Friday, September 30, 2011

Argentina: “We Saw Something Weird Descending from the Sky”

Source: DiarioChilecito.com.ar and Daniel Valverdi
Date: 30 September 2011

Argentina: “We Saw Something Weird Descending from the Sky”

At siesta time on Saturday there was a blackout in the San Vicente district of the Department of Famatina. According to some residents, they saw “something like a round, shiny object descending from the sky, striking a light post and causing a large explosion.” All that remained on the ground were “tiny pieces of particles, like something burnt (shrapnel).”

According to one San Vicente resident, a thundering sound was heard on Saturday during siesta time around the mountains, and something like a fireball became visible. It was a bright sky blue color and hit a light post, creating a shower of stars upon breaking up. This resulted in a large explosion that left the entire district without light.

Another woman said that there were bits of particles on the ground, resembling shrapnel. She also noted that there is a garden at the back of her home where she has many plants, including bamboo, and those toppled to the ground. There was nothing to be seen, except splinters resembling charcoal, and an ugly odor like burning sulfur.

Still another resident explained that something caused the light post to spark and made the lights went out. It was something weird, as it also frightened the animals and caused dogs to bark.

A phone call was subsequently made to the EDELAR power company for the corresponding repairs. Upon reaching the site, repairmen sad that something had struck the cables, and that the source of the event could have been something that fell from an airplane.



http://www.diariochilecito.com.ar/articulo/13788.html

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Argentina: Probing a Possible "UFO Origin" for the Monte Grande Explosion

Source: INFOBAE and Marcelo Metayer
Date: 29 September 2011


Argentina: Probing a Possible "UFO Origin" for the Monte Grande Explosion?

Manifestations of unidentified flying objects have been investigated in Argentina since 1947, and many characteristics similar to the ones studied in the past suggest that we are now facing a similar case, as the cause of the Monte Grande disaster has still not been determined.

Luis Burgos, who specializes in the UFO phenomenon, told Radio 10 that while it is impossible to offer clarification on this point due to the absence of more information, it is logical to think - from his perspective - that we are faced with one such case because the object that fell from the sky, and its various shades of light, was unknown at first hand. His research is based on the testimony of some thirty eyewitnesses.

"We spoke with more than 30 witnesses and they all agree that a pear-shaped object, small in size, descended along a 30-degree plane: it didn't fall - it descended."

At first, says Burgos, the investigation followed four hypotheses: space junk, a meteorite, a lost missile and finally, a UFO.

"We discarded the possibility of a missile due to the lack of a hole or crater. For that reason we adopted the UFO hypothesis," stated the specialist, adding: "The pear-shaped object fell with a bluish hue, the changed to red and back to blue when it struck the telephone wire that it severed, rather than melted."

According to Burgos, eyewitnesses relate that the unidentified object "braked before falling" and given its similarity with other events that have occurred since 1947, "there is physical evidence, such as pebbles" that is undergoing analysis.

(Translation (c) 2011, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Marcelo Metayer)

Argentina: "Falling Pebbles" and Barking Heard at Echeverria

INEXPLICATA contributing editor Guillermo Gimenez reports: “I find the Monte Grande case highly intriguing. I was talking to Andrea P. Simondini yesterday via text message and the Internet, and she still finds it strange. As far as I’m concerned, there is no question that “something” fell out of the sky. Eyewitness reports from people who saw “something” fall, followed by the explosion. Gas leaks, cylinders...nothing to do with it at all. There was a deputy fire chief from Necochea present, and given his years of experience, he told me that no gas leak was involved, much less a gas cylinder explosion.”

[Further details of interest have emerged on this case, which only days ago seemed to have been dismissed as a hoax, with its perpetrator – the hapless photographer of a falling red object – placed in irons for “making a false statement”. The following information comes from Todo Noticias – SC]



Source: Todo Noticias
Date: 28 September 2011
http://tn.com.ar/sociedad/00067936/misteriosa-explosion-la-version-de-los-ladridos-y-de-las-piedritas


Argentina: “Falling Pebbles” and Barking Heard At Echeverria

While experts claim that a gas buildup was the cause of the explosion, residents insist that a meteorite or unidentified object was responsible.

A series of episodes prior to the explosion, which left one dead and seven injured in the municipality of Esteban Echeverria, are what lead local residents to believe that the cause of the disaster was either a meteorite or an unidentified flying object (UFO).

Investigators marvel at the insistence of the locals: over 30 witnesses consulted by experts do not believe in the gas leak theory, according to Diario Popular. To experts, the theory of a gas buildup stands as the main theory to account for the explosion.

Luis Burgos, director of Fundacion Argentina de Ovnilogía, told the morning newspaper that residents – still frightened – informed him of the events that occurred prior to the explosion.

Minutes before the tragedy took place, the woman who later died was prompted by the sound of tiny pebbles falling on her rooftop, which made her go outside to take a look. Several families in the neighborhood felt the same thing and said as much in their statements to the police. Another significant fact involves household pets. After midnight, dogs were howling and barking as if disturbed by something.

(Translation (c) 2011, Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Guillermo Gimenez)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Argentina: VISION OVNI Reports to the Scene of the Alleged Meteor Strike










Argentina: VISION OVNI Reports to the Scene of the Alleged Meteor Strike

A Day For Learning – The Monte Grande Explosion – Buenos Aires
By Andrea Perez Simondini

At 6:00 a.m. on the 26th of September I received a call from a fellow official in the Municipality of Esteban Echeverria. Aware of my interest for investigating the UFO phenomenon, he made me aware of a powerful explosion that destroyed a series of homes, and residents claimed it had been the result of something that fell from the sky.

You can imagine my surprise, faced with the magnitude of this news. My first reaction was to phone Captain Mariano Mohaupt to inform him. He already knew of the incident, so I then confirmed with my contact the interest of entering the explosion area. Permission having been obtained, I called Silvia Cano, a member of Vision Ovni, in her double role as expert photographer and victim of a gas explosion in her own home.

We headed toward the location with exact information. I would like to than Santiago Roldan, secretary to the Intendant, Dr. Fernando Gray and the Chief of Staff, Dr. Miguel Angel Urchipia. Without their cooperation it would have been impossible for us to enter the area and have elements of information at our disposal.

Upon reaching the site, my specific mission was to get Captain Mariano Mohaupt (in charge of the Aerospatial Phenomena Study Commission) with the authorities in charge of the investigation.

I’d like to tell you that at that moment I felt that a heavy responsibility weighed upon me. I was aware that this was the first institutional contact between a force and a body of government, such as the Municipality, and a number of jurisdictions, such as the Justice Department and the Federal Police (with their Scientific and Ecological branches), the Provincial Police of Buenos Aires, the Volunteer Firefighters of the Municipality and the various branches of the Municipality of Esteban Echeverria.

These comments having been made, we now move on to what will be an exhaustive chronicle of the facts, no more, no less. When I left the area at approximately 19:45 hours, no official explanation had been issued as of yet to support the facts.

Technical Specifications

Place: Barrio Zaizar, Locality of 9 de Julio – District of Esteban Echeverria, north of Monte Grande.
Date and Time of the Event: Between 2:02 and 2:05 AM on 26 September.

Victims:
1) Sequeira Family: Fabian Sequeira (cab driver), Yeanigres Cornejo Medina, 42, Fabian’s wife, worked at the store; Rodrigo, 16, no specific activity.
2) Pedroso Family: Orlando Pedroso, Paola Pedroso, Alejandra Rodríguez
3) Espinosa Family: Julio Espinosa, Hilda Ortiz, Silvia Espinosa, 43, sister of Julio (deceased)

All of them taken to the Santamarina Hospital.

The Events:

Having reached the site with Silvana Cano, we got in touch with Santiago, a municipal representative. He would connect us to Dr. Miguel Angel Urchipia, Chief of Staff of the Municipality, to get in touch with Commissioner Mario Valente, in charge of the operation. My function was to act as a go-between for both organizations.

To contact Commissioner Valente, I first found Commissioner Durand and provided the contact information.

The results of the explosion were readily apparent at the site. The remains of homes, with pieces of tile and concrete, had been hurled several meters around. The columns of material bore mute witness to the event. However, despite all that has been described, what startled Silvana and me the most were two cars that had been parked outside the affected homes, and were now within the property, completely twisted. I remember the words of an experienced fire fighter, who remarked: “It gave the impression that the shock wave sent stuck out its tongue like a chameleon, grabbed the cars, wrapped them up, and stuck them inside the property.”

While Silvana took photos alongside Dr. Urchipia, we spoke to various technicians and specialists. And so it was that we contacted with the municipal Energy Secretary to glean information on the theories that were being bandied about on site: emissions of natural gas from the soil, electrical phenomena, measurements of radiation and voltage, among others. We will approach these one by one.

1) Natural Gas Hypothesis: We learned that all of the homes in the El Zaizar Neighborhood are built on landfill. These structures are mostly made of masonry. We have not seen shanties in this area. We noted that Luis Vernet Avenue was being paved, so major activity was evident in the area. Also visible in all blocks were ditches of standing water, a clear sample of terrain with constantly flowing groundwater. Some people were putting forth, in the early hours, an explanation from an environmental standpoint, engaging in sampling fluids and liquids along with soil samples, searching for gaseous emanations resulting from the soil’s lack of breathability. I’m not sure at what time this hypothesis took hold, but it faded as time went by.
2) Electrical Phenomena: The technical staff of Esteban Echeverria municipality, through its Energy Secretary, took down information and measured electrical conductivity in the soil. One of the strongest theories at this time was the possibility that high voltage towers in the area could attract energy from the surrounding atmosphere and generate strange electrical phenomena. This hypothesis was dismissed as soon as it was voiced due to a lack of support. A high level of conductivity was determined in the soil, resulting from the explosion itself. Active charges still remained as a result of the shock waves. Readings were taken at various points of the affected premises.
3) Radiation Measurements: Radiation readings were the responsibility of the Bomb Squad attached to the Federal Police. They entered the area with suitable protective gear, but it should be noted that these experts entered the area at 13:10 hours, well after hundreds of people had done so. This should be kept in mind. Radiation readings proved negative, and from that moment on, the fire fighters began looking for remains and evidence in the explosion area. Advised of all these proceedings, the authorities made no comment about the burned wooden pole a block away from the explosion site. Along with Silvana, we did not hesitate to ask them to take us to that location. It was shocking to see. The fact that something split the post and set it alight was clearly visible.

It was still burning, and parts of it were falling off before our very eyes. Dangling, severed and burned wires were still visible. Remains of the wooden pole were on the ground; more wire, bits of metal and burned, hardened grass, perhaps as a result of the melted and cooled wire. It should be noted that there was stagnant water under the wooden pole, and remains broken off the pole had fallen into the ditch. We didn’t take samples at this time. All evidence was state property and it was necessary to ask Commissioner Valente’s permission.

With the collected information, and having achieved our main goal, which was to make contact, we decided to process the information and allow the fire fighters to carry on with their work. [...] The time was now 13:26 hours and we noticed two things: one, the fire fighters were concentrating on a specific area that all investigators dubbed “the crater”. Before going on, the importance of this item is the name it was given, as it was evident that whatever caused the explosion emerged from this space. An opening measuring 1 meter in diameter, shallow but with clear signs of detachment, was in evidence.

Firefighters concentrated all this time in collecting the main evidence from this point, which the called “ground zero” to avoid any confusion.

The second factor is that samples were taken of wires, metal parts, bits of tile and assorted material. Hundreds of parts that will surely define the origin of the explosion. We left the firefighters to their work and went off to eat and drink, as the heat was considerable at this time.

Resting in my car, Silvana and I analyzed everything we saw and heard from the technicians and local residents. We could not reach a conclusion, as everything was confusing and circumstantial.

Things the residents had said surprised us. It was clear that some of them had heard something, others had seen something, and yet others were reporting hearsay. We decided to revisit the evidence of the post and re-interview one of the witnesses, who seemed very certain in her statements, and was also reluctant to have her story and identity made public.

Sampling

We returned to the wooden pole area to collect samples and came across Dr. Urchipia along the way. We advised him of our decision and he accompanied us. I had my field kit with me, so I began taking samples of the liquid from the ditch, a piece of charred cable, bits of metal, even one that fell exactly as the sample was being taken and was still on fire. Reports were also collected from the witnesses, and the time of the event – 2:02 hours – coincides with the damage to the pole.

Our assessment is that something struck the pole, broke it and set it afire. What is more, at the time we gathered our samples, and I placed my hands on the lower part of the pole, which was in contact with the polluted water, it was hot. This told us that fire was still burning within the pole. I advised the authorities so that the proper measures could be taken in the event it fell. Civil Defense was apprised. Through a neighbor, we learned that the electrical utility had removed the dangling cable and had also taken samples.

Once our sampling was complete, we set out to inform Commissioner Mario Valente. We must bear in mind that the law is involved in this case, and all elements constitute evidence of the case. These items were sent to Capt. Mariano Mohaupt with a note on each piece.

Our Departure

Our final chat with Commissioner Valente was very enlightening. We saw in him a man with quick reactions, a firm team leader up to the challenge posed by the events. He had collected all evidence provided by the experts, as he had requested consultation with all jurisdictions of the Federal and Buenos Aires police departments and the La Plata Observatory, among others. Attorneys for the families appeared in the afternoon, and this changed the mood of the researchers, who did not comment as freely as they had hours earlier. As from this moment, anything said would be taken with legal weight by the affected parties, who sought culprits and were increasing their pressure as the evening approached.

We spoke with Silvana about this, and the rumor of the oven explosion began to spread. In fact, while standing behind the children’s canteen, we saw two intact gas cylinders, and experts saying they had removed parts of the oven in small pieces, scattered all over the area.

Silvana kept taking photos. We glanced at each other and realized it was time to leave. Night was upon us and we could already see the answers that would be given when formal expert reports appeared.

In the background, bulldozers and front loaders came and went, loading trucks with rubble. I remember seeing a small intact chandelier, and an appliance in the courtyard of the children’s canteen. I also noticed the Espinosa Family’s pet dog, milling around in confusion. What might you be thinking, Dottie? due to its white fur with black marks. I also remember that the black dog was at the Municipal Zoonosis Institute under veterinary care. The canine had sustained a hip fracture as a result of the explosion; I remember seeing it still and bound in the first photographs.

Scanning everything around me, I am still shocked by Fabian’s inconsolable pain. I couldn’t help being moved. I also understood that after seeing all of the activity at the scene of the explosion, is that what matters it providing an explanation to these people that goes beyond the cause of the event. I do believe that we must tell the truth, beyond our personal opinions, convenience or wishes. Beyond anything that may be said, and we never spoke of UFOs here, if something indeed fell from space, it is as hard to explain as a pizza oven exploding. Only expert research will shed light on this mystery.

As far as our work is concerned, we can only tell you what we saw, and that is our truth.

(Translation (c) 2011, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Andrea Pérez Simondini)

[Editor's Note: A wealth of photographs and video can be seen at Vision Ovni's website -- www.visionovni.com.ar]

Monday, September 26, 2011

Meteorite Case Falls Apart - Hoax or Disinformation?

Source: INFOBAE and Martha Núñez
Date: 26 September 2011

Argentina: Meteorite Case Falls Apart – Hoax or Disinformation?

** Authorities detain the man who “saw” the comet and concentrate their investigation on the gas cylinders **

The young man who disseminated a photo of the luminous object that allegedly fell on the community of Esteban Echeverria has been detained for making a false statement. Researchers have now concentrated their investigations on a gas cylinder that was “jury-rigged” to an oven, according to Radio 10.

The causes of the fatal explosion in the community of Esteban Echeverria in early morning hours are becoming clearer. Today at noon, a young man who claimed having seen “a fireball” falling from the sky acknowledged that had been lying. This is the same person who disseminated the image showing an orange object in free-fall.

Authorities in charge of the investigation decided to detain the man for making a false statement and have concentrated their research on the tanks found in one of the homes. Police confiscated a 45 kg cylinder connected in a clandestine manner to a pizza oven. Preliminary investigation suggests that this connection was the source of the leak that caused the tragedy in the province of Buenos Aires.

This conclusion, however, does not account for sightings made by distant onlookers and comments made on INFOBAE that "car ignitions would not start in the wake of the explosion."

Argentina: Meteor Incident Becomes News Worldwide

The report of a death and injuries related to the impact of an alleged meteor in the Argentinean community of Esteban Echevarria has already made headlines around the world. Spain's El Mundo newspaper has reprinted the original information with some interesting follow-ups presented here:

[...} Ricardo Casal, Minister of Justice and Safety for Buenos Aires, acknowledged that "hypotheses now range from an explosion to something strange. Nothing is being discarded. We must analyze," noted the minister, underscoring that there was no explosion of the gas cylinders in the destroyed homes.

A local resident distributed a photo in which a red light can be seen against the early morning sky. "The mattress on which I slept jumped off the ground, the ceiling joists twisted and all of the windows in my home blew out. When I went out to the street, there was fire falling from above, setting fire to a post some 20 meters away," stated another resident of the 9 de Abril neighborhood.

"My daughter sleeps in the front room, and she told me that upon opening the window, since she smelled an odor like gunpowder, she saw fireballs dropping from the sky, and that's when she saw the explosion that struck my son-in-law in the leg," added the man.

Another female resident living some 200 meters away from the site, claims having heard "a whistling sound, and seconds later came the explosion that made everything shake. When I went outside to look, I saw fire descending from above, something blue. It wasn't the normal color of a regular fire, it was all blue fire."

Jorge Coghlan, director of the Santa Fe Astronomical Observatory, says "there are lightning bolts that manifests themselves in such a way." Faced with the hypothesis of a meteor strike, the expert explained that "meteors, upon entering the earth's atmosphere, begin disintegrating, creating a tube of radiation that breaks against the ground."

Some of the theories surrounding the unusual event in Argentina invoke "fragments of comet Elenin" as one of the possible answers to the mystery, owing to the fact that no impact crater has been found.

Photo: Meteor Impact in Argentina?


Information continues to come in on the possible meteor impact in Argentina. The following is from www.perfil.com:

[...] The Monte Grande explosion, which caused dozens of families in this Buenos Aires community to wake up, and caused a woman's death, was not caused by a gas cylinder explosion, as confirmed by initial investigations performed by the fire department.

"It was shown that there was no explosion resulting from a gas cylinder," stated Guillermo Pérez, the head of the fire department.

Only minutes before the explosion, a local resident took a photo of a burning object that fell from the night sky. The image shows a spherical object with a tail similar to that of a comet. Testimony by local residents suggests that this could be the "fireball" that they saw falling on the destroyed homes.

(Photo courtesy of C5N)

Argentina: Deaths, Injuries After Alleged Meteor Strike

Source: INFOBAE, ELANTRO.CL and Grupo GABIE
Date: 09-26-11


Argentina: Possible Meteor Strike Kills One; Destroys Homes

One woman died and six other people were injured as a result of the event. A local resident told Radio 10 that the explosion was caused by a flaming object that fell from the sky and completely destroyed a house and several cars. “It was a veritable earthquake,” she said.

The event took place a few minutes before 2 a.m. in a property located at the intersection Luis Vernet and Los Andes streets in Monte Grande, municipality of Esteban Echeverria.

The causes of the explosion remain unknown, but local residents claim “a fireball fell from the sky.”

There was an overpowering smell like gunpowder,” recalled one of the people living in the area, in statements made to C5N. “There is no explanation for what took place,” added Cayetano, another resident, to Radio 10. He then added: “A neighbor woman came out running because she could see a blue fireball falling from above.”

Guillermo Perez, commander of the local fire brigade, remarked that the causes of the incident remain unknown, while acknowledging that the first story points to “an object that fell from the sky.”

“I heard that version, but can’t confirm it at first instance. It is necessary to go by an expert investigation to see what really happened,” he told Radio 10. Perez confirmed that two houses and a business were “completely destroyed.”

As a result of the event, an elderly woman trapped under the debris perished while another six were rescued. Firefighters told C5N that these were subsequently taken to a local hospital.

The fatality is among the victims living in the house where the explosion took place. Three of the injured are members of the household and the other three are from the adjacent house, affected by the explosion. The injured parties are out of danger, C5N explained.

According to neighbors, the explosion was even heard in such neighboring communities as Ezeiza and Temperley, to the south of Greater Buenos Aires.

Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQx9S64Fsmg&feature=player_embedded

More information: http://www.infobae.com/notas/607728-Investigan-las-causas-de-la-misteriosa-explosion-en-Esteban-Echeverria.htm

(Translation (c)2011, S. Corrales, IHU)

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Antonio Ribera y Jordá


Our friend Oscar Ferreyra of the PLANETA UFO Yahoo group has reminded us that it was ten years ago today that Spanish ufology lost one of its leading lights: Antonio Ribera y Jordá, one of the earliest authors of UFO sightings in Spain and Latin America. Aside from keeping an eye on the sky, Ribera was also interested in the sea and its mysteries becoming an underwater explorer of renown. Some of his books are still in print, others are in PDF form online, and some of his radio interviews (in Catalán and Spanish) can also be found online.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Argentina: Round Two - More Anthropomorphic Phenomena (1972)






Source: Planeta UFO and Revista "Ovnis, un desafío a la ciencia", N° 2, jul.-ago. 1974, Ed. CADIU, Córdoba, Argentina.

Round Two – More Anthropomorphic Phenomena in Argentina
Dr. Oscar A. Galíndez

The Second Anthropomorphic Phenomenon

The second episode of this series of anthropomorphic phenomena of unknown origin was confirmed six days after the Merlo Incident, which – we must insist – was not made known until after this other incident was disclosed. In our opinion, the experiences of the 2nd episode’s protagonist (Mr. Enrique Moreno) are perhaps the most important of all, as they present significant characteristics that place it in the lead of the manifestations of unidentified anthropomorphic phenomena in Argentinean case histories.

2. Eyewitness’s Particulars

Mr. Enrique Moreno, 19, is a 2nd year vo-tech student and is also in the Sub-Officer School in Cordoba. He is a management employee at Ika-Renault’s Santa Isabel Plant. He works until 11:30 p.m at the Teletype Office and distributes internal company documentation on a scooter that allows him to cover the distances of the industrial park. At the company’s request, he carries a logbook in which he notes the fulfillment of each delivery made. He is short, thin and introverted. When we interviewed him for the first time on 14 October 1972, he was still shocked by the events he’d experienced.

3. Conditions of the Sighting.

In the evening of 27 September 1972, young Moreno departed the Guard Office around 10:30 pm and delivered some pertinent documents at the Engineering Office. Accustomed to the routine, he did not activate the light switch and deposited the forms in question on a table in the dark. Suddenly, both rows of fluorescent bulbs in the room lit up in parallel within the main office. This occurred three times, without the tubes having blinked at all. When the lights went off for the final time (the entire process lasted barely 15 seconds) he heard a noise similar to that of a turbine. Aside from the unexplained activation of the lights, he was startled by the buzzing, especially as there were no machines in operation in that part of the plant. And even if there had been one, he claims that there isn’t a technical device in the plant that can duplicate the characteristics of the sound heard.

He felt a measure of fear. He got on his scooter again and headed toward the warehouse area, crossing an internal street approximately 200 meters long. Having fulfilled the required task in this sector, he left at 11:13 p.m., retracing the route that took him to the Guard Office again. He glanced to the right, and to his surprise, he could see in the distance – nearly beyond the plant’s suburbs – that a sort of rainbow had formed very near the ground.

He paid no mind to the fact and pointed his scooter toward the destination in question, retracing his path. It was then that he saw – about 100 meters away, on the right side of the street and some 10 meters from the curb – a blue-green figure that moved ponderously, giving the impression that it was about to cross his path. (On the right side, the terrain is completely clear, although it has an elevation of 0.50 meters with regard to the street. Along said street, and for a length of 100 meters, were auto bodies that were about to be exported to Chile).

Mr. Moreno thought that it might be an operator (wearing green coveralls) and also speculated that the glow he could see was caused by the mercury vapor lamps in the vicinity. But the uncanny height of the person was startling, to the extent that he thought that someone was playing a trick on him by walking on stilts.

About some 30 meters away, the figure swung its torso toward him, dragging its head and arms in the movement as though these were inanimate limbs, firmly stuck to its body. At the same time, the scooter’s tailpipe backfired and the vehicle immediately shuddered. The RPMs went down and he began to lose power. He shifted into second, but the scooter advanced slowly, inexplicably stopping before the entity, which stood among the auto bodies. For that reason, [the entity] was only visible from the waist up.

4. Entity Description

Athletic build, height in excess of 2 meters (we determined between 2.30 and 2.40 meters). Angled features, chiseled flat, white or light green. Eyewitness is not certain whether this last detail was real or due to the reflected clothing. Hairless, ears stretching beyond the skull, bright round eyes resembling two bulbs of yellow light. No eyelids, eyelashes or eyebrows. Mouth resembled a straight thin line, with a perfect pyramidal nose, no fleshiness, as though sculpted. Gave the impression of being a mechanical rather than a living creature.



Clothing consisted in a greenish-blue coverall, plastic-looking and luminescent. Broad silvery belt with a large oval buckle of the same color. There was a small protuberance on the right side of the belt, resembling a cartridge case. The auto bodies kept him from making out the lower extremities (Photos reproduce the entities front and profile, according to a bust modeled by the author’s sibling, Luis E. Galíndez)

5. Effects Surrounding the Sighting

a) As from a distance of 30 meters, and in the measure that the scooter approached the entity’s location, Mr. Moreno began to experience an unbearable buzzing in his ears, to the point that they felt clogged or plugged (an effect that persisted after the moved away from the area where the phenomenon occurred);
b) At the same time that the previous effect occurred, he felt a strange tingling sensation al over his body, which also persisted until he moved away from the area where the anthropomorphic manifestation occurred;
c) His upper limbs experienced spastic paralysis, characterized by their immobility (except for his head) as though he’d lost his customary vitality. In spite of this, he had no problem in maintaining the vehicle’s position;
d) The area of the event was very warm, despite the fact that it was a cool night;
e) A smell of burning oil permeated the air;
f) He subsequently felt dryness in his mouth and a sensation of nausea that persisted for 24 hours;
g) Pain at the nape of the neck, arms and sides. These effects persisted at the time of our initial interview;
h) Burning eyes, followed by intermittent tearing (lasted for 3 days).

6. Events Following the Sighting

a) Mr. Moreno feels that he was no more than 30 seconds in front of the entity, not noticing any movement during the encounter (except for the 45 degree turn noted earlier). Suddenly, the scooter shot off to the left, with Moreno being unable to control it, and propelled as if by an unknown force. The vehicle had no sooner overcome that burst of acceleration when the engine began functioning normally again. In spite of this, Mr. Moreno states that he was not entirely able to control the vehicle, due to the sighting’s after effects. He does not recall having activated the controls to manage it, and thinks that he either instinctively steered the scooter, or rather it made the four turns on the inner street of the hangar under the guidance of an unknown force. The speed limit (posted) is 5 km/hour. However, he added that the vehicle moved at some 50 km/hour to the end that it almost tipped over after making the last curve. Upon reaching the Guard Office, he very nearly rammed the safety barriers, which earned him a verbal reprimand from one of the guards. As he arrived, he heard the quitting time siren, which goes off at exactly 11:30 p.m.. His wristwatch, on the other hand, indicated 11:13 pm and had stopped. Mr. Moreno’s bewilderment increased when the attested at the guard shack that it was 11:30 pm indeed. He could not explain how he had been facing the phenomenon for 17 minutes, as he is entirely certain that he did not lose consciousness at any time.

In reconstructing the events, we determined that if Mr. Moreno really departed from the warehouse area at 11:13 p.m., the trip from that site to the guard shack – including his stay with the entity for 30 seconds – would not have taken more than 3 minutes. It should be said that his time of arrival at the guard shack should have been 11:16 p.m. A major question was raised on this detail about a possible 17-minute amnesic state, probably recoverable through hypnotic regression.

b) Security guards – apprised of the incident – reported to the site where the entity was seen, but found no traces of it. Neither did they detect the odor reported by Moreno nor the existence of any warmth whatsoever. However, behind the auto bodies, and nearly corresponding with the place the phenomenon would have occupied, they found two rectangular prints measuring some 0.20 x 0.40 m. The soil was hot at that location; prints suggested a 2 centimeter depression with regard to the soil, which is rather consistent by being mixed with oil. Small luminescent particles resembling mica were found within. The security guards called to attest to the event, refused to give the event any importance, chastising Moreno for “seeing things”, brushing over the perimeter with a foot, saying that it is common to find such particles of mica on the ground.
c) Mr. Moreno became the target of jokes by those who were with him during the situation, calling his experience into question. He began to feel pain in the nape of the neck, arms and sides. There was throbbing at his temples. He was driven to the company’s internal clinic, where his blood pressure had dropped to 7. He lost consciousness at that point. When he came to, partly recovered thanks to a sedative injection, he was driven home in an ambulance. In a semi-conscious state, a suggestive repetition of words and numbers that he could not precisely recall went through his mind. He did not forget such terms as “coordinates”, “latitude” and “longitude”, “18”. He does not know if these were after effects of the experience.
d) On the outskirts of the city of Cordoba, Mr. Moreno asked the ambulance drivers to take him to his girlfriend’s house. The protagonist himself did not hesitate to express his own surprise at this behavior.
e) Ms. Elba del Valle Cruz, 18, confirmed that around 00:30 a.m. young Moreno reached her private home, constantly repeating that he’d seen a mechanical entity, like a robot, at Ika-Renault. She noticed he was very nervous and pale, becoming frightened upon seeing him so. He ask her permission to sit down in an armchair, and she acceded. Moreno promptly fell asleep, trembling and shaking, as if gripped by convulsions. Concerned, she woke him up. Mr. Moreno drank a glass of water, apologized and took his leave of his girlfriend.
f) On the next day (28 September) and fully restored to his nocturnal duties at the plant, he had a similar experience that he recounts thus: “At 10:30 pm, after engaging in some tasks in an office adjacent to the teletype area, he headed to the latter section to gather some work implements. As he did so, he felt that someone was looking at him. He glanced to a window facing an empty section and saw that the same entity from the previous night now faced him, three meters away. Simultaneously, the fluorescent bulbs turned on and off in a manner analogous to what occurred in the Engineering Room. A slight turbine-like buzzing filled the air. The teletype machines came alive. Gripped by fear, Moreno ran toward the guard shack, trying to jump over the safety barriers, demanding that someone come with him to certify the intruder’s presence. One of the guards grabbed him by the arm, sternly admonishing him to restrain himself, saying that his obsession to prove his alleged experience was causing him to see things that would eventually drive him mad. The guard invited him in for coffee with the other guards, who told him they would not disclose this other alleged incident to the upper management, as it would call his mental health into question (an internal report had already been filed with regard to the previous night’s observation);
g) On 16 October 1972, the renowned psychometrist Enrique Marchesini (unquestionably one of Argentina’s greatest paragnosts) only needed to touch his fingertips against an item of Mr. Moreno’s clothing to say that the patient suffered from nervous shock as a consequence of a unique experience (he did not provide details) that had left him profoundly shaken. He recommended a lot of rest and calm, adding that the affected party was “sincere in his manifestations.” No further details were offered. It should be noted that Mr. Marchesini was not consciously given any details about the reason for consulting him.
h) An analysis of Mr. Moreno’s wristwatch (“Orient” make) determined that it was highly magnetized. The technician in charge of demagnetizing it – unaware of the cause – expressed regret that such a valuable watch had been subject to uncontrolled experimentation by a thrill seeker.

7) Comparative Analysis

a) Villa Santina Case: Mr. Moreno found no similarities (Recall that Mr. Merlo found a similarity in the lips);
b) Hopkinsville Incident: Found that the ears were somewhat similar, especially in size. The rest of the entity bears no relation to the Santa Isabel phenomenon;
c) Easter Island Moais: Witness found a surprising correspondence between the Santa Isabel manifestations and photos of the “moais” from Easter Island.

8) Considerations About the Moreno Incident

a) With regard to the EM effect experienced by the scooter driven by Mr. Moreno, it should be noted that the University of Colorado – when providing an explanation for the phenomenon – dismissed the possibility that UFOs could ionize the air in any way whatsoever, to the extent that the internal combustion of a vehicle could be impeded. “This is deemed improbable,” said Roy Craig in the report, “because no reports of concomitant physiological or physical effects caused by such ionization are reported.” The effects produced upon Mr. Moreno call into question the verdict issued by the U. of Colorado, and open an interesting possibility about the interpretation of the EM effect as the consequence of the ionization of the area where the phenomenon occurred. But even within the hypothesis that links the manifestation of these effects with the action of magnetic fields linked to UFOs, we take into consideration two important works by Dr. Bernard E. Finch regarding psycho-physiological effects of human exposure to a force field. We believe that the effects reported by Moreno fall within one or another perspective;
b) The sudden start of the scooter as a crossed the accessways to the hangar, with the consequent normalization of the engine, suggests the possibility that the elements of same (concrete, zinc plates) served as insulation for the force field created by the phenomenon.
c) Activation and deactivation of the fluorescent lights in the Engineering and Teletype Rooms – simultaneously, without intermittence or ordinary electrical contact – lead us to think of the existence of a high dose of environmental electricity in the area where the phenomena occurred.

Author's Sources:
"Scientific Study of UFOs", Bantam Books, New York .1969, p. 101.
Finch B.E. "Beware the Saucers", FSR, Jan-Feb 1966, p. 4. "Comment on the Valensole affair", idem, p. 14

(Translation (c) 2011, Scott Corrales, IHU, with thanks to Guillermo Gimenez)

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Argentina: The Anthropomorphic Phenomena of Santa Isabel (1972)










Source: Planeta UFO and “Ovnis, Un Desafío a la Ciencia” (Jul-Aug. 1974)
Author: Dr. Oscar A. Galindez


Argentina: The Anthropomorphic Phenomena of Santa Isabel
By Dr. Oscar A. Galindez

Date: 09-21-1972
Place: Santa Isabel, Cordoba Province, Argentina
Summary: Mr. Teodoro Merlo discovered the presence of a “person” of considerable size and pointed ears in a dressing room of the Ika-Renault Auto Plant. Simultaneously, the lights on the premises turned on and off inexplicably. The entity vanished all of a sudden. Witness experienced aftereffects.

The curious phenomena of Santa Isabel may be considered among the best sequences ever recorded on the sightings of anthropomorphic figures eventually linked to the UFO phenomenon. The magnitude of the events, the plurality of witnesses and the repetition of the sightings conspired against an expeditive evaluation of the incidents. Scientific objectivity demanded a meticulous analysis that would enable a determination of the “veracity index” assigned to such events, even at the risk of delaying their diffusion to the public. After a year of work and personal interviews, we believe that we have gathered a surprising array of background information that authenticate the correlative occurrence – during the last week of September 1972 – of events on edge of common understanding in the Ika-Renault Auto Plant in Santa Isabel, located 7 km. SE of Cordoba, Republic of Argentina.

1st Anthropomorphic Phenomenon

When the manifestations in Santa Isabel became public through the reports of the two protagonists (Messrs. Moreno and Rodriguez) we took upon ourselves the task of contacting some of the managers of the firm in question, in order to interest them in a possible “on site” reconstruction of the events. During these transactions, we became aware of a previous incident that was only known by the factory’s security staff, given the confidential nature given to it by its eventual protagonist. We arranged an interview on 12 October 1972 at the home of Mr. Mario Vidosa, a senior employee with the firm, who lives in the outskirts of AltaGracia (Cordoba).

Eyewitness’s Personal Information

The occasional observer of this first phenomenon was Mr. Teodoro Merlo, 56, an employee at the Ika-Renault plant in Santa Isabel, where he works as a dressing room guard. He has no primary school education, although he engages in painting and sculpture, showing that he is self-taught. He is an introverted person. During the interview, we were surprised by his extremely humble manner and his insistence that his experience not become widely known. Nor did he agree to be photographed. There are no contradictions in his story. He spoke at all times with certainty. He seems a sincere person, with probity, to the extent that questioning the nature of his observation is unnecessary.

2. Circumstances of the Sighting

The phenomenon took place in a section of the auto plant [...] It was 21 September 1972. At 5:40 a.m., Mr. Merlo was heading toward the dressing rooms of the forging section. At 1:40 a.m. he had personally locked the two access doors to plant. If the plant’s technicians report to work at 7:30 a.m., the housekeeping staff (boiler room, cleaning, etc.) arrives at 6:00 a.m. For this reason, the dressing rooms must be set at an early hour.
Prior to entering the site, Mr. Merlo turn out the inside lights from the outside (by means of a button panel beside the door). The light bulbs of the six bathrooms are mercury vapor lamps. The remainder is fluorescent tubes.

His task completed, the protagonist arrived at Door No. 2, which was locked, and quickly headed toward the “A” section, where he left some soap and towels (there are some long washbasins in that area). At that time, he saw that Light No.1 was off, noting that a person was seated on one of the washbasins. He set down the elements in “A” section and headed toward “B” section – some 7 meters distant – to repeat the task, wondering at the same time about the presence of the intruder, especially when there was no one within when he locked the door at 1:40 a.m.

It should be stressed that the dividing walls of the six bathrooms do not quite reach the roof of the premises, since – due to ventilation concerns – they only come within 0.50 meters of it. An analogous situation occurs with the partitions of the shower rooms. This circumstance allowed “B” section to be softly lit by the light from other compartments, even though Light No.1 was inexplicably off.



Mr. Merlo advanced stealthily, and as he walked passed a mirror on the outer wall of the bathrooms, facing the hallway along which he walked, he looked at himself instinctively in one of them, at the same time that he transferred the towels and soaps to his left hand. That slight distraction occurred simultaneously as his confirmation of the following phenomenon: Light No. 2 went out with a dry sound, similar to that of a metallic element striking a window. Light No.1 came on automatically, lighting up “B” section. This circumstance allowed him to certify that the entity had vanished. Startled by this curious manifestation, Mr. Merlo retreated quickly to “A” sector (where Light No.2 had gone out) but was unable to find traces of the intruder. From there, it was possible to see the hallway leading to access door No.2, and he didn’t see anything strange either. He ran back to “B” section to ascertain if the individual was trying to escape through access door No.1, but it was locked. He also tested door No.2. These are the only two entrances to the dressing room, and while there are ventilation ducts large enough to allow a human to go through, these only open and close from within the premises through a complex mechanism. These, of course, were also shut. He carefully checked the various areas of the dressing room, including the interior of the lockers. He found nothing at all.

3. Entity Description

Despite the absence of light in “B” sector, Mr. Merlo could see – at only 3 meters distance – some of the characteristics of the entity, thanks to the light expended by the adjacent bulbs.

The phenomenon’s position was as indicated in the image. Its right hand, nearly forming a straight angle with its back, touched the being’s nasal appendage. The left arm rested at the edge of washbasin, while the entity’s entire anatomy was at the edge of the washbasin. the right leg was outstretched, while the left one was drawn in, with the foot firmly on the floor (bearing in mind that the washbasin is 0.90m from the floor, the intruder’s height must have been considerable to rest its entire foot. Our reconstruction determined that the entity’s average height must have been between 2.40 and 2.50 meters).

Its outfit appeared to be a coverall, dark blue in color, with a matte finish, close-fitting and with tight wrists. Its appearance was massive. He saw neither boots nor belt. The outfit left the hands and face exposed. The fingers were long and thin. The skin was very white, almost like plaster.

The overall impression was of a living being and not a mannequin. Its skull was large and rounded with no hair. The neck was thin and short; the chin was broad and flat; ears were long and pointed, not exceeding the upper part of the head. The eyes were slanted and were horizontally arranged, much larger than those of an Asian person. He noticed spots or undefined shadows at the cheeks. He did not see the nose and mouth very well.

4. Effects Surrounding the Sighting

a) The temperature where the phenomenon occurred was considerably higher than in other sectors;
b) The witness’s eyes blurred, and his eyes began to tear (this effect lasted 3 days);
c) Development of a red spot in the middle part of his nose, with persistent ache (an effect that persisted at the time of our interview);
d) Constant headaches (the same, regarding duration);
e) Pain in the lumbar region (effect lasted 7 or 8 days).

5. Alternatives Subsequent to the Sighting

a) Image reflection phenomenon: Mr. Merlo did not discuss his experience with anyone. He was concerned about the manner in which the person had entered and left the dressing room. Fearful of being accused of neglect in his duties, he chose to keep quiet. He simply made an “identikit” of the image and preserved it with great care.

He returned to his home in Villa Oviedo (AltaGracia) at 3:30 a.m. A few hours later, after 9:10 p.m on that same 21 September, he boarded the bus that would take him back to the Santa Isabel plant. He sat on the third seat to the left, near the window. Some 25 people were aboard the bus.

Above the windshield, in the middle and slightly tilted, was the rear-view mirror through which the driver looked at the passengers. It had an oblong configuration (whose measurements we certified during the episode’s reconstruction) of 0.46 x 0.26 m. The inner lights were all off, except for the watch light, placed on the dashboard. Suddenly, when the vehicle was driving near Los Olivares, Mr. Merlo noticed that the mirror was clearly reflecting a face similar to that of the entity seen in the dressing room, although on this occasion, the features were visible with great clarity (?). Mr. Merlo turned his head, looked back in order to see if there was someone sitting behind him with the same characteristics. He only saw another passenger leaning against the window. The person wore a Basque beret and was dozing away with arms crossed. He did not look at all like the image visible in the mirror.

The particularities of the face reflected in the mirror were identical to those of the phenomenon seen at 5:40 am, but there were other details that he could now make out with greater precision. The mouth, for example, was like that of a dog, with a protruding upper lip. Two brownish spots were visible on both cheeks, with facial and eye movements also being evident. Under each eye could be seen two small dark converging lines, with angles oriented toward the eye socket The eyebrows were arced and thin, as though painted; it did not blink. The triangular nose was spare and in a straight line. After three minutes of observation, the image vanished, hidden by some concentric circles. The mirror once again began reflecting scenes from the inside of the bus, with the driver’s right ear and part of his neck visible, as well as the shoulder, arm and part of the face of the first passenger. None of the passengers appeared to have noticed the phenomenon.

Once the bus reached the Santa Isabel Plant (10:30 p.m.) Mr. Merlo turned to his customary duties, but obsessed by the phenomena he had experienced in such a short time span. He decided – at 5:00 a.m. on 22 September – to file a report with Mr. Romero, Head of the Plant Safety Department, presenting him with the entity’s “identikit” (conveniently enhanced by the latest viewing in the mirror). The event was kept secret and only disclosed to security personnel. However, the eyewitness himself didn’t feel that sufficient importance was given to it, as he was not approached to expand on the report. Dr. Ignacio Castro Igarzábal, the Labor Relations Manager, contacted him on 10 October in order to learn of some of the aspects of the occurrence. But he made no judgments on the event.

b) Lights Not Turning On: At 2:00 a.m. on Monday, 25 September, Mr. Merlo was getting ready to conduct a practical inspection of the forging dressing rooms along with his companion (surnamed Moyano) when they discovered that the lights wouldn’t turn on. Fearful of the unknown, the shut the door again and did not have the courage to go back in. Hours later, however, they repeated the action and saw that the lights turned on with any problems.

c) Stopped Clocks: On Monday, 9 October, Mr. Merlo noticed – to his surprised – that both his wristwatch and the alarm clock on his bedside table in Villa Oviedo read 4:00 a.m., while a wall clock, in an adjacent room, indicated 5:00 a.m. This was definitively the right time. Both clocks had been set using the wall clock as their principal. The eyewitness doesn’t know if these events are related in some way to the anthropomorphic phenomena experienced earlier.

6. Comparative Analysis

When Teodoro Merlo was shown multiple illustrations of anthropomorphic phenomena, particular emphasis was given to the following details:

a) The Villa Santina Case: The entities’ noses and mouths are surprisingly similar to those in the Santa Isabel phenomenon.
b) The Hopkinsville Incident: The ears have no similarity whatsoever to those in the Santa Isabel phenomenon.

7. Attempts at a Parapsychological Interpretation of the Phenomenon

We could not resist the impulse to formulate the hypothesis that the reflected image of the Santa Isabel entity was a phenomenon with paranormal connotations. In this regard, we thought of the feasibility of verifying what is technically known as “Retrocognitive Telepathic Suggestion”. Telepathic suggestion consists in the normal induction of ideas or feelings to another person, which is facilitated by emotions or clouding of conscience, whether on the part of the agent or the percipient, or both at the same time. Cases of alleged apparitions of “the dead” are scientifically explainable as a telepathic projection of the agent’s image, favored by the degree of emotion, or a state of agony, or a state between apparent and real death.

In some episodes (Retrocognitive Telepathic Suggestion) a delayed manifestation of this suggestion takes place, all the while – as Richet notes – “the latency time between the event itself and the monition (perception) is variable. Fr. Myers supposes that because the telepathic impression is immediate (in those cases of apparent retrocognition), but that this impression is latent in the percipient’s spirit, and does not emerge in his conscience until after a certain interval.”

In the Merlo case, we believe that the protagonist’s unconscious captured the features of the Santa Isabel phenomenon. The state of obsession and emotion created by the manifestation made it possible for him to see it again, although projected with the particular details captured by his unconscious (telepathic suggestion is greatly enabled by reflective surfaces, such as mirrors).

(Translation (c) 2011, S. Corrales, IHU. Special Thanks to Guillermo Giménez, Planeta UFO)

Friday, September 16, 2011

Argentina: Cattle Mutilation in Misiones











Argentina: Cattle Mutilation in Misiones
By Andrea & Silvia Pérez Simondini

Cattle Mutilation: New mutilation event, this time in Misiones
Submitted by A. Simondini on 9/15/2011
Dr. Julio Frette, Vision Ovni’s consulting veterinarian, is currently researching this case.


Technical Information
Place: Paraje Solitario, Apóstoles, Misiones Province
Date of Discovery: N.A.
Number of Animals: N.A.
Missing Organs: Missing eye organ, incisions to the jaw, tongue completely excised, even hyoid bones, partial genital excision.

Apóstoles: The owner of a chacra (small farm) in Paraje Solitario, exactly on the border with the province of Corrientes, reported new attacks by “a large creature” of unknown origin which locals are already dubbing “The Chupacabras”, but which has been described in other accounts as “a large dog.”

The complainant, who lives on Lot 348, went out to do his farm chores and inspect the animals, as was his custom, as he owns livestock, and was faced with a terrifying tableau: several animals were dead, relieved of their eyes and tongues, and with their jaws and genitalia torn off, according to police sources.

The rise of the full moon, from Monday to Tuesday the 13th, added macabre and mystical overtones to the situation, when added to the discovery of the dead animals. Stories immediately circulated about what is taking place at Paraje Solitario. As local residents remarked to the authorities, events such as this had occurred before in adjacent farms, and even in the one at which the alleged “beast” caught its prey.

¿Legend or Reality?

First to emerge were remarks from those who in any way or at any time had a “sighting” of what they term “Chupacabras” or the “lobizón”. Either of the two possibilities fills local residents with fear. “One of the farmers claims seeing a dog – not a common breed, but a very large one – in the area where other animal slayings had occurred years ago,” an anonymous source related to Primera Edición (newspaper).

The manner in which these bovines were slain is incomprehensible to farmers. For that reason alone, they tremble when thinking back on the legends told to them by their forebears, in which a man, cursed by being the seventh son of a seventh son, changes shape from human to wolf along with his dietary habits, as he hunts animals for their meat. Doubts also arise about that part of the story, as the only thing missing in these animals is the interior of their jaws, their eyes and tongue, and genitalia. This leads them to suspect “a larger dog than usual” while not dismissing the possibility of the “Chupacabras”, as one of the latter’s traits is to extract all of an animal’s blood through a puncture, without destroying their flesh or leaving traces.

Residents are now on the lookout, as the material losses from their animals’ deaths, and the uncertain nature of the assailant, is keeping them on tenterhooks.

Police Report

As evidenced in the police reports, experts from the Criminalistics and Bromatology Services department of the municipality reached the site and noticed that the bovine was missing part of its jaw, its eyes and tongue. Experts were also astonished to find that the anus and vagina had also been removed, and by the fact that not the least trace of blood was evident after such a task.

The police report reads verbatim: “Yesterday morning (last Monday) a citizen living near Paraje “El Solitario” requested the presence of police after having found one of his animals lifeless and missing parts of its body. Immediately, personnel from Sectional 2 police station in the Lomas del Mirador district headed to the scene of the events. Upon arriving and interviewing the aggrieved party, citizen Bilinski told police that days ago he had already found another animal slain with similar characteristics to the one he had found on the date in question...”

From what farmer Bilinski told police, this isn’t the first time that his cows have been mutilated, with no trace whatsoever of the deed to be found.

“...upon observing the bovine, it is evident that the underside of its jaw is missing along with its eyes and tongue, along with the secretary organs (anus and vagina), with no traces of blood found on the soil,” explained the official document issued by the Apóstoles police station.

It was on account of this that the police decided to call in members of the Office of Bromatology of the Municipality of Apóstoles, who after examining the animal were unable to determine the cause of death, classifying it as “strange.”

According to citizen Bilinski, “such episodes with bovines took place approximately two years ago...”

The earliest stories collected in the area speak of the return of the “Chupacabras”, the cryptid name for an animal that eludes the scientific scrutiny) and the contemporary legend that describes “beings” that attack animals of various species in livestock farming or rural areas. With regard to the “Chupacabras”, according to the popular descriptions, it is said to be a small creature (1 meter tall or less) with greenish or scaly skin, large bulging eyes and an oval head. This vague description matches that of another being of contemporary mythology: the small alien creatures known as “Greys”.

It is also ascribed a canine face with large eyes and fangs, long ankles like those of a kangaroo and is believed to be pose a danger to the human race. Initial sighting reports emerged from the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, matching the initial descriptions (a biped resembling the “Greys”) It was subsequently seen in such places as Chile, Mexico and Texas, a state where it was described with the second description offered (a canid).

The slain animals, allegedly victims of Chupacabras attacks, had no blood in their bodies and a single puncture wound, unlike other predators, which largely shred the carcass.

Animals do not show any sign of alarm and offer no resistance; owners customarily report no strange noises, and not even guard dogs are heard to bark. What is more: during subsequent observations, dogs react very strangely after the event, and display acute fear in some cases. The absence of prints from the attacking animal is often mentioned, or when present, tend to be few. They resemble those of a large canid, some displaying an extension shaped like a talon.

Source: Misiones Cuatro. Com and Daniel Orloff

(Translation (c) 2011, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Andrea and Silvia Pérez Simondini and the VISION OVNI group)

Friday, September 09, 2011

Highways to High Strangeness















Highways to High Strangeness
By Scott Corrales
(c) 2011


We’ve all driven in the dark of night. On our way to college at the start of a school year, off to see relatives, or simply to catch the earliest flight out of a distant airport. Our companions are the radio and a cup of coffee – or the beverage of choice – as we hold on to the wheel and stare through glass at the expanse of road ahead. We do so with certain information in the back of our minds: that there will be exits off the expressway where food or fuel can be secured, rest areas at which we can close our eyes for a few minutes, and the security of calling a towing service if our vehicle should break down.

There are parts of the world, however, where driving is truly an adventure. Highways stretch though the emptiness for hundreds of miles, bereft of services, with only the moon providing the least bit of illumination. Drivers in some of these countries are necessarily mechanics, as the possibility of assistance is slim at best. Even the legendary Pan-American Highway, while fully paved and marked, traverses some of the most unforgiving landscapes on earth, from terrifying mountain heights to vast silent deserts like the Salar de Atacama in northern Chile.

These are the distant roads that beckon to us as we seek the unknown...


Chile: Two Cases, Decades Apart

One of these roads – a 40-mile stretch of asphalt in Northern Chile between Salitrera Victoria and Quillagua - has acquired a reputation as place where strange events befall drivers. The particular location is the aptly named Pampa Soledad (the “pampa of solitude”), a bleak desert environment where the horizon stretches out to infinity and mind reaches even further, conjuring up all manner of possibilities.

On August 16 1974, the last thing on Tito Fernandez’s mind was the unknown. Chile had just undergone the violent overthrow of the Allende regime and the military junta held the country in its clenched fist. Army units fanned out across the country searching for subversives and enforcing martial law. At the time, Fernandez was part of a troupe of itinerant young singers, going from one small town to the next with their show, singing a mixture of pop and folk songs – the kind of thing that was sure to attract negative attention from the regime. A total of five performers were driving to their next gig through the vast emptiness of Pampa Soledad between one thirty in the morning to three in the morning, tired but happy after their successful show at Quillagua.

At one point, the driver and the front seat passenger – humorist Jorge Cruz – became aware of an orange light in the distance, fast approaching their position on the road. Some speculated that the light was that of a locomotive, although no train tracks ran perpendicular to the desert road at any point. Of more concern was the likelihood of a military patrol that would stop the vehicle and challenge them, demanding to see their safe conduct documents.

The performers pulled over and got out of the car to see the orange light, convinced that it was being directed at them from an army spotlight. But after watching its maneuvers, Fernandez became more convinced that it was “one of those UFOs” that people were talking about. So impressed were the young singers that some of them began to pray. This was understandable, as there were now two lights visible – one joining the other down the road and approaching the apprehensive group.

Their apprehension gave way to fear as they quickly boarded the Volvo and sped away down the asphalt, as though an internal combustion engine could somehow provide enough distance between their vehicle and the inexorable lights. One of the performers took a crucifix out her handbag, holding it against the orange lights through the window, hoping to ward off their unwholesome presence. “At this point,” observed Jorge Cruz, “we were all in tears.”

As fate would have it, the terrified quintet saw the lights of an approaching tractor-trailer. Flagging down the driver, they blurted out their experience to him, somewhat incoherently, somehow managing to convey the fact that they were being chased by a set of lights. The bewildered trucker eventually saw them, and at the insistence of the young performers, turned on all of the trailer’s lights and made intermittent flashes with his high beams at the not-so-distant orbs. To everyone’s astonishment, the orbs merged into a single brilliant source of light, matching its pulsations to the deliberate flashes of the tractor-trailers headlights. The trucker, a veteran many years of desert driving, had to admit he’d never seen such a thing before.

Had this desert encounter been restricted to the CE-1 event, it would have probably been forgotten as merely another “high strangeness in the high desert” situation, albeit one with a total of six witnesses. The best, as they say, was still to come.

The merged orange light emitted an overwhelming pulse of light, after which the onlookers were able to see that they were dealing with a structure divided into two hemispheres “like the halves of an orange”, with twin structures holding up each half. Suddenly, Jorge Cruz pointed at an even more distressing revelation: a tall, thin humanoid figure was now visible. Terror seized the group.

Overwhelming fear gave way to self-preservation, the mother of all emotions. Tumbling into their car, the performers wasted no time in speeding away, abandoning the trucker to his fate even as he pleaded not to be left alone to face the unknown entity. But the lights – or the glimpse of a possible occupant – appeared uninterested in the trucker and his cargo: they followed the speeding Volvo as the driver floored the pedal to a hundred thirty kilometers per hour (80 mph). The mad pursuit went on until they were within distance of the Carabineros (state police) station, when the lights abruptly disappeared.

Once inside the station, and having composed themselves, the performers explained their ordeal to the policemen, who listened to them kindly and told them that such experiences were not entirely unheard of in Pampa Soledad. Minutes later, the terrified truck driver pulled into the station, saying that he too was being followed by the unknown sources of light....

Two decades later, another group of travelers would share a similar experience in the desert. Curiously enough, there were also five witnesses to the sighting, as in 1974, and the event occurred at roughly the same time (between one and two o’clock in the morning). It was June 1991, and the new witnesses were aided by a powerful ally -- their video camera.

Nelson Alvarez and his passengers weren’t itinerant performers. Their reason for braving the lonely desert road was a mission of mercy: on June 18, 1991, a three-hour long rainstorm had provoked a massive mudslide (aluvión, in Spanish) resulting in well over ninety deaths and an estimated $70 million USD in losses. Alvarez was one of many citizens bringing much needed supplied to the relief effort.

Driving along the dark road, Alvarez and his passengers became aware of a green light in the distance that appeared to make a beeline toward their car, prompting the driver to step on the brakes as the greenish light headed down the highway. This prompted the driver to give chase at a speed of 170 kilometers per hour(105 mph) – a complete reversal from the situation faced by the performers in 1974. Alvarez woke up his son, urging him to pull the video camera out of its case. Grumpy at having been suddenly stirred from sleep, Alvarez Jr. turned on the camcorder and demanded to know what exactly was he supposed to be recording, as there was nothing but darkness ahead – and what seemed to be a strange headlight.

Captured on tape was the presence of two lights forming a shape roughly akin to bar bells, joined by a shaft. The light maintained an estimated distance of two kilometers from the pursuing van. The voice of young Alvarez can be heard as he calls out the – June 23rd – and the time of the sighting (12:41 a.m.) as it appeared on the videotape. The light remained in the middle of the highway for at least seven minutes. An interesting note is made that the video camera’s battery, having a normal endurance of 45 minutes, lasted only seven minutes before being fully drained.


Argentina: A Persistently Haunted Stretch of Road

“La Recta de Tin-Tin” may sound like ruler used by the French comic book hero, but it is in fact an eighteen kilometer long stretch of road in the Province of Salta, flanked by two mountains – Cerro Negro and Cerro Tin-Tin – at an elevation of nearly eight thousand feet. The almost perfectly straight segment of road is not a product of modern highway engineering, as it existed before European settlers arrived in this section of Argentina. It is believed that the Inca Empire (1480-1535) must have created the road using a series of blazing campfires to create the alignment, but nothing is certain. The fact is that readers of INEXPLICATA have long seen this region mentioned in connection with UFO and other paranormal phenomena.



Walter Aban, mayor of Seclantas, one of the communities linked by this unusual road, shares the belief in the strange events that have characterized the area. "Look, anyone traveling between Salta and Seclantas knows that strange lights appear in the sky from the Recta de Tin-Tin onwards. Are they UFOs? I don't know. But I can assure it's no fantasy."

Aban's words were confirmed by another area mayor, Hector Legoburo of Payogasta. "It's true, the Recta de Tin-Tin is a mysterious place at night. The lights that can be seen crossing the skies overhead are not a product of human engineering. Traveling from Salta to Payogasta I witnessed, I was tailed by a luminous object for a number of minutes. The people with me thought it was the lights of a construction vehicle, but it was impossible for a wheeled machine. And when the glare became brightest, we saw it vanish into the sky. I have no explanation for this."

In 2006, Diario El Tribuno published an article on the UFO reports emerging from the area.

A group of six people driving along National Highway 33 near the Amblavo crossroads claimed seeing “moving lights and flashes in the sky” on Friday, June 6, of that year. Upon reaching the city of Salta, the witnesses headed straight for El Tribuno’s newsroom to share the bewildering experience with staff writers:

"We can't all be wrong. We saw a light that moved and emitted flashes. It surprised us as it emerged from the straight road to Tin Tin and then again from Cuesta del Obispo," said Marcelo Tomas Aranda, an agronomist who works in Cachi and who visits Salta every Friday for the last 14 years.

The witnesses, who traveled aboard a van, agree with the report of a strange incandescent light that appeared up above. "The skies were clear and the moon lit the outline of the mountains. Suddenly, a circular light appeared, four times larger than a star." To Monica Cuevas, a technical secretary, and Adriana Laiseca, a supervisor with the Ministry of Education, the experience took them from total skepticism to questioning things that are said about UFO manifestations in the area.

Horacio Nolasco, the van's driver, travels back and forth from Cachi on a daily basis for years and had never seen anything like it. "It was a very shiny light with a straight-line motion from North to South that vanished between the mountains. We later saw it much closer as we descended halfway down Cuesta del Obispo," he explained.

Cesar Miguel Naranjo is an Ecuadorian national who has lived in Salta for 10 years. He is a parapsychologist and was among the witnesses to the event. "It's a wonderful sensation -- one is left dumbfounded by the knowledge that what is being seen is not a product of the imagination."

The other passenger, Nancy, who works in the Amblayo school, also saw the light but unlike her travel companions, did not wish to get off the vehicle. "The truth is that is frightened me a lot," she admitted.

Even stranger is the case involving a trio of motorcyclists who reported an unknown vehicle to El Tribuno in May 2002 as they made their way back to the city of Cachi along Route 33."We saw an enormous cigar-shaped unidentified flying object measuring some 100 meters in length."

Martin Oliver, Ruben Chihan and Antonio Rodo, young bikers well known throughout the area, claimed that their experience occurred on May 1, 2002 as they headed back from the capital. "We want our names to be included, because for a long time we've been hearing similar stories from fellow residents who out of a sense of shame or sheer cowardice do not want their names printed in the paper.”

"We were finishing the Tin Tin stretch when we saw a strange light from the east, in the vicinity of Payogasta. We stopped our rides and saw it: an enormous cylinder measuring some 100 meters in length, shining like a mirror in the reflected light of the setting sun. It was shaped like a giant cigarette and flew slowly some 200 meters from the ground. We couldn't believe it but it was real. It made no noise whatsoever and appeared to be made of a material similar to polished steel, " the cyclists reported. "Suddenly, it stopped and remained suspended in mid-air. A few seconds later, it began flying at an astonishing speed and lost itself in space."

Was the vast aerial cylinder -- reported by the three motorcycling enthusiasts -- the conveyance employed by a number of alleged humanoids a year later, also on the Tin Tin stretch?

Julio Rafael Espinoza was riding along with six other passengers in a bus on the evening of December 15, 2003. A farmer from the village of La Poma, he was accompanied by his young daughter Tamara, Benito Salva and his father, and four other men. As the bus entered the Tin Tin stretch, four hundred meters from the foothills of Cerro Negro, driver Benito Salva pointed at an unusual sight on the otherwise featureless landscape: “Hey fellas, look at that!”

"It was incredible,” Espinoza would later tell the El Tribuno newspaper. “We could see an object with impressive lights, side by side, spinning in a circle at high speed. Other lights turned up later, joining the first ones at the same spot. It made our jaws drop."

Alarmed but by no means afraid, Benito Salva pulled the bus over and parked it. He and the other passengers were content with looking at the display of lights from the imagined safety of the vehicle, but this wasn’t enough for the farmer from La Poma: Espinoza climbed onto the roof for a better look, but then jumped to the ground and walked toward the unknown display, seemingly unconcerned about his daughter’s safety.

"The landscape was very well-defined in spite of the darkness,” Espinoza continued. “I couldn't go on any further. I was moving away from the road and I was beginning to get scared when my eyes started seeing something that wasn’t readily visible at a distance. There was a device measuring some 100 meters wide resting over some kind of struts or legs that kept it some 10-12 meters off the ground. Some sort of hoses emerged from its middle, with lights on their tips. Suddenly, the lights on the object went out and these strange beings appeared. They walked slowly in single file, they were thin and their glow was so powerful they blinded me. At that moment I hid behind a bramble and I could see when one of them jumped onto a bramble--don't know how he did it--and began pulling pieces off it, as though taking samples."

Twenty minutes elapsed between the time Espinoza had gone off on his solo scouting mission and his return to the bus. "When I told them what I'd seen, they told me that they couldn't see the creatures because they were very far away. However, they saw the luminous phenomenon, which was visible from the roadside," he concluded.

From a strictly numerological standpoint, the number five appears to be a constant in these Chilean and Argentinean sightings. Five witnesses (or six) in these cases, with the added detail the Espinoza’s daughter Tamara was five years old at the time. An intriguing observation, but a feature that we see repeated in an earlier case involving the “trained observers” whose opinion is so valuable in UFO cases. The details on the Corimayo-Flores sighting were kindly provided to us by UFO researcher Guillermo D. Giménez; the original investigation was conducted by Paco Martínez, Patricio Parente, Juan Pablo González of Gaceta OVNI.

On May 9, 2001 – placing it much earlier than the other incidents along the Tin Tin stretch – deputies Ramiro Corimayo and Humberto Flores of the Cachi sheriff’s office were on duty, driving along Route 33 from Cachi past Los Cardones National Park in the company of three others. The interesting feature of the case is that two of the passengers in the police car were detainees (one of them female) being transferred to a detention center, and their personal information was held in strict confidence. The identity and rank of the third officer was also kept confidential.

With Flores at the wheel of the car, they were expected in the city of Salta at seven o’clock in the morning. As they entered the Tin Tin stretch, the deputies became aware of a bright point of light in the distance, described as much larger than a star.

“We drove along Route 33,” said deputy Corimayo, “and once were in the Recta, where [the sign] for the Los Cardones National Park is located, toward the east, more or less around Cerros Tirados, which are some 20-30 kilometers away (12-18 miles), Flores said to me: “Look, it’s a farol (evil light).”

Officer Corimayo detected the luminous dot at Flores’s indication and recalled the oft-mentioned faroles that tend to appear to travelers at night. The considerable mentions of these objects made by people leads them to look at the object fixedly, because neither man had hitherto run into a “Spain: Cars Bedeviled by UFOs

The roughly ten miles that separate the southern reaches of the Americas from Spain have not proven an obstacle to this phenomenon – extraterrestrial to some, interdimensional to others – that displays an unabashed interest in human vehicles and roads.

In November 1985, northwestern Spain’s La Voz de Galicia newspaper reported a brush between an unidentified flying object and a passenger car on a road along the Cecebre Reservoir. The driver, a newspaper layout technician whose name was never released, was driving back to the village of Piadela from his job in the city of La Coruña. As he approached the reservoir, he noticed a “greenish, rectangular vehicle” hovering overhead in the darkness. The object, described as box-like, made a vertical descent some fifty feet away from the astonished driver’s sedan, prompting him to slow down to a complete stop. The rectangular unknown vehicle passed silently over his car and vanished. The witness subsequently experienced symptoms “similar to hypnosis” after the experience.

On January 25, 1996, at during the heated days of the Galician UFO wave in northwestern Spain, Bartolomé Vázquez of the town of As Pontes, filmed a triangular UFO as it was pursued by two Spanish Air Force fighters. He would be treated to the sight of other strange objects in his native skies and undergo a harrowing close encounter: on one occasion, a UFO hovered directly over his vehicle while he traveled along with his wife and children. The unknown craft allegedly damaged the car's roof. Vázquez also claims that his brother had a similar encounter around the same time, but in that incident, "his car's engine died when the UFO flew over it, and all the car doors opened at once..."

Another landmark case involving vehicular interference occurred during the same UFO wave: Andrés Landeira had no idea he was about to become the star of UFO drama on the night of February 26, 1996, when he discovered that his sedan was unable to climb the steep hill which led back to his home in the city of Lugo.

Shifting gears with a perplexed expression on his features, Landeira noticed that the sedan refused to budge. It was only then that he realized that his car was rising into the air.

Panicking, he opened the door, hoping to jump to safety from whatever nameless fate awaited him, but he realized he was well over thirty feet in the air. "I held on to the steering wheel with all my might," Landeira would later tell UFO investigator Manuel Carballal, "I forced my back into the driver's seat and thought I was going to die, being taken to God knows where...Hell! I was really scared."

But the car was not spirited off into the black skies. Landeira observed that whatever had picked him up deposited him back onto the road just slightly ahead of his original position, but sideways. Aside from being badly frightened by the experience, the driver wasn't negatively affected. The only reminder of the event was the car's dashboard clock, which froze at precisely ten minutes before two o'clock in the morning. Andrés was described as a "trustworthy man" by his friends and neighbors, who saw no reason at all to believe that he was being anything but truthful.

On April 13, 1993 a 28-year-old man identified only as Alfonso R.A. from the city of Lérida claimed that "extraterrestrials" had forced him to alter the course of the car he was driving at the time. If that wasn't bad enough, Alfonso R.A. alleged that the ET's "held him against his will" for a total of 8 hours.

The story, carried by the EFE news agency, reported that "a strange impulse" caused the driver to change course from his intended destination toward the village of Fraga. Shortly after this, Alfonso R.A. was "attracted toward a strange light" and felt a penetrating sensation in the back of his neck. "I am convinced", Alfonso told reporters, "That my attackers were aliens and that I remained some eight hours with them."

The alleged abductee had no independent recollection of what transpired during the missing-time event and was found at his home in a semi-comatose state, which a health care professional described as "a serious case of depression."

According to Alfonso's relatives, he left the town of Alcoletge, where he works as a farmer, and headed toward Lérida, where his brother awaited him to do some shopping. He never turned up.