bright point in the sky, but also involved the testimony of an aviation professional who claimed to have approached the object. The priest who turned a telescope toward the sky
Another key figure in the story appeared at the Arcas Reales school: Father Antonio Felices, a Dominican friar and teacher with a background in physics and astronomy.

Alerted to the object's presence, Felices went to the laboratory and set up a four-inch telescope. His letter to Father Severino Machado—dated September 18 in Valladolid, just two days after the sighting—would eventually become one of the most frequently cited documents regarding the case.

Through the telescope, Felices claimed to see something very different from a mere point of light. He described a massive triangular craft featuring an elongated central structure and fin-like appendages at the ends. He also stated that the object appeared to be swaying slowly.

The Dominican friar estimated the object to be of extraordinary size and produced a drawing based on his observations. His testimony would be revisited years later by specialized publications and programs dedicated to the UFO phenomenon.

The letter is particularly interesting for another reason. Felices claimed that the object remained in the sky until approximately 8:05 PM, at which point it began to gain altitude and eventually disappeared.

An unknown craft or something far more terrestrial?
The term 'UFO' does not necessarily mean 'extraterrestrial spacecraft.' In its original sense, it simply describes a flying object whose identity has not been determined. And that is precisely where the true mystery of the Valladolid incident lay.

The press of the time sought explanations almost from the very beginning. *El Norte de Castilla* proposed possibilities such as an unknown artificial satellite or a large weather balloon. They also consulted meteorologist Vicente Oliver Narbona, who pointed to a far less spectacular possibility: a small 'nacreous cloud' (or 'mother-of-pearl cloud'), a type of stratospheric formation capable of displaying brilliant reflections.

Over the years, however, the stratospheric balloon hypothesis gained traction. A subsequent investigation linked the incident to a French scientific balloon launched from the National Centre for Space Studies (CNES) facility in Aire-sur-l'Adour. That French center was dedicated specifically to launching stratospheric balloons for scientific experiments and had been operational since 1964.

According to this theory, the balloon would have traveled across the Iberian Peninsula, driven by high-altitude winds. The investigation further notes that, a few days later, a balloon was found in Almería bearing instructions in French and references to a scientific operation named 'Nimbus 91.'

However, there is a problem that necessitates caution: the available sources do not fully agree on the identification of the object or the exact launch dates. Historical flight records from Aire-sur-l'Adour indicate a launch involving a spark chamber on September 17, 1965, whereas research linking the Valladolid incident to the 'Nimbus 91' balloon points to a launch on the 15th.

Therefore, the balloon explanation stands as a reasonable, well-documented hypothesis, but not as definitive proof of what the people of Valladolid actually saw.

The mystery that outlasted 1965
The curious thing about the case is that time did not erase the story. Quite the opposite; the sighting was revisited over the decades by specialized publications, ufologists, and television programs.

In 1978, the program *Más allá* (Beyond), hosted by Fernando Jiménez del Oso, dedicated a segment on UFO sightings in Spain specifically to the Valladolid case of September 1965, centering the broadcast on various eyewitness accounts.

The British magazine *Flying Saucer Review* also covered the incident, publishing details about the object observed by Father Felices, including data attributed to instruments at the Villanubla airfield.

Thus, that bright point of light became a small part of Valladolid's collective memory. The enduring image is almost cinematic: a festive afternoon, a city gazing upward, balconies crowded with onlookers, a pilot veering off course to approach the object, and a priest setting up a telescope in a schoolyard to try and identify what he was seeing.

Perhaps it was a French scientific balloon reflecting the sun's final rays. Perhaps there is another meteorological or astronomical explanation. Or perhaps, one day, a document will surface that finally closes the book on the incident.

What is undeniably part of Valladolid's history is not the proven presence of an extraterrestrial craft flying over the city—something the available sources do not support—but rather the event itself. What is truly documented is that, for several hours on September 16, 1965, thousands of people believed they were witnessing something they could not identify. And during that afternoon, in a city celebrating its festivities, the sky became the main attraction.

[Special thanks to Gloria Raquel, Miguel Angel Fernández and Tribuna de Valladolid]

V.J. Ballester Olmos: An Interview with the Witness to the Villares del Saz Landing, 1953

 

Interview conducted by Dr. Antonio Bueno with Máximo Muñoz regarding the Villares del Saz (Cuenca) case, July 1, 1953. The interview likely took place in 1979. This is a verbatim transcription of the handwritten notes prepared to report the details to Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos.

 I don't think what I'm about to tell you will clarify anything; quite the opposite, in fact. Well, Máximo lives in Villares del Saz with his wife and son and still works as a truck driver. He wasn't there when we arrived; he was at his father-in-law's house in Palomares del Campo, a nearby village. We arranged to contact him this way: since my companion, José Luis Solano, and Máximo Muñoz own the same type of truck, José Luis was going to ask him about some alleged mechanical issues with his vehicle. My presence was justified by the fact that José Luis is a rally driver with a modified race car, and the plan was for me to test-drive it. Once we found him, we went to a bar in Palomares for coffee and drinks. We spent an hour discussing truck-driving issues, and several other drivers joined the conversation. Later, José Luis—whom Máximo considers family, as their respective parents are second cousins—mentioned that he had seen Máximo's name in a UFO book belonging to his brother.

Máximo replied that his name had also been mentioned on radio and television, and he began to recount what had happened. He told us that when he was 11 years old, a craft belonging to the people who live on the Moon descended to where he was. He said that three men—looking like us but only about a meter tall, dressed in blue with harnesses and boots—stepped out of the craft. They spoke a language resembling French or some other foreign tongue; he didn't understand a word. They gave him a pat on the face, then leapt back into the craft, which shot straight up—just as it had arrived—making the same noise: like a large bird taking flight or an electric motor running. Naturally, I asked him about the craft; he described it as looking like a *tinaja* (a large earthenware jar) with a capacity of 200 *arrobas*. He pointed to a cognac glass as a reference, noting it had three legs and a hatch on the upper side through which the beings exited and re-entered in a single bound (moving like astronauts on the Moon—appearing weightless).

The marks left behind included the imprints of the craft's legs—round, about 8 to 10 cm in diameter and 4 to 5 cm deep—as well as footprints (which were shaped like human feet but smaller, like those of children). (A 200-*arroba* jar stands approximately 3 meters tall.) He insisted that the three beings who descended were men—that there were no women among them—and that it was obvious they were men just like us. He told me there were also three witnesses—three women who were doing laundry—but that neither he nor they ever reported the incident. He also noted that the three animals accompanying him just stood there staring; it seemed something had been done to the animals to keep them from getting spooked (though he didn't know exactly what). He went home and told his story, remaining unwell for quite some time.

 The governor, a captain, and a Guardia Civil corporal visited the landing site. Because he was so young, they didn't jail him—though they would have if he’d been an adult. The captain took him into a room and interrogated him; he insisted it was true. The authorities saw the tracks and took measurements; either the governor or the Guardia Civil has those records now. He also told me that for a month, he kept a "radio" under his bed—installed by the Guardia Civil—to hear what was being said at night. He kept reliving the event, even in his dreams. He mentioned that a few days earlier, six young men had come to his house, but his brother had sent them away. An acquaintance named Plaza—a Radio Barcelona host who does an early-morning show and was born in this region, in Carrascosa del Campo—has tried calling him on air, giving him a phone number so he could discuss the topic. Naturally, he has no intention of doing so, citing two reasons:

 1st: "Back then, they didn't pay attention to me, but now that things have changed, they come looking for me. Well, too bad for them; they should have listened to me at the time. It’s the same thing that happened to Christopher Columbus with the discovery of America."

2nd: "'They' can listen to the radio or watch TV, find out where I am, and kill me." Anyway, we couldn't talk any longer; I had to head home because I was on duty. However, we arranged to talk another Sunday. Regarding his character:

 A- He struck me as spontaneous in his responses, never lying, though he did modify the facts when making comparisons between the past and his current technical knowledge.

 B- The impression left by the event persists; he still feels fear, firmly believes in the beings involved, and thinks that in a few years they will be among us.

 C- According to his friends, his current personality is quite fanciful.

D- Ultimately, the event did take place. He is currently unaware of my intention to gather data on the case; had he known, he would not have answered me at such length or so spontaneously. “talking about Luis”.

[Translation (c) 2026 Inexplicata with thanks to Vicente Juan Ballester Olmos] 

Colombia: The Paranormal Stories of Armero

 Source: INFOBAE

Date: November 23, 2025

An article by Johan Manuel Largo

Paranormal stories of Armero: tales that cross the boundary between tragedy and the inexplicable

Years after the avalanche, stories of goblins, witches, and benevolent presences circulate among those who dare to explore the old town, adding new layers of mystery.

In the early hours of November 13, 1985, Armero, Tolima, was buried under tons of mud from the Nevado del Ruiz volcano. The avalanche wiped this prosperous town off the map, claiming between 23,000 and 25,000 lives and forever transforming Colombia's collective memory.

Four decades later, the silence of its ruins is not absolute; supernatural tales continue to circulate among visitors and former residents, fueling the mystery that envelops Armero. These are some of the accounts reported and documented by Howard Gutiérrez of *Conexión Enigma*.

The Scarecrow

One afternoon, a family decided to tour the ruins of Armero, including the famous grave of Omaira, the cemetery, and the destroyed hospital. Despite warnings to remain respectful, the children began to play: one of them picked up bones in the cemetery and threw them at his cousin; later, he put on a necklace taken from one of the graves and, laughing, ran off down the hillside.

Shortly after, the boy began screaming for help, saying something was chasing him. Panic mounted when the cousin vanished before everyone's eyes. Only the witness's son insisted that a man dressed as a scarecrow had snatched him. Guided by the screams only the boy claimed to hear, they found their cousin in a state of shock—his eyes rolled back and his body rigid—beneath a tree.

As they tried to free him, they discovered a strange necklace that was difficult to remove; while they struggled to break it, the guttural cry of a bird echoed overhead. They finally managed to break the necklace amidst prayers, and the boy eventually recovered, insisting that something—to him, a witch—had tried to take him away. Since then, his family has dreaded memories of Armero, convinced that something inhuman haunts its paths.

The Goblin

A story dating back to the 1970s in the old town of Armero recounts the experience of three children playing near the cemetery. While squabbling over a swing, they spotted a tiny doll moving at high speed and darting into a hollow beneath a log. Driven by curiosity and playfulness, they tried to flush it out by throwing stones and poking it with a stick, but the doll responded by grabbing the stick with supernatural strength.

At that moment, the figure began to grow, transforming into the silhouette of a wrinkled old man with a white beard and strange clothing. Fear paralyzed them until a terrifying scream sent them running. The terror left them with a ringing in their ears that lasted for three days. Years later, the mother of one of the boys identified the figure as an evil goblin—similar to those seen in movies—insisting that the vision had been real and that they never forgot it.

The Doctor

Not all supernatural experiences in Armero are tinged with horror. A woman struggling with suspected witchcraft and a complicated pregnancy visited the site where Pope John Paul II had prayed for the victims of the tragedy. During her visit, she claims, she was surrounded by luminous energies and saw a man dressed in white who looked like a doctor but had wings made of light.

The being spoke to her, assuring her that she was healed and that, in the afterlife, anyone can become an angel if they live in harmony with God. Her mother and brother also witnessed the lights, and a sense of relief washed over them. Later, they learned that the woman who had been harming them had fallen into misfortune that very same day. For this family, the episode was a revelation that benevolent forces also inhabit Armero: “There are not only evil spirits but also the souls of people who help and watch over others.”

On the farm

In the rural areas of Tolima, another story unfolds. A man recounts how, on a dark night—after an argument regarding the care of a pregnant relative—he was pedaling back to the farm on a broken-down bicycle. Suddenly, a man dressed in black and wearing a hat appeared beside a tree and asked for a light. As he lit the man’s tobacco, sparks briefly illuminated the stranger's face, yet he could not recognize him.

After the brief encounter, a gust of icy wind made him shudder; he felt that the man was not of this world. Driven by terror, he raced back to the farm in one go, despite his damaged bicycle. Upon arrival, he could barely speak, as if an invisible force had taken away his voice. His alarmed cousin managed to calm him down. That night, fear kept them from sleeping. The question lingered in the air: who—or what—had crossed his path in the heart of rural Tolima?

The girl

The strange nature of Armero also affects unsuspecting travelers. A family from Antioquia was making their way up the Nevado del Ruiz when, without veering off course, the landscape turned inhospitable: the signal was lost, the camera malfunctioned, and an overwhelming sense of dread gripped them as they advanced through terrain increasingly ravaged by sulfur. Upon returning, they realized they had lost several hours and ended up at a nearby hostel, where the owners informed them that the path they had taken was the one leading to the old town of Armero.

That night, neither wanted to go back near the area; they only returned to the mountain the following day, dismissing the incident as a mere anecdote. Yet, the unease never truly left them: the sensation of lost time, disorientation, and fear remains vivid in their memories. Some attribute it to fate and the volcano’s environment, while others point to something beyond explanation.

Amidst the ruins and the mist, Armero lives on in the memories and voices of those who traverse its territory—a place where pain, faith, and mystery intertwine. Whether there is truth to these stories is for each visitor to decide for themselves upon stepping onto the soil where the past still whispers and the supernatural seems but a step away from reality.

[With thanks to INFOBAE and Johan Manuel Largo]