Friday, November 24, 2006

Spain: UFO over the Canary Islands?

Source: Canarias 24 Horas

Date: 11.22.06

TENERIFE - A number of phone calls have been received by this newsroom from the Tacoronte sector in northern Tenerife, reporting - not without a degree of nervousness - sightings of strange lights on Tuesday evening. Some of the witnesses have spoken openly of UFOs. Those who claim having witnessed this phenomenon report that even household appliances have died for a few seconds and others report seeing static white lights diving into the Tacorontan coast.

This is hardly the first time that various witnesses report seeing "strange" things in the sky, moving at high speed among the stars or emerging from the bottom of the sea.
According to experts consulted by Canarias24horas.com, the lights are nothing more than satellites, which give the impression of being stars despite their rapid movement.

The lights entering and exiting the ocean are interpreted by some as large shooting stars that never reach the Earth's surface and vanish into the horizon; some reports mentioned green, blue and red lights - colors proper to a shooting star as it enters our atmosphere. As far as what was seen on Tuesday, the evidence points to a series of helicopters which were flying over the area. Two of these late model aircraft were surveying the coastline between northern Tenerife and the island of La Palma.

But what caused the household appliances to fail? The explanation is a simple one, and appears to be connected to the impending visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain to the Canaries.

This isn't the first that the passing of a royal motorcade on a highway causes all appliances liable to perceive or emit radio signals to stop working for a few seconds. Refrigerators also shut down. This effect is produced by devices known as signal inhibitors, which mask anything that could represent a safety hazard to a head of state. Iceboxes shut down because they signal inhibitors cannot distinguish between one appliance and another. Even the Internet is disconnected.

Could this be the answer to the experiences of Tacoronte's residents on Tuesday? We can only say that for the Royal Family's security detail, shutting off devices at a distance is mere childs' play.

(translation (c) 2006, S. Corrales, IHU)

Venezuela: Triangular UFO Over Caracas

Source: Archivos Forteanos Latinoamericanos
Date: 11/24/06

VENEZUELA: TRIANGULAR UFO OVER CARACAS
***A report from Hector Escalante***

CARACAS - November 2006. Three people witnessed the transit of a triangular UFO on November 16 as it passed over a state banking institution located on Av. Urdaneta, bordering the central district of Caracas, the Venezuelan capital.

According to information provided by Israel Urbaneja, the appearance of this strange object lasted from 9:30 to 10:00 PM approximately, allowing two of his relatives to join the observation from their home on Av. Baralt.

Likewise, he said that the object "was white in color but presented luminous variations of blue, red and green" and moved with a "zig-zagging" motion from south to north over the capital area's airspace until it became lost in the clouds, which was present at all times, althought with various degrees of clearing, accompanied by heavy rains earlier during the day.

"This is the first time that I've seen anything like it and I'm certain it wasn't an airplane or satellite by the way it moved. Furthermore, the object left a glowing, cone-shaped white wake as it flew, which caused a sensation akin to nausea," said the witness.

It should be noticed that this is not the first time that an unknown object with intelligent behavior has been seen over the central district of the Venezuelan capital, where major government offices are located.

Other witnesses have reported the presence of similar objects near the presidential palace and Fort Tiuna (army garrison) on Paseo de los Proceres, as well as in the vicinity of the majestic El Avila National Park to the north of Caracas.

[Translator's note - the health effects produced by flybys of these triangular objects have been reported in other cases, both in the US and abroad].

(translation (c) 2006, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Jose Martinez, ARGUS-PR and Liliana Nunez (AFLA)

Friday, November 17, 2006

UMMO AT BAY: Jose Luis Jordan Peña Discusses the Greatest UFO Hoax of the 20th Century

UMMO AT BAY: Jose Luis Jordan Peña Discusses the Greatest UFO Hoax of the 20th Century
Interview by David Cuevas and Victor Ortega, Transcribed by Felix Armengol
Courtesy of Manuel Carballal, El Ojo Critico No.52
Translated by Scott Corrales, Inexplicata

Interviewers: If we're talking about paranormal hoaxes, and you had to name one, we imagine that it would be one that you yourself had looked into. Which would you choose?

Jordan Pena: Well, I'd pick UMMO. But it's not a hoax! It's not a hoax because I cautioned many times throughout all the reports that people shouldn't believe me. That they shouldn't believe a single word of it. That's why I say it's not a hoax, like in the Jules Verne novels.

In: What would be the particular highlights of this case?

JP: Well...see...look here: UMMO was in fact aimed at a semi-elite crowd. Lawyers, engineers, physicists, doctors and biologists.

In: Don Jose Luis, a lot has been written about UMMO, and the conclusion was reached that those letters, sent to a bunch of personalities, scientists and even policemen from the 1960s in Spain, were letters signed under the identity of beings from the planet...

JP: Extraterrestrials, aliens...

In: Exactly, from the planet UMMO itself. The fact is that much was written about that. We even recall that the "aliens" themselves would make phone calls to radio shows and [would agree] to brief interviews. Much has been written, and in the end the conclusion has been reached that it was all some sort of sociological experiment...or a hoax.

JP: Yes indeed. A social experiment to test individuals of a scientific background. And there were many "victims", victims in quotes, due to the fact that they believed it all.

In: Jose Luis, from our point of view, the entire UMMO hoax represents a set up that I cannot believe you managed all by yourself. Did you have any help?

JP: Three UFO landing marks were seen in Aluche. They even had some radioactive substances. The radioactives were provided by some friends, yes.

In: you remarked that it was a sociological experiment, but there was a ufologist - the very first ufologist in Spain, as we understand - Oscar Rey Brea, who through some allegedly true photographs, managed to prove they were fakes.

JP: Yes, they were fake.

In: They had been shot with a tripod and..

JP: Of course, of course. He was one of the few ufologists who realized it.

In: That's what's interesting. That at a social level, everyone believed in the UMMO phenomenon, but the persons who should have believed, that is, certain ufologists, were the most skeptical.

JP: They were the ones who doubted. But not all ufologists. Some doubted or realized the fraud. The UFO phenomenon, the OVNI phenomenon, Unidentified Flying Objects, it's all a hoax. Ufologists do not realize that 100% of all these cases are hoaxes.

In: But how...how could you prove that, Jose Luis? A man with as much mileage as you have?

JP: Just a moment. I'm not proving anything; science proves it. Science runs away from the subject. For example, a scientist like Sagan...laughs it off. There are no serious scientists - none - who believe in ufology. The studies of Dr. Edward U Condon, an American scientist, demystified the UFO phenomenon.

In: Saying they could be atmospheric phenomena.

JP: Atmospheric phenomena, globe lightning, missile explosions or weather balloons.

In: The fact is that science doesn't want to look into anything called "paranormal".

JP: Excuse me - science investigates. Look...there have been exhaustive studies. We have four million UFO accounts. None - I repeat, none - has been proven in spite of the vast amount. We have four million reports, all right? Not a single one has crossed the borders of science.

In: It's a really interesting opinion. The fact is that UFOs, that is, unidentified flying objects, are there. Whether they come from elsewhere...is something that hasn't been proven to date. That's evidence...

JP: Just a minute, just a minute...unidentified flying objects exist. Of course they exist! An airplane at 10 kilometers is an unidentified object.

In: Yes, of course, until the contrary can be proven...

JP: I am a complete skeptic and I defend those who believe. I defend those who believe in UFOs and those who believe in the paranormal. One thing is for me not to believe, and another to know that people need to believe.

In: Yes, in a way you perhaps tried to do this with the UMMO hoax, isn't that right, Jose Luis?

JP: Of course. But that's why say [people] should exercise caution. We have people like Benitez, Juanjo Benitez, a good friend of mine who believes in UFOS. And who believes in UMMO! Of course, he has the right (...) and I congratulate them for their belief. For their belief and their faith. I sincerely congratulate them. Up to now I have yet to find a scientific basis to any phenomenon, but if there was something that could prove a phenomenon, I would of course believe.

In: Do you, Jose Luis Jordan Peña, believe that the UMMO phenomenon escaped from your control and in a certain way, much harm could've come to people who believed it to the end?

JP: Yes, absolutely. My statements saying that it was false, that UMMO was a fallacy, [came about] when I learned that the "Edelweiss" sect had caused some children harm by branding them with the UMMO emblem. Unfortunately, there is no belief that can be considered entirely harmless. In fact, it has harmed some people. I'd say only a few, but yes, it has harmed them.

P: Do you regret having staged the UMMO hoax?

JP: I do not regret having started it. I regret having made the truth known. Let's see. You have some kids. And you give the kids presents for Three Kings Day, or from Santa Claus if you're in North America. What a delight it is to see the joy of those children who believe in Santa Claus or the Three Kings! Now imagine that an older kid comes along - a jerk, because you'd have to be one - who tells them: "Don't believe it! It's your parents who give you presents! There are no Three Kings or Santa Claus!" It's downright brutal, isn't it?

In: If you had to organize this subject again, would you do it as before or would you change some details?

JP: No,no. I'm sure that I would never dare again. We have detected a number of misadventures suffered by innocent people. That's ungodly.

In: But that has occurred in the world of religions and in the music world as well. There are always people who cross the limit.

JP: True. The UMMO case has not caused wholesale harm. On the contrary, [many] have benefited from the knowledge we have conveyed in the reports. But there are a small number of people who've been affected...

In: Yes, the illusions of many people were toyed with after believing in such a strange and controversial matter as UMMO. And to close the subject, Jose Luis, we have always had this question and we've always wanted to ask you: Were you ever aided by any official agency when it came to setting up [the UMMO affair]?

JP: Let's see here...you're asking me a very sensitive question. I can already say that no Spanish government agency helped me. CSED, for example, the information service of the old CESID. There was no help from Spanish officialdom, but the question extends to other countries, and I would sooner remain silent.

In: In closing, we'd like to ask you over a phenomenon that's all the rage and which you researched from the outset. What's your first thought whenever I mention Belmez de la Moraleda?

JP: Ahh, well...that was a heroic effort by Maria Gomez de Camara, who passed away. In the kitchen of her living room (sic), a living room measuring two point eighty meters by two point eighty meters, some faces did appear. Yes. What we learned was that their origin wasn't paranormal, but the believe in the Otherworld is so widespread that it's hard to refute it. People believe, and it's useless to devote scientific reasoning to the matter.
# # # #

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Argentina: UFO over Necochea

ARGENTINA: UFO OVER NECOCHEA
**A Report From Guillermo Gimenez, Planeta UF0**
On a clear starry night, several families from Necochea were witnesses to the transit of a large circular object that irradiated a considerable number of whitish-blue lights at 21:30 hours on Tuesday, November 14 (2006).
The object, flying at a low altitude, passed over the city of Necochea in southeastern Buenos Aires province, coming in from the west in a completely silent manner with a powerful beam of light, losing itself toward the south, heading toward the sea. People in the beach area were astonished by the object's transit on a cloud-free night.
Surely other people in other parts of the city of Necochea were also treated to the sight of this low-flying UFO.
When local airport sources were contacted, they confirmed that no conventional artifact had flown over the city at night.
(translation (c) 2006, S. Corrales, IHU)

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Mexico: Flying Saucer Reported Over Chihuahua

Date: 11-13-06
MEXICO: FLYING SAUCER REPORTED OVER CHIHUAHUA
*** Observation lasted nearly half an hour***
SAUCILLO - Residents of Las Varas had the surprise of their lives when almost at the stroke of midnight on Thursday, they looked into the clear skies to see an enormous flying saucer moving from one point to another with great ease - an exhibition that lasted nearly half an hour.
Among the fortunate few who were able to videotape the event was Jesus Jose Melendez Hermosilo, a correspondent for Televisa in Chihuahua, who lives in the aforementioned district.
The video shows an enormous flying saucer traveling with certain ease through the sky, something that can even an airplane from our own planet can hardly do.

Among the discoverers of this find are officers of the municipal police, who saw a light darting around the sky when they looked up. Finally, the UFO vanished into the clear skies over Saucillo, leaving behind a video where its entire path can can be seen.

(translation (c) 2006 Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Ana Luisa Cid and Alex Astua)

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Salvador Freixedo: The War Against the Gods

[Also from our files - an article by Scott Corrales on Spanish paranormalist Salvador Freixedo]

He has challenged the might of the Catholic Church, been a witness to phantom animals up close, photographed the carcasses of freshly mutilated heads of cattle and climbed the heights of a mountain in search of alien contact until driven back by sonic booms. His books have examined every aspect of the UFO phenomenon and suggested frightening new theories. His personal archives contain Super-8 footage of a UFO seen during a christening in Spain, and a polychromatic sliver of metal left behind by an alien vehicle. He has been present while alien visitors held a conversation with a contactee, after having "beamed into" the apartment.

Salvador Freixedo is certainly not an "armchair ufologist."

Respected for his ideas and erudition, the combative ex-Jesuit priest (he was granted an "ad divinis" suspension by the bishops of Puerto Rico on account of his controversial book Mi Iglesia Duerme in 1968) has investigated some of the most mind-bending cases on record in South America and Spain. The government of Ecuador discreetly solicited his advice concerning UFOs in the late 1970s, following a rash of aircraft disappearances over the Andes--some of them within range of the airport traffic tower. On the other hand, he was accused by Mexican authorities of inciting a panic when he personally investigated a number of deaths that had occurred in San Luis Potosí (north of Mexico City) in which the blood had been extracted form the victims in almost vampiric fashion.

There is no room for cowardice, intellectual or otherwise, in Freixedo's writings. He has openly stated his dissatisfaction toward "official science", as he terms it, and its refusal to take an interest in paranormal and overtly supernatural phenomena which occur everyday on our planet, and what is even worse, suppressing the research efforts of other scientists who have manifested an interest in the phenomenon.

The translation of Visionaries, Mystics and Contactees (Illuminet Press, 1992) permits those unable to read him in the original Spanish to sink their teeth into the life work of a man who has been hailed by his peers as a source of information and inspiration.

Visionaries, Mystics and Contactees can be considered to be the first book in a "tetralogy" that explores in chilling detail--backed up by human legend and contactee lore--that Man is merely a creature of the gods, immensely powerful and non-corporeal entities who have masqueraded for centuries as the God. The worst offender among this gallery of entities is the biblical Yahweh, Freixedo tells us in Israel: pueblo contacto (Israel: the contactee nation). These gods (always with a small "g") avail themselves of humanity much in the same way that we make use of animals: we kill them without hesitation for their meat and hides, but we do so with little, if any, animosity. Earth is a farm of the gods, he writes, and they exploit us for two things--blood and the waves emitted by our brains when we are either in pain or suffering. He has said of these "gods" in a recent television appearance:

...the ones from within have always been here and have created humanity much in the same way it has bred animals. They have toyed with us since the beginning. [...] Some dwell in giant spaceships, others beneath the earth, some 100 to 1000 meters below the surface. Others are totally invisible as they move among us...

The last two books in this tetralogy, the monumental ! Defendámonos de los dioses! (Defying the deities) and La Granja Humana (The human farm) expand on this theory, providing case histories and commentary on a graphic, and often grisly, theory.
Padre Freixedo has never backed away from controversy. In 1979, he squared off against Puerto Rican ufologist-contactee Orlando Rimacs in a lengthy and unprecedented radio debate in which he stated that the only truly human race was the black race. By popular demand, the debate was rebroadcast at a later date and was even carried over Spanish-language radio stations in New York City. In the 1950's, Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista asked him to leave that country in the wake of having penned 40 casos de injusticia social: examen de conciencia para cristianos distraídos (40 cases of social unjustice--a soul-searching exam for forgetful christians). Almost twenty years later, Mitos religiosos en las relaciones humanas, a book on human relationships emphasizing the myths created by Catholicism, landed him in jail in Venezuela.

Yet it was precisely in that country where Freixedo stumbled upon one of his most amazing cases: he made the acquaintance of a woman named Lula, a society hostess who had left her husband to marry a superhuman, if not outright supernatural, individual named Jorge. Upon the latter's untimely death; a medical exam revealed that the man had lived without lungs! Jorge's uncanny talents and his jokes of coming from "another world" were no longer a laughing matter. An autopsy was forbidden at the time, but the enigmatic personage was known to hundreds of witnesses. When Freixedo returned to Venezuela in later years to attend the exhumation of the body, he learned that Lula had disappeared off the face of the earth. The fascination that sex holds for non-humans he states thus: "...they are interested in three aspects of humanity: the generational, the genetic and the genital. I do not know the reason for this. What we have to do is conscientiously study the facts...there are many reasons why some entities are more interested than others in these matters. One group, the small ones, is becoming extinct. They have lost their reproductive ability; they claim, due to wars, atomic wars, which is why they are trying to stop them here. This has destroyed them genitally--they can no longer attempt male/female reproduction like we do here. They are all clones, which is why they resemble each other...they say it is not exactly cloning, but a similar process."

While no stranger to the U.S. (he has taught and studied here), American audiences were first able to hear his message directly at the First World UFO Congress held in Phoenix AZ in May 1991. His presentation, entitled "Gods and Spacemen", was well received by the audience. More recently, he has appeared on the Spanish-language television shows like the Cristina show as part of a panel of experts on the phenomenon.

The message of Visionaries, Mystics and Contactees remains a constant throughout his later works: Never turn over your mind to anything or anyone, not religions, politicians, cult leaders or anyone else. The brain, he explains, is the only means we have at our disposal to wrestle against the dominion of the gods. In an age when people are all to willing to surrender themselves to a cause, an ideology or a faith, Freixedo's words come as sound advice.

UFOs in Portugal

[Going through the files, we came across a hitherto unpublished article by IHU co-founder and Mexico correspondent Dr. Rafael Lara Palmeros. It was written in the late '90s, but the information is by no means dated.]

Unusual Heavenly Phenomena in Portugal: A Historical Roundup
by Dr. Rafael A. Lara Palmeros, CEFP (Mexico)

Portugal is no exception when it comes to unusual heavenly phenomena. For many years now, and in a number of countries, these events which have become known as UFOS, were called "pillars of fire", "sky monsters", "circular luminous bodies", etc.
The following is a presentation of some of these extraordinary phenomena:
* Estación de Casa Blanca, Montemor el Nuevo. 14 September 1946: At 4 p.m. on this day, an enormous disk casting off a greenish iridescence appeared in the skies over this community. The strange phenomenon, which was witnessed by a great number of railroad passengers, remained motionless for approximately 5 minutes after which it turned southward before vanishing altogether (1).
* Viana de Costelo, 17 September 1946. Shortly after 21:00 hours, a luminous body much greater and shinier than a star passed over this city, traveling in a north/south direction. The phenomenon was a cause for great wonderment among the population, giving rise to opinions among the population that it was somehow related to the some of the "mysterious luminous projectiles which have been mentioned in the press lately." (2).
* Lisbon, 15 December 1946. At approximately 18:40 hours, a curious luminous projectile was seen traveling at an extraordinary altitude, leaving in a brilliant wake in its path. The object followed a southerly trajectory from the northeast. It gave the impression of being some new kind of "flying bomb", having great range and tremendous speed, similar to those which have been reported over the Scandinavian
and international level.
The society has the all-important backing of the Dean of the University of Porto, Prof. Nuno Grande, and of the BIAL Foundation, through its president, Dr. Luis Portela. The society's ogal ist to promote periodic debate and information activity; set forth research protocols as well as cooperation with other like-minded organizations, both domestic and foreign, dedicated to the study of unexplored subjects and situations. One of its most important aims is having innovative scientists and theoreticians visit Portugal to hold seminars and conferences.
The Portuguese Scientific Exploration Society (SPEC) takes this opportunity to notify all interested parties to participate in their first International Symposium on the "Borderline of Science" to be held on October 25 and 26, 1997 at Fernando Pessoa University in Porto. Renown Portuguese and foreign specialists shall take part in this conference, discussing the latest theories, information and experiences in a number of polemical areas with the aim of furthering the frontiers of human knowledge.
The Sociedade Portuguesa de Exploraçao Científica (SPEC) can be reached at: Travessa de Cedofeita, 72, 2do traseiras. 4050 Porto. Caixa Postal 5379.4023 Porto Codex. Portugal.
Portugal is one of the countries having the highest degree of Marian apparitions. It is important to keep the strange phenomena at Fatima in mind along with the strange paranormal manifestations in Ladeira, to mention only two.
On September 6, 1996, church authorities in Barcelos, located in northern Portugal, investigated the alleved appartion of an effigy of Christ on a consecrated host.
The phenomenon took place in the village church of Moure, Barcelos council, during a mass held on May 8, 1996, according to the testimony of father Antonio Miranda, who celebrated mass that day. Miranda claims that the effigy resembles the "Christ of the Azores" and while it cannot be seen clearly, the crown of thorns, shadows resembling weals on its face and hands crossed over its chest can be seen. Father Miranda called father Olavo Teixera and both men reached the conclusion that the effigy seen on the communion wafer is by no means an optical illusion. Their opinion has been corroborated by hundreds of worshippers.
From that day onward, a special service lasting an hour has been taking place on the eighteenth day of each month.
The archdiocese of Braga has confirmed the phenomenon, which has caused great astonishment and curiosity throughout the region, but it has refused to make any official comment on the situation.
A detailed report on the matter has been prepared, and although the Church authorities remain quiet on the matter, they have nevertheless
methodological approaches, seeking the rigorous application of various disciplinary instruments taken from the humanities and from the natural sciences.
CNIFO has and tries to stimulate contacts with academic consultants, and has set up a good relationship with official Portuguese entities, mainly with the Air Force and with the Republican National Guard (similar to Spain's Guardia Civil). Within its limits, it has published a number of journals and assorted monographs which seriously reflect the UFO phenomenon's numerous implications.
The distribution of responsibilities of this association is the following: CNIFO North -- Joaquim Fernandes; CNIFO North/Central -- Eduardo Rui; CNIFO Center/South -- José Sottomayor; CNIFO South -- Leonte Paixao.
Two other notable Portuguese researchers, Cassiano José Monteiro (Villa Nova de Gaia) and engineer Fernando Fernándes (Oporto), who are distinguished members of CNIFO and CEAFI, remain the most thorough sources of information on close encounters, after Joaquim Fernandes.
* Tuesday, January 4, 1977 (00:30 hrs.) Carapito, Guarda (Beira Alta)
C.A.C.M., a technician in an auto plant, was training his German Shepherd dog in a copse of pine trees when the animal exhibited suspiciously and remained close to him. It was then he noticed an object suspended in mid-air at a distance of some 10 meters and at some 10 meters in the air. The object had a metallic, dark, ellipsoid shape and a protuberance resembling a dome which was also dark. The object had a diameter of approximately 6 to 7 meters and made a noise similar to "radio static".
The witness then percieved a humanoid shape standing close to the vehicle: the figure stood around 1.80 or 2 meters and was physically
to another, suddenly ending at a pine grove almost bordering the small rural home.
Elisabete experienced a nervous shock, which may have been the cause of a subsequent heart condition.
At the foot of the hill upon which the witnesses had first seen the creature, researchers discovered a small radioactive area (with measurments of 20 to 30 rads), although it should be noted that uranium deposits can be found in the region. They also saw a circular zone 2.6 meters in diameter in a sparsely forested region used as a pasture, not far from the pine trees. The earth within the circular zone had been compressed, grass would not grow and horses avoided it altogether.
The cases were not reported until both had been collected, thus apparently avoiding the possibility of any "contagion" (CEAFI, Insolito, IV, 33 June-July 1978, 14-17 and 26).
* October 15, 1978 (22:00 hrs.). Fuzeta, Olhao (Algarve). Approximate day.
Antonio Viegas Mendonça, 71, and his wife Leonor Dias Vasquez, 67, illiterate farmworkers, were in their home (a farmhouse located in a flat area in the vicinity of Fuzeta, approximately 550 meters NNW from the "fishermen's neighborhood" when they became aware of an intense red light coming in through the windows. Husband and wife went oustide the house and headed to the rear, where they were startled to see a circular object some 5 meters away from them.
It had an ashen, metallic color and had a doorlike, rectangular opening which began in its midsection and ended at its base. A powerful reddish light issued from the the opening. The UFO was 2 meters in diameter and hovered 10 to 15 centimeters over the ground, making a constant up-and-down motion and no noise whatsoever. Frightened, Mr. Viegas remained partially concealed behind a wall while his wife, paying no heed to his warnings, approached
out. When he came to, he found himself in an underground UFO hangar, confronted by three
distinct species of extraterrestrials. The aliens told him that the Serra da Guardunha was one of their four "observation bases" on Earth. Machado then passed out again and, when he woke up, it was night, and he was lying on the ground outside the cave.
The morning of Wednesday, October 2, 1996, a shepherd named Fernando Soares checked on his flock, which was grazing in a pasture just north of Idanha‑a‑Nova. He made a truly gruesome discovery. Nine sheep lay dead, the bodies drained of blood. All told, 28 of Soares's sheep had been attacked by "something." Each sheep, including the nine dead, sustained an identical wound, "a deep circular hole on the right side of the neck," Soares said.
Skeptics claimed that a "practical joker" was trying to "stir up another Chupacabras scare, like the one in Mexico." (See the Toronto Globe and Mail for October 5, 1996)
Interestingly, Idanha‑a‑Nova, the site of the sheep mutilation, is
50 kilometers (30 miles) southeast of the Serra da Guardunha, where Machado had his strange experience the previous week.
Shortly after the Idanha‑a‑Nova incident, the U.S. government handed over 25 jet interceptors to Portugal. The package was rushed through the Defense Department military assistance pipeline. The equipment included 25 U.S. Air Force F‑16 A/B fighter planes, five spare F100‑PW‑2200 jet engines, replacement parts and program support totalling $258 million. Moreover, the F‑16s were ferried directly from the USA to Portugal's Monsanto air base. (See the October 7, 1996 issue of Aviation Week and Space Technology, "Industry Outlook," page 13)

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Chile: Petroglyph Associated with UFOs?

Source: El Mercurio de Antofagasta and Fundacion Cosmos, A.C.
Date: 11/7/06

CHILE: Antofagasta - Petroglyph Associated With UFOs?

Excitement over startling image of being with oval-shaped head and long hands.

Impressive prehistoric evidence of the UFO presence in the region; it is possible to find various manifestations of it stone-age art at Talabre and Maria Elena

A strange petroglyph from the Talabre ravine, dating back to Atacaman prehistory, has stirred curiosity due to the presence of a strange being with an oval head, large eyes and long hands, which many have associated with a divinity or alien.

The petroglyphs are carved on surfaces oxidized by the passage of time and are associated with settlements near cemeteries or "gentilares", aside from places of worship in specific geographic sectors found in the vicinity of prehistory trails, a typical trait of inter-regional traffic.

Sotero Armeya, president of the village of Talabre, stated that this mysterious petroglyph has caught the attention of tourists and locals alike. He explained that this item is original "although we have no idea what its belongs to. The only problem is that its structure is being affected by problems related to the climate and geography."

Dagoberto Pena, professor of Eco-Tourism at Andres Bello University and a mountaineer who has climbed Mt. Everest, said that the image was discovered two years ago, photographed as evidence, and that it is accompanied by camelid designs. In his opinion it shows no signs of being an alteration or a prank, furthermore considering that it is located in a hard-to-reach area and that his students, who well-versed in the subject, are clearly aware of the patrimonial value of these prehistoric expressions.

On this subject, Claudio Castellon Gatica, the special representative of the Consejo de Monumentos Nacionales, said that the Taira designs are linked to Atacaman shepherds with a knowledge of astronomy, and who in turn are related to myths of the ancient Andean world. His chronology shows that these artistic expressions took place as of 2300 B.C. until the arrival of the Incas, when Taira shows a stylistic diversity associated with a long existence throughout time.

However, he acknowledges that the [design] is "an anthropomorphic figure superimposed over the Taira-styled models," thus believing that it could be an imitation, due to the fact that the "anthropomorphic design clearly shows a different style and technique from the ones behind it...the humanoid design is adapted to the space in the camelid's belly and the lines with which it was drawn are much thicker than those of the other designs. Finally, the drawing's edges show a much lesser antiquity than those of the camelids."

[..]

This site is located in the Upper Loa River Valley, in a sector known as Santa Barbara, which contains a series of petroglyphs that show an abundance of camelid shapes.

=====================================================
Translation (c) 2006, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to David Lara Cervantes.

Friday, November 03, 2006

Photos of Mexican Luminous UFO



Ana Luisa Cid has kindly provided us with some images from her videotape of the strange October 31 2006 luminous UFO.

Mexico: Luminous Sphere Over Mexico City

DATE: November 2, 2006

LUMINOUS SPHERE OVER MEXICO CITY

**A report from Ana Luisa Cid**

On October 31, 2006, I had the opportunity to videotape a luminous sphere that was close to the Moon, from my perspective.


I commenced the recording from a window in my house, but when I noticed that it was moving far too quickly, I decided to go out to the back yard for a better angle of observation.

The sphere was initially silver-colored, and then shifted to an intense red, increasing its brightness.

The observation took place as from 6:11 p.m. for 15 minutes. This evidence was recorded using a JVC model GR-D25 camera.

I lost the probable UFO from sight when it moved quickly to the right in 1/30th of a second to cover a large distance and vanish suddenly, leaving something resembling a small cloud in its place. I only became aware of this action until a frame-by-frame inspection of the video was performed.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that I have witnessed a phenomenon of this nature. On January 28, 2002, I recorded a similar object, initially golden and then reddish, which also vanished into a sort of vapor.

For the time being I cannot find a logical explanation, and while I dismiss the likelihood that it was a balloon or artificial satellite, I remain open to all possibilities.

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Translation (c) 2006. Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Ana Luisa Cid.


Mexico: Alleged UFO Causes a Stir in Aguascalientes

Source: Fundacion Cosmos, A.C. and Mural.com [http://www.mural.com/estados/articulo/676380/default.asp]

Date: November 2, 2006

MEXICO: ALLEGED UFO CAUSES A STIR IN AGUASCALIENTES

** Excitement in the Aguascalientes town square prompted a radio station to send a reporter to cover the event live **

Aguascalientes, Mexico (2 November 2006) - Not even Jaime Maussan has that kind of pull. Manuel Palacios, a professional videographer, managed to summon - without publicity and in a spontaneous manner - nearly 70 people for 15 minutes so that they would watch a UFO while he recorded it on his camcorder.

"I saw it (in the sky), thought it was odd and started to record it. When I saw people gathering, I started taping them instead," he said.

The object captured by Palacios' camera floated like a balloon and flew slowly at a distance that was hard to calculate. It could only be seen with through his camera's powerful zoom lens. The object resembled a white-colored plantain, convulsing like a lazy worm.

The spontaneous assembly in the Aguascalientes town square even prompted a radio station to send a reporter to do a live broadcast from the site.

"I swear by these eyes that you can't see anything at all," said the reporter.

But people wanted to see something. "Look, it's right there, watch it move. It looks like a UFO, an unidentified flying object," said others.

Dissatisfied with the reporter's own eyes, the newscasts' crew wanted to corroborate that what people were seeing wasn't a UFO, and then called the airport for an answer.

"We have no reports at all," declared the airport's administrator cuttingly. But people wanted to see "something" and called the radio show claiming to have seen something over various districts in Aguas Calientes.

"We're getting calls from the Ojo Caliente district and Morelos telling us that the object can also be seen over there," said the newscaster. "We've received several calls reporting the same thing."

"I saw at first that they were three objects that separated and joined again. Later there was only the one that could be seen up there," said Carlos Mata, one of the viewers at the crowded scene.

At the end, the elongated object that squirmed like a worm vanished from the videographer's sight. With some amusement, he later made comments on the event.

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Translation (c) 2006. Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Ing. Marco Reynoso, Fundacion Cosmos, A.C. (Mexico)