The Parque Forestal Humanoid Photograph - Santiago, Chile

On May 10, 2004 Civil Engineer Germán Pereira was taking photographs of the Carabineros (state police) on horseback in the Parque Forestal of Santiago, Chile. One of the photos, after being downloaded from his digital camera, showed the image of a possible alien being. CIFAE Chile interviewed the witness and analyzed the photograph. I decided to look back at this incident by presenting all the anecdotal evidence reported. Thanks again to Scott Corrales of INEXPLICATA - The Journal of Hispanic Ufology

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Researcher Erick Martínez, of CIFAE Chile (left) and the witness, Civil Engineer Germán Pereira

Report from the witness, Civil Engineer Germán Pereira:

I'm from Concepción and have been working in Santiago for little over a a year. On May 10 this year I decided to take some photos at Parque Forestal, taking some 10 shots which I downloaded to my PC the following day .

I thought it would be interesting to photograph a group of Carabineros (state police) on horseback patrolling the sector. The photo was taken at 17:40 hrs approximately from the corner of JM de la Barra and Av. Cardenal José María Caro, in front of bellas Bellas Artes and looking east.

It was a cloudy day and the sun was hidden, for which reason my digital camera ( Kodak DX6490) adjusted to low speed (1/10 seg..

This is the reason why the photo shows motion (those knowledegable about photography will know the reason why)Furthermore, the Carabineros were som 20 meters distant, and I employed the camera's optical zoom (10x) which added to the blurred result.

The fact is that I am very impressed by this image. I attest to the fact that it is not a fraud nor anything similar. For this reason I have made it public and I contacted the staff of CIFAE Chile. I would like to know the true nature of the image that appears in it and if anyone has ever caught anything similar in a photo. Nothing more.

Germán Pereira A. Ing. Civil Mecánico

Germán Pereira / Corporacion de Investigacion de Fenomenos Aereos (CIFAE), Chile

Translation (c) 2004. Scott Corrales, Institute of Hispanic Ufology (IHU). Special thanks to Liliana Núñez O.

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My enhancements of the humanoid image

Restoration of the Parque Forestal Image (CIFAE Report)

In regard to the analysis of the Parque Forestal photograph, CIFAE delivers this interesting report by our scientific director to the international UFO research community.

In this work we shall present a brief introduction to the restoration of images by means of deconvolution, which is the only correct technique for eliminating certain defects from images. We also attempt to restore the Parque Forestal image, although in this case it isn't possible to obtain very good results. We are not trying to debate what the subject of the photo is or is not, nor if it is of interest to ufology. The main subject under discussion here (restoration) should be of interest to any researcher who works with images.

An image distorted by being out of focus, astigmatism, "motion blur", atmospheric disturbances, etc. is mathematically represented as the convolution between the non-defective image and a PSF (point spread function). PSF is a function that can be interpreted as the distorted image of a white spot on a black background, and each image can have a different PSF depending on the camera and the conditions under which the image was acquired.

In order to restore the image and to eliminate these defects, one must perform the reverse operation, in other words, deconvolute the distorted image against the corresponding PSF. Deconvolution isn't hard to achieve, but the deconvolution algorithms tend to be sensible to the image's "noise" (fluctuations) and iterative methods can easily diverge. The worst problem arises when the PSF isn't known a priori, and in this case it is necessary to develop some method that can extract the PSF from the defective image, what is known as blind deconvolution. This problem can be hard to deal with, and may be considered as one of the great challenges of the field of image analysis.

It is also interesting to note the recent work of Alfred Carasso, who has achieved very impressive results, although the applicability of his methods is limited.

It is hard to find commercial software capable of performing blind deconvolutions. Some programs like AutoDeblur have been specifically developed for microscopy. The Unshake program is a general purpose one, but is based on a very simple method that doesn't always work well. Other software packages like Iris are only useful in astrophotography. The majority of the available programs require a priori knowledge of PSF, such as Unblur, which is general purpose. FocusFixer is only useful in dealing with out-of-focus image and Focus Magic corrects simple out of focus and motion blur.

For the time being we do not have access to a better commercial software package, therefore the Parque Forestal image was restored searching for PSF by simpler means. Knowing the basics of deconvolution, it is possible to know something about PSF by simple inspection of the photo. One can see that it appears in motion blur at angle of some 150 degrees. Using the Fix Motion Blur filter in Focus Magic at this angle, the distance could be established through trial and error, and turned out to be 11 pixels. In other words, the PSF that accoutns for the motion blur would be a straight line with a length of 11 pixels at an angle of 150 degrees. Upon eliminating the motion blur, it can be seen that the image is folded in the same direction (150 degrees) and at a distance of 17 pixels. In other words, the PSF that acknowledges this unfolding is two points at a distance of 17 pixels and at an angle of 150 degrees. The PSF was built using this inforamtion and the image was deconvoluted using Unblur. Focus Magic could not correct the unfolding. The result is shown in Figure 2, where it is noted that the image is partly restored, but with an increase in the amount of "noise". Contrast was not augmented artificially. The original photo has a lower contrast because the colors and shapes are mixed when an image is hazy, and upon restoring it, the colors and details of the real scene are also recovered.

According to expert James Caron, this image has several difficulties that do not allow for its full restoration:

-Due to poor lighting, a weak signal was obtained with excessive motion blur due to the long exposure time (0.1 seg).
-The object of interest is moving and has a different, more sever motion blur than the static objects in the scene.
-The image is compressed, which truncates the information necessary for its restoration.

In other words, the photo is compressed in the JPG format, which eliminates part of the information contained in the original image in order to reduce the storage size. The lack of lighting brings as a consequence an excessive amount of noise, especially in the restored image. This implies that there isn't a single PSF for the whole photo, which makes restoration difficult. On the other hand, any evidence of motion may be useful in intepreting the image. In our restoration, at least, some details and colors can be distinguished, and from the photo analysis point of view, it is the best that could be done in this case.

Regarding the possibility of fraud in this photo, it would be easy to dot. The figure could have been pasted on the photo and the resulting borders could ahve been erased through motion blur. On the other hand, the photo's EXIF could have been edited in order to simulate an original photo. But the fact that it is easy to forge does not constitute evidence of a hoax, although it could provide good grounds for ignoring this case or not taking it seriously. We have hitherto not received any valid arguments supporting the hoax hypothesis. Some have said that some lines or squares of well-defined borders can be noted, but this is only a defect of the JPG format.

In closing, something should be said about other image processing techniques. Some effects that highlight the image's details are very common, such as contrast and saturation, sharpening, unsharp mask, border detection, emboss, solarizing, etc. But it is obvious that none of these filters would be capable of restoring an image such as the one in Figure 1. many of these filters are deceptive because they alter the image, giving the false impression of having improved it, but they are at times only useful for aesthetic purposes. It is advisable not to employ a filter if the basics of its operation are unknown.

As an example of a poor job, we mention the one created with a fantasy filter at the request of the IIEE in Figure 3 A, which could be interpreted as a dog. The idea is not to argue if the subject is a dog or not; all that is shown here is that this particular work is poorly executed. The diagonal lines that betray the presence of motion blur are highly visible, and one of the legs is unfolded in the same way as in the original photo. Overall, this image has the same geometry as the original, but different coloring. In other words, there is no evidence of restoration in this retouching. The way in which the colors have been altered is also noticeable.

Investigation conducted by physicist Andres Duarte, Scientific Director of CIFAE CHILE.

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A Report from KODAK Chile

The Kodak report, while not certifying the process of "acknowledgement of objects or external elements within a digital photo" by company policy, has been an important source document in this research.

Some parts of this report contain the following information:

The information confirms that the photo was indeed taken using a Kodak DX 6490 camera.

Dimension 1656x1242 pixels
Color depth 24 bpp
Density 96x96 dpi
Subsampling 2:1:1
Color space YCbCr
Mode Baseline
Compression JPEG
Exposure time 0.1 sec
F-Number 3.6
Exposure prog Normal program
EXIF ver 2.2
Time original 2004:05:10 17:40:18
Time digitized 2004:05:10 17:40:18
Component conf YCbCr
Shutter speed 197121 s
Aperture 3.6
Exposure bias 3.6
Max aperture 3.6
Metering mode Pattern
Light source Unknown Flash
Focal length 52.6 mm
Maker note KDK0101IDX6490
FlashPix ver 1.0
Colorspace sRGB
XY Dimension 1656x1242 pixels
Exposure index 140
Sensing method One- chip color area sensor
File source DSC
Scene source Directly photographed image

Sincerely,
Kodak Chile

The CIFAE Report

Among some of the conclusions that can be drawn from the CIFAE report, we can say that the procedures applied up to now in analyzing the image of Parque Forestal, and in which some have thought to see a dog, are mistaken. At least in the positions know.

In other words, if this image in fact corresponds to a canine, the superficial analyses performed until now have NOT proved it.

CIFAE shall continue to analyzing the image and we shall continue to keep our readers abreast of further developments.

Andres Duarte, Scientific Director, CIFAE Chile, June 17, 2004

Translation (c) 2004. Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to CIFAE.
INEXPLICATA - The Journal of Hispanic Ufology - July 18, 2004

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Interview with Germán Pereira, the photographer of the alien photo in Parque Forestal, Santiago, Chile

**Germán Pereira: "One can see something walking and has arms and a head, but I don't know what it is."**

Text by Luciana Lechuga

"I have no opinion on the nature of what came out on the photo, or else I'll just keep it to myself," said Germán Pereira.

The engineer is startled by the stir caused by his snapshot and says that the has received phone calls from Spain, Colombia and Argentina.

Pereira, a civil engineer, says that he had to turn off his cell phone in order to concentrate on work, since the instrument did not stop ringing after it was learned that he was the author of a the surprising photo of an alleged alien in Parque Forestal.

He's only been a week at his new job and his co-workers don't know that he has been on television and in newspapers, and has recieved calls from Colombia, Argentina and Spain, whose news media want to know more about his story.

"I have no knowledge of this, but from what Erick Martinez (of the Corporacion de Investigacion de Fenomenos Aereos--CIFAE) tells me, it seems that it is one of the clearest photos ever taken. It is surely for this reason that it has had such an impact," he speculated.

Pereira, 33, is a graduate of the University of Concepción and came to Santiago a little over a year ago. He is an amateur photographer and owns a Kodak DX6490 digital camera. On Monday, May 10 he had the afternoon off, so he got on his bicycle with the camera and went off to Parque Forestal.

He took ten photos and was "rewarded" with the image of a tiny grey being walking between two Carabineros (state police) on horseback. This is the image that has gone around the world thanks to websites on paranormal phenomena.

-- What was it about that shot that drew your attention?

--Look, first I took a photo of the Carabinero patrol that was coming over the nearby bridge. Then, since I was riding my bike, I headed for the northern sector. I took another photo of them from that point, and that's the one on the Internet.

--Did you see the alien in the [digital camera's] screen?

--No, I saw it the next day, when I downloaded the photo.

--And what did you think?

--I was impressed, that's all. I saw it with a colleague and we found it odd. I thought that it was the same impression everyone else who saw the photo must have had. It's rather shocking. The fact of the matter is that I didn't see it when I took the picture.

--Do you recall seeing anything odd at the time?

No, nothing at all. And I also asked myself that when I checked the photo, I tried to recall what was there. It would have been ideal to have seen it when the photo was taken, by I saw nothing strange. I was interested in taking a photo of the mounted patrol.

--If it was an alien it should have come out in the other photos you took that day.

--Yes, it could have come out, but it appears in that one only. Now, the other (photos) are from other areas.

--Had you ever had any similar experience?

--In fact I'd never had any experience of this type, nor was I very involved in UFO or alien matters. I don't know it that's the true nature of the matter, and that's why I stepped back from it and turned it over to people who deal with the subject. All I know is that it isn't a photographic error. I also know that it isn't a hoax, because I'm not behind it. The photo is still there, still inside the camera. I haven't wanted to erase it.

-- And why's that?

--I want the Kodak people to see it. In fact, I have to phone them.

--How did your photo reach the Internet?

--What happened is that on Tuesday, when I downloaded it to my computer, I mailed it to a friend in Concepción. He sent it to the people of CIFAE and to another two parties. That very same day Erick and I met up, because they were the first to believe in the photo.

--And what's your opinion of all this?

--I have no opinionon the nature of what came out on the photo, or else I'll just keep it to myself. In any event, one can see something that appears to walk, has a arms and a head, but I don't really know what it is."

--Are you into UFOs? Have you had "close encounters"?

--No, no sightings. I don't lose any sleep over the subject, but I find it interesting. And with this stuff the same, if not more so.

--Have your co-workers bothered you?

--No. I think that maybe now the will. The day I took the photo I was with another company. I've only been here a week. They don't even know me.

Las Ultimas Noticias (Santiago de Chile), June 5, 2004 (in INEXPLICATA, The Journal of Hispanic Ufology)

Translation (c) 2004. Scott Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Liliana Núñez O.

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9 Possible Explanations For Alleged Alien In Chilean Photo

June 8, 2004

SANTIAGO - The photo taken by German Pereira, showing a strange "character" walking across Parque Forestal, has gone all around the world, appearing in a variety of internet sites as well as news dailies and television. Despite the fact that the digital image has been studied in detail, no one knows what the curious phenomenon might be. However, the following theories have been put forth:

I. THE ALIEN

One of the better-known stories is the presence of an alien in the photo taken at Parque Forestal. The strange character that appears near the mounted policemen's horses is very similar to the "Greys", whether on account of its macrocephaly or its elongated arms. What is odd is the creature's size, since tests to the digital image show that its height would not exceed 80 centimeters. Some ufologists state that there is no precedent for such small extraterrestrials, therefore this possibility has been discarded. However, UFO research has always been based on eyewitness testimony and photo evidence, therefore a new concept of space beings, smaller in size than those hitherto known, would be a new line of research.

II. THE IMP OR GNOME

Without a doubt one of the most accepted theories by the public regarding the strange creature. Certainly the characteristics that can be made out on this entity are similar to the ones described by those who have seen imps, whether on acount of its size or its greenish hue. Furthermore, these mythical creatures are believed to inhabit places filled with trees and flowers, making it not at all strange that Parque Forestal should form part of their habitat. Experts in manifestations by these entities reinforce the theory that imps can only be seen by certain people, since they belong to another dimension, and that a digital photograph could be a good option for seeing them.

III. A GHOST.

Cyberspace is filled with countless photos showing specters or ghosts in poses similar to that of the Parque Forestal creature. Among thousands of photos, a good number of them are fakes, but an equally significant amount has not been dismissed as hoaxes. Therefore, within the possibilities of this image, the possibility of a ghost could easily coincide with many others of its type.

IV. A TREE BRANCH.

The trails of Parque Forestal are covered with many leaves and branches that constantly fall from the trees, especially during the fall. For this reason, one of the theories put forth explains that one such branch could have created the capricious image of a walking alien. The blurriness of the image could lend credibility to this explanation.

V. A CHILD

Another theory posited states that a small child was walking between the two Carabineros horsemen. This is not unlikely, since such things happen constantly in that area of the park. But upon studying the image and being's size, the child could not have been more than a year and half old. As the image shows, the creature walks erect and its body does not present the characteristics of a child of that age. Furthermore, there are no signs of clothing covering the body of the alleged child, and the neck is absent from beings quasi-deformed head. However, the sweep of the image deforms the possibility of evaluating details such as clothing or other traits that could make this the solution.

VI. A MONKEY

What would an ape be doing in the middle of Parque Central? Well, its one of many interpretations of this image. The characteristics of the "creature" could be projected on a small ape who had escaped at that time from the zoo or from a private home. What is odd is the color of the alleged ape, aside from the calm way it crosses between two animals of far larger size than its own.

VII. LIGHTS AND SHADOWS

For those knowledgeable in the subject, it is easy to capture a significant light and shadow play which can mislead us easily. Upon observing this photo, we can see that there are several patches of light between the leaves. These give the sensation of possessing a color that is similar to that of the strange being. We also see another light spot over the entity's body, suggesting an object on its back, which could be interpreted as a rucksack, but is only light play after initial analysis. Under this premise, we cannot dismiss the possibility that the phenomenon photographed by German Pereira is only the product of light and shadow play.

VII. THE HOAX

Under the magnifying glasses of several experts, the image from Forestal is no more than an absurd hoax to promote the subject of UFOs and aliens. However, we lack any proof that completely rejects the veracity of the alleged alien photo. The following are some possible means of hoaxing the image

Superimposed Images

One of the most common tricks when creating photos of this sort is the superimposition of images, whether through a computer or employing sophisticated design programs, which aid us in constructing photos with external elements. This can be done by taking a photo obtained by a conventional original (a traditional photo with a chemically-processed negative) which has been scanned and then digitized. Then, an external element is attached (as strange figure or other object. After printing it on a laser printer on high-quality paper, it can be photographed using a digital camera, obtaining the result we have come to know.

El Barrido

One of the photos limitations is the sweep generated by the digital camera, which blurs the image, making it impossible to make a firm conclusion. But the most curious detail is that these "sweeps" are hard to do with a digital camera. Digital cameras generally operate as sensitivities of 100, 200 and 400 ISO (standardized sensitivity units between ASA and DIN, which are the U.S. and German units, respectively). This means that the exposure speeds for an outdoor shot on a clear day (such as in this photo) would never be lower than 1/100th of a second. A sweep of such a magnitude could never be obtained at such a speed. The photo would be underexposed (in its original) for which reason the contrast (luminance) or colors (chrominance) cannot be fully seen, which are needed to distinguish capacity and depth in each cell.

IX. A PRANK

Another possibility is that it was all concocted at the site of the events, creating the impression of a being calmly walking among two mounted horses. When looking closely at the image, we can see that the at the second post to the left of the photo, there is a diagonal element supported toward the ground. This could be a stick, but its thickness could readily represent one of the legs of a tripod supporting the strange character.

Camilo Valdivieso, Terra Networks

Translation (c) 2004. Scott Corrales, Institute of Hispanic Ufology (IHU). Special thanks to Camilo Valdivieso, Terra Networks.

NOTE: What's your thought on the photograph? I have always been leery of this image...thinking that is was actually something natural or simply an anomaly. Now, I'm not sure what to think. My enhancement of the enlarged image did not involve any pixels manipulation...Lon

Unexplained Phenomena Before and After Natural Disasters

After the devastating earthquake in Japan, I began to wonder if there was any 'earth light' activity prior and after the event. There has been evidence in the past that unusual lights would appear in the sky before and/or after an earthquake. There were examples of this phenomena in relation to the most recent earthquake in Chile as well as other locations over the years.

I starting looking on the internet and I found a few UFO examples...though, it's hard to say what is being recorded and exactly when. Much of the information is third-hand.

Another phenomena endemic to disasters where there is substantial loss of life is the sighting of entities. I imagine it will only be a matter of time before these start to be reported.


Click for video - UFO over Japan 2 hrs. before earthquake

NOTE: I was told that this was recorded just north of Tokyo


Click for video - UFO flying over tsunami

NOTE: Doesn't seem to be a helicopter or conventional aircraft...though I could be wrong.



Click for video - UFO on CCTV - volcano in Sakurajima, Japan after earthquake

NOTE: UFO seen over the volcano in Sakurajima, Japan



Click for video - 3/11/2011 over Tokyo, Japan

Below are a few examples of strange phenomena associated with disasters:

'More ghosts' after New Zealand earthquake

stuff - The "sheer strength and power" of the September 4 earthquake has more than doubled the number of reported supernatural events in Canterbury, a paranormal investigator says.

Christchurch Paranormal Investigators founder Anton Heyrick said his team had received an "interesting influx" of phone calls and emails after the 7.1-magnitude earthquake, with more than double the usual number of inquiries.

"People are calling us, saying that they had always felt like there was something in the house, but since the earthquake it had become more intense," he said.

Most cases related to strange noises, although one man said he had been attacked by a ghost.

Heyrick said the "sheer strength and power" of the earthquake may have been responsible for the increase in paranormal activity.

The number of old buildings damaged in the earthquake may also have been a factor, he said.

It was well known among investigators that when renovations on old buildings took place, "it tends to wake up dormant spirits, and activity tends to come out of nowhere", he said.

"With the earthquake, it literally smashed walls apart, and knocked down floors and ceilings, so you can imagine the effect that would have had."

The team, which did not charge for its services, had conducted two full investigations, and was planning to do several more.

New Zealand Skeptics chairman Gold said the reports may have been due to "people's minds playing tricks on them in the post-quake environment".

"You may not feel an aftershock, but it will still make things rattle. People's minds fill in the blanks, and they tend to fill in the blanks with fairytales, unfortunately."

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Ghosts, Shadows Reported in Wake of Chilean Earthquake

Shadows Heard and Screams Reported in the Early Morning Hours - Ghost Stories Begin to Emerge in Tsunami - Devastated Areas

elmercurio - Shadows cross the Cardenal Raul Silva Henriquez Bridge in Constitucion; Cell phone screens light up suddenly, as if trying to receive phone calls. The moans and tears of children and their mothers resonate throughout the wooded Curanipe camping grounds, where thirty people lost their lives on February 27th.

Situations such as these are being reported by residents of Region de Maule, who claim that they repeat over and over in the early morning hours. “It’s the people who died here. They’re asking to be found and be given a burial,” says Juan Morales Morales, who works nights doing repairs on the Constitución Bridge. Dozens of people died in this area while camping at Isla Orrego, at the mouth of the Maule River.

In the coastal village of Curanipe, half an hour away from Cauquenes, people reportedly hear sounds issuing from the forest where thirty people vanished. “We can hear the cries and weeping of children at unusual hours, and people are greatly distressed by it,” says Magdalena Rodriguez, who owns a nearby business. She lost a sister in the tragedy.

Ricardo Figueroa, a psychiatrist specializing in disasters at the Catholic University Hospital, explains: “When unexpected deaths or states of grief exist, it is normal for people to report experiences that may catalogued, in quotation marks, as supernatural.” He adds: “But this is a normal occurrence that increases during catastrophes.”

Hugo Zepeda, a doctor of Theology and university professor, adds that these events occur “because people are psychologically injured. This has a collective projection that makes the see more or less the same thing.” He adds that if these events continue to occur, they may soon have a “paranormal” meaning.

Translation: Scott Corrales - Inexplicata

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Haitian Homeless Haunted at Night by Evil Spirits, Loups-Garoux

FT - The corpse of a young man, bloodied by bullet wounds, lay on Boulevard Truman in the center of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, a few hundred yards from a rag-tag camp for the homeless.

Why this man was killed is unknown, but a deeply ingrained belief in the occult can explain some of the sporadic outbreaks of violence among the 690,000 people left on the streets by the earthquake of January 12.

By night, mythical creatures are said to prowl the camps, snatching and murdering children. Many Haitians are convinced that people possessed by evil spirits turn into wolves after dark, a version of the werewolf legend. These loups-garoux, or wolf-men, are thought to be preying on defenseless people sleeping in the open.

“Almost all Haitian families are afraid of this,” said Vladimir Cadet, 29, who is among the homeless. “While they are sleeping in the street, they are living with this reality. There was a woman whose two children were taken by a werewolf. This kind of thing is spreading like wildfire.”

Mr Cadet, an English-speaking university graduate, is convinced of the existence of werewolves. “I have never seen one but I’ve been told by my mother that they exist. When I was a little boy, I was nearly taken.”

This widespread belief in the occult has worsened the ordeal of the homeless. As well as facing the daily burden of finding food and water, many also live with the fear that creatures of the night will abduct their children.

Where Mr Cadet sleeps, people have formed brigades of watchmen who guard against the twin dangers of thieves and werewolves. Anyone suspected of falling into either category is liable to be killed.

About half of Haiti’s 9 million people are thought actively to practice voodoo. Many more share some of these beliefs.

This has had one positive effect in the earthquake’s aftermath. Voodoo holds that human beings never truly die – instead their spirits simply migrate to another dimension of existence.

Consequently, the 150,000 people who were claimed by the natural disaster are thought to live on in a parallel universe, from where they might occasionally contact their relatives in this world.

In a country bereft of comfort, this belief is a rare source of peace for the survivors of its tragedy.

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Ghosts of Haiti




This supposed apparition was captured on a news clip of the Haiti earthquake devastation. Granted, it's difficult to see in the still images.


Click for video

After one of the greatest catastrophes in the history of humanity, the earthquake that has taken thousands of lives in Haiti, came this curious news on various television channels. A rescuer from Colombia had a strange experience when he witnessed this apparition.


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'Quake Lights' Reported Over Southern California


Above: San Diego, CA



Above: Santiago, Chile prior to major earthquake

weatherspace - San Diego residents are reporting shaking continuing in the area. The shaking, according to the USGS, is likely due to the Easter quake this year which rocked the region.

Twitter is rolling with reports of rainbow cloud over Los Angeles today. Reports are coming in that this looks similar to before both the China and Chile quakes where residents reported and took photos of such events in the sky.

While no one can be sure what it means, people should always be prepared for a major Earthquake in Southern California as it is seismically active.


Click for video



NOTE: this anomaly is the same type of 'earth lights' seen over China and Chile just prior to major earthquakes...Lon

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UFOs / 'Tall Humanoids' Reported in Post-Earthquake Chile



Click for video
Santiago, Chile: Daylight video supposedly captured in a CNN broadcast after the earthquake


Click for video
Santiago, Chile: video taken on February 27, 2010, 7:43 pm local time, after the 8.5 degree earthquake
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Source: Prensa Escrita.com & Planeta UFO
Date: 03-17-10

Chile: Post-Earthquake UFO Terrified Bus Passengers

inexplicata - In the early hours of March 1, 2010, passengers aboard a bus driving through Iquique were witnesses to a terrifying situation.

A woman's screams wakened all of the passengers, who joined her in looking out the window.

"A vertical cylindrical object appeared on the coast, resembling a fluorescent bulb. At the same time, a top-shaped structure appeared out of the sea, surrounded by lights. Suddenly, they saw a long-armed, humanoid entity standing nearly three meters tall, issuing light and walking toward the highway. This caused panic," said Enrique Silva to Publimetro. Silva is a UFO expert and is researching this case along with retired Chilean Air Force General Ricardo Bermudez.

These were not the only witnesses to the event: other locals saw the same phenomenon. "We are still gathering background information and eyewitness accounts. Some students we interviewed told us that the driver and his assistant took photos of the event, which would represent very valuable material. This is a very interesting and well-documented case. I haven't had anything like it in Chile in at least 20 years," said Silva.

Journalist Juan Andrés Salfate said: "There are two theories to explain the apparitions of UFOs after a catastrophe. The first is that they live among us, underground, and engage in operations to lift off, thus becoming visible. The other is that they live in a state of vigilance, and follow our procedures and reactions."

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Sixteen Separate UFO / ONVI Cases Reported On Night Of Chilean Earthquake


inexplicata - The earthquake was followed by a boom in UFO sightings, but sixteen cases occurred on the night of the tragedy alone (some of them accompanied by significant visual material) which have been subjected to study by UFO researchers.

Researcher Rodrigo Fuenzalida told Publimetro that the highest concentrations of reports appear to be Las Condes, Peñalolén, Providencia and Colina. "We have eyewitness testimony from a couple that refused to sleep in their apartment on the night of the earthquake, choosing instead to spend the early morning hours in the street. They were able to see an object that looked much like the moon, but immediately realized that the moon was on the other side. This event may have been seen by residents of other communes," said Fuenzalida.

Another major sighting took place on Isla Robinson Crusoe, part of the Juan Fernandez Archipelago, where people witnessed an object emerging from the sea shortly before the earthquake.

Regarding the case involving a humanoid -- reported by passengers on a bus in Iquique -- Fuenzalida notes that while startling, he is aware of other similar cases, but people "do not dare report them, fearing that they will not be believed.

"I've heard of the manifestations of these "luminous men", said the ufologist. "We are in an ideal period for sightings. I would ask everyone to be alert, but be mindful to avoid confusion, or a state of hysteria."

Chile's Millennium Humanoid Flap

Several Latin American nations experienced a substantial increase of humanoid sighting at the turn of the millennium. Mexico was starting to see increased reports of 'flying humanoids'. Brazil residents consistently reported UFOs and odd creatures that these craft transported. In Argentina, witnesses described several strange human-like creatures that varied in size and appearance. Yesterday, I posted a number of chupacabras sightings in Chile that occurred during a three month period in 2000.

In the following post, I will again concentrate on Chile and the overwhelming number of humanoid/mothman/hominid encounters reported throughout 1999-2001:

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Las Cascadas, Chile - March 2000 - night

For several nights in a row witnesses at a local residence spotted large red blinking lights land on a nearby field. Soon after tall man like figures, bald headed, wearing white tunics and dark goggles approach the house and look inside, and they then ran back to the field without making any noise. Their bodies appear to emit electric discharges as they move.

Source: Caroline Uribe Assef, Diario Llanquille Chile

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Laguna Redonda, Concepcion, Chile - May 3, 2000 - 1:30am

The barking of five stray puppies shed had picked up some time earlier suddenly awakened Professor Liliana Romero Castillo. The puppies were living in the courtyard with her fierce mastiff. She looked through the window to see the back of what appeared to be an immense man, standing more than 6-feet 8 inches tall. The shoulder blades were split, as if he had wings. He appeared to be hunched over as if choking somebody. After attempting to wake up her husband without success, she looked out the window again but the tall winged creature was gone. The next day some of the children found a dead dog in the alleyway. It appeared to have puncture marks on the throat area.

Source: UFO Roundup Vol. 5 #19

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Baquedano Chile - May 30, 2000 - 6:00am

37-year old Evelyn Esbry woke up early in the morning in order to use the toilet facilities located outside in the terrace. On her way there she heard sounds coming from the patio area. Suddenly an entity jumped on her back, paralyzed with fear she turned around to see a bizarre hairy creature, with a large nozzle, about 4-feet tall, and with large luminous orange, oval shaped eyes. Terrified, Evelyn fainted and did not see the creature depart. She suffered from shock and was treated at the local hospital for deep scratches. The victim told local paramedics that the creature seemed to communicate with her, using telepathy telling her not to scream.

Source: Paranigma Chile

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Baquedano, Chile - June 2000 - night

Upon hearing the frenetic barking of his dogs, security guard (involved in a previous encounter) Luis Alberto Calivar armed himself with a flashlight and a knife and went outside to investigate, as he did the dogs suddenly became very still. Soon his lights illuminated a dark greenish form that ran very quickly climbing up a Wasintonia palm. As he shone the flashlight at the figure he felt his arm become "cold" and the knife and watch dropped out of his hand, at the same time the dogs stood very quiet and still. A feeling of numbness overcame his body and he ran back inside his security shack, he was followed by the dogs that hid under the room and began to shake in fear. He could only describe the creature as having large flopping ears, fluid in nature, apparently without a bone structure (!), it gave the appearance of being a flexible mass that moved around like a Kangaroo. It moved silently and was about 1.30m in height. When he first spotted the creature it seemed to have been crouching down, behind a bush. It seemed to twist its body around and never looked straight at the witness, which never dropped his flashlight. Incredibly despite the reactions the witness felt no fear and did not notice any odors coming from the creature. The encounter lasted about 5 minutes and the creature was about 9 meters away from the witness. He further described the creature as having greenish hairs about 5 to 6cm in length. Soon after the encounter Calivar had too see a doctor and lost about 20 pounds.

Source: Ramon Navia, "La Verdad Oculta"

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Villa Nonguen, Concepcion, Chile - June 7, 2000 - 4:00am

Julio Reyes and wife Carmen Andrade were awaken by noises coming from the backyard, which contained a hen house and a garden. Looking out they saw bizarre humanoid flapping a pair of large wings. The creature was described as white in color. It ran towards the rear of the house. The guard dog refused to follow it out. Several hens were found dead and strange footprints were also located.

Source: UFO Roundup Vol. 5 #24

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Tocopilla, Chile - June 18, 2000 - midnight

*(more detail below) - A group of young people was on the beach sitting by a bonfire. Suddenly, a large creature came out of the water. They were all astonished as they saw the strange being getting closer. The creature approached one of them making several guttural sounds, as if was trying to communicate with the young man. Moments later, it placed its right hand on the young man's left shoulder, leaving a green stain on his sweater, which they described as the same color as marine algae. The Bigfoot-like creature soon left, as it got back in the water and disappeared in the dark. The eyewitnesses, whom they preferred to remain anonymous, described the creature as 8 feet tall, with long dark furry hair, long arms with hands below the knees, big round eyes, with a long nose and mouth shaped like an animal muzzle.

Source: Virgilio Sanchez Ocejo, Miami UFO Center

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Maria Elena, Chile - June 28 2000 - evening

Several witnesses including investigator Jaime Ferrer were leaving a local restaurant through the back door when they all saw a strange looking bird-like creature in the sky. It was flying at an altitude of about 40 meters directly above the group. It was gray in color and it passed by so rapidly that they did not have time to take a photograph of it. Its body was shape like a duck, but it was at least five times bigger. It had a long neck and the strangest thing about it was that if it would have been compared to an ordinary bird, this one had a much larger body in relation to its wings. Nevertheless, it seemed to fly like an ordinary bird; it glided smoothly and it flapped its wings every so often to gain momentum.

Source: Dr. Virgilio Sanchez Ocejo, Miami UFO Center

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Near Puerto Cuatro Chile - July 13, 2000 - 1:30am

A woman and her friend, a professor had just left the Lions Club dinner and was driving south of the city when they spotted "two strange yellow lights" on the road ahead. The driver flashed her high beams at the two intense yellow lights a short distance away. The witnesses began to slow down since the "yellow light" remained stationary. They then saw a figure standing about three feet away from their front bumper. The figure was described as large, lacking ears, covered with extremely long gray hair, particularly around the neck, with two immense slanted yellow eyes. The driver and the creature exchanged looks for about 10 seconds, after which the car drove along the left lane. The creature followed the vehicle's departure with its head, and was apparently capable of making 180-degree turns. Terrified the witnesses drove away, seeing the yellow light again as it lit up the entire road before disappearing.

Source: UFO Roundup Vol. 5 #31

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Calama, Chile - August 2000 - 3:00am

Felipe an employee at a local disco reported that one night there was a loud pounding on the outside door, in the back of the building. Thinking that it was a robbery attempt, he armed himself with a club, opened the door, and was confronted by an upright four-foot tall creature with glowing yellow eyes. The creature breathed out a strong substance, which stunned Felipe, who then saw the being silently glide away. Around the same time other local residents reported seeing metallic bell shaped craft flying over the area.

Source: Dr. Virgilio Sanchez Ocejo

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Sierra Gorda, Calama, Chile - October 2000 - 5:00pm

Three men standing at the front gate of the Mina El Tesoro spotted what appeared to be a pair of glowing eyes at about 30 meters away. They noticed 3 forms, one large and two small, about 1 meter in height. They were somewhat simian in appearance and bounded away towards the nearby ridge. The same guards had seen similar creatures back in May.

Source: Ramon Navia, "La Verdad Oculta"

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Los Boldos, Chile - December 2000 - 7:30pm

Artidoro Inostroza Seguel was watching television with his wife and son when he briefly stepped out to the porch for a breath of fresh air. He saw about 50 meters away an approaching yellow-reddish light. He then noticed that it was a humanoid figure that was apparently carrying the light. The figure wore a dark divers suit, with a hood. On the chest area it had a white-gray stripe that glowed. The humanoid approached to within 8 meters from the witness, who noticed that it was about 2 meters in height. The guard dog did not show any reaction at all. The witness walked back inside the house. Later his wife saw strange lights from the kitchen window area; Artidoro then fired several warning shots at the lights.

Source: Raul Gajardo Leopold, CEFAA

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Butaco Valley, Chile - December 2000 - night

During a period of heavy UFO activity in the area, Maria Concha Rivas and her husband reported seeing a giant humanoid figure, reddish in color and about 10-feet tall standing by a nearby river. Frightened they did not stick around and went back inside the house. They did not see the humanoid depart.

Source: UFO Roundup December 2000

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Colonia Lolenco, Chile - December 8, 2000 - 2:50am

Retired civil guard Luis Arturo Bayer Garcia, 52 year of age was riding his motorcycle along an isolated area when he saw standing on the side of the road a tall, thin, figure, almost 2 meters in height. He was not able to see any facial features, only a gray-yellow texture. It seemed to be wearing a two-piece outfit and was totally motionless. The witness accelerated away from the area at high speed.

Source: Raul Gajardo Leopold, CEFAA

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Villa Frontera, Chile - February 9 2001 - 9:30am

George Calderon and several friends were at a local camping ground and were preparing a barbecue dinner when they noticed on a nearby field a group of white tunic clad figures, including what appeared to be children, gathering under the moonlight. At this point the air became filled with bell like sounds and a huge luminous red round object descended over the white clad figures, which appeared to be holding their hands and chanting in an unknown language. It seemed to the witness that every time the bell sound was heard the object descended lower over the group. A little frightened the witnesses retired back into their tents and went to sleep. The next day, they checked the area directly below where the object was seen to hover and they found a large circular imprint on the ground and within that, four smaller circles.

Source: La Estrella de Loa

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Angol, Chile - March 16, 2001 - night

At the local scenic lookout of Las Pinas, five persons saw three two-meter tall figures of humanoid appearance and with red lights on their hands. The beings were standing behind some vegetation, and appeared to be talking among themselves. They suddenly turned around and disappeared. Around the same time 20 other witnesses saw two huge balls of light roaming over the hills before vanishing from sight.

Source: Filer Files April 24

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Santa Barbara, Chile - April 2001 - night

In a farm a man heard his fierce bloodhound barking, stepping out he saw a tall figure approach. The figure appeared to be wearing a hood. The witness attempted to approach the figure but at this point his dog let out a loud yelp and hid. At this point the tall figure also disappeared. He described as about 1.90 meters in height, with a flat yellowish face, robotic in appearance.

Source: Raul Gajardo

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Villa Covadonga, Chile - April 8 2001 - 10:00pm

Freddy Villalobos, his cousin Christopher Huanca Valenzuela and a group of friends had just finished a soccer match in a nearby field, when they saw a strange bird. It was about 70 cm in length. It landed on top of a public light pole. The light fixture dimmed as the creature landed on it; it was to a point where it was almost completely out. The witnesses were able to see that it had round reddish yellow eyes. The creature emitted short squeaking sounds. One of the witnesses turned on the truck headlights in order to obtain a better look and the bird reacted immediately, covering its head with its wings, as the light apparently bothered it. It seemed to be floating on top of the light fixture rather than having its feet on top of it. Suddenly, it opened up its wings for a brief moment and they saw its head; they described it as horrible. It resembled the head of an old man with a long nose and a triangular shaped mouth. Scared, the kids began throwing rocks at it. It shortly flew away and disappeared.

Source: Virgilio Sanchez Ocejo, Miami UFO Center

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Calama Chile - April 10 2001 - 7:00am

The director of a local school noticed a group of children starting at a nearby tree. All were silent and were not moving a muscle and appeared to be fascinated by something. As he approached the group he noticed a bizarre bird-like creature, about 1.80 meters in height that was flying slowly around the tree at about 4 meters from the ground. This "bird" was totally black in color and somewhat resembled a Great Dane dog with wings. It seemed to move in slow motion, and would briefly hide inside the tree branches and then exit again. The director obtained a flashlight from his office and illuminated the creature that seemed to resent the light. It had large bright white eyes. After a few minutes it seemed to disappear in plain sight.

Source: Jaime Ferrer, Calama UFO Center

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Calama, Chile - May 5, 2001 - 11:00am

On the day following his encounter with a bizarre creature, a local farmer saw three strange looking but very well dressed men that showed up as he spoke to a friend who had also seen the creature. They stood some 30 meters away from a group of acquaintances who were busy sharing a side of flame-roasted beef. They approached the farmer and informed him that they were police officers and were going to arrest him. Surprised he asked why, since he had not done anything wrong. They told him he could not discuss what he saw the day before with anybody. He asked the strangers to show some badges but they refused. He described the men as being almost 2 meters tall, very thin and closely resembling one another, especially in their bearing and constitution. They wore sunglasses that concealed their eyes. One of them had eyes that reminded the witness of "Spiderman." They always kept their left hands in their pockets. They surveyed the entire area, and never once did they call out to one another. All three wore a type of glove, which left their ring and smallest fingers exposed, with the rest of the fingers occupying a single space. Their shirt cuffs covered part of this "pseudo-mitten" over which they wore a thin, shiny metal bracelet. He also described a 'prosthetic" covering the nail of the smallest finger, and a ring placed at the tip of the ring finger. Their Spanish was very strange, sloppy as if they were drunk. They spoke a language among themselves that the farmer was unable to understand, he was sure that it was not English. After they left the witnesses realized that the men had not moved their mouths to speak. The farmer further noticed that the group leader wore a hat "similar to a bullfighter's" which barely covered one of his ears, in which he could see a "V" shaped cut and a darker shade of color. He also recalled the following details: a very sharp vocal tone, short blond hair, broad forehead, high cheekbones, straight nose, thin neck, small mouth (except for the leader, who had thick lips and was wearing a safari-type jacket), a mechanized walk, similar gestures, line eyebrows, black ties and tie clips the same color as the stones on their rings. One of the men engaged in roasting the side of beef remarked: "They approached us at one point and looked us up and down, but said nothing at all. They appeared to walk and spin on the tips of their feet. They gave the impression of weighing less than a normal person." They did not accept any water from the witnesses and threatened the farmer once again. They boarded an ivory-lead colored pickup truck which made no noise whatsoever and vanished after a certain distance.

Source: Jaime Ferrer, Calama UFO Center

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Chile: Winged Creature in Angol

Mr. Oscar Solar Valdebenito, married, a sergeant with the Carabineros, was performing his duties as a security guard in the Preventive Custody Center of the city of Angol on Friday, April 28 2000. The facility was under construction at the time.

Mr. Solar was alone and was making his rounds of the construction site’s interior. Once he returned to the guard shack on the southern side, using a passageway located in the back, he noticed the presence of an "animal" standing 1.20 meters tall, average complexion, with a small head in proportion to the rest of its body. The creature sat on top of a metal pole ending in four luminaries, standing some 8 meters tall. The animal landed at the very same time that the watchman turned his attention to the site. Solar was able to see the lights go out and the pole shake as a result of the creature’s descent. The estimated weight of this strange being was some 40 to 50 kilograms (according to the eyewitness). Its head featured two medium-sized ears, sideways and pointing upward, with rounded tips, pricked up like those of a police dog. Two long wings with pointed ends emerged from its shoulders. It never folded its wings, keeping them unfurled "like a vulture under the sun" (eyewitness’s description). He saw no feathers, only a kind of velvety skin, dark grey or black in color. He was unable to make out the face. The wings extended to the creature’s lower body, where he could also see two legs. A pair of stubby arms could also be seen under the head.

The witness was accompanied by four dogs, a beige bitch in the lead. Apparently, the "winged animal" pounced on the dogs, but these took off running and howling in a southward direction, abandoning the construction site. Five or six youths coming down from the north along the train tracks that go beside the site, also took off running when they saw what was going on. The witness explained that he was standing some 30 meters from the pole. He didn’t manage to move or turn on his flashlight, such was the degree of fright and surprise inspired by the situation described. He recalls having heard a sharp, loud squawk as the "animal" landed on the pole. Judging by the tone of this squawk, it was reminiscent of a loudspeaker’s crackle.

The "animal" eventually landed on the ground after making a flight in a gentle curve. It landed on a conical pile of dirt. After the dogs took off, it flew off with two gentle flaps of its wings, flying over a 3 meter wall, above which five wires are suspended, providing light to another streetlamp on the corner. The creature never came close to touching them. The animal came within 10 meters of the witness’s position. Its descent to the ground left prints on the mound of dirt - the witness managed to see "three thin holes" and fenced them off, but they were erased and destroyed on the next day at the order of the construction supervisors.

Personnel from Carabineros (state police) reported to the scene the next day, along with the Servicio de Investigaciones (civil police) who displayed their annoyance with the construction supervisor for having erased the prints, despite having been informed of the situation.

Further details:

The witness confesses that when "the animal" was close to him, flying off with a gentle beat of its wings, he was unable to control a bowel movement, a fact that he has tried to keep confidential on account of the customary jokes that tend to emerge in such cases.

The young men who were walking along the train tracks were never located, although efforts are under way, and Radio Los Confines apparently succeeded in this endeavor. But this rumor has not been confirmed. - Source: www.iiee.cl - translation: Scott Corrales - IHU

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*BIGFOOT IN CHILE

For the first time, this latest case alerted us about the possibilities that the Bigfoot might have some kind of connection with Chupacabras phenomenon, given that northern Chile, for the most part, is well known for its Chupacabras sightings. This was something that never would have occurred to us before.

A strange coincidence is that so many elements in both the Islamorada and the Tocopilla cases are almost identical; both creatures were seen leaving and entering the sea. This makes us think that they might hide under the sea, lakes or swamps. Both creatures left footprints the size of a football and other similar traces behind. Nevertheless, they have never been photographed, and in spite of countless efforts, they have never been captured. Furthermore, no one has ever found any remains of these creatures.

There are many reports of ufos entering and leaving the sea, both in Florida and in Chile. During an interview for Teletrece, a national Chilean television network, dated October 21 of 2001, Jorge Martinez, a retired Admiral and former Chilean Chief of Naval Operations, admitted that he personally had witnessed two ufo sightings at sea. During one of them, a nearby ufo caused interference with the navigation systems and the ship's radar. It is widely known that many other naval officers have seen similar objects, which they call "UUOs", (Unidentified Underwater Objects). According to the former Chilean Navy Chief, this phenomenon is real.

A taxi driver, who we call Carlos, and happens to be a friend of Jaime Ferrer, our associate in Calama, Chile, has told us that during a trip to Tocopilla, he and some customers saw several low-flying ufos coming from the sea towards the nearby Atacama Desert, where later, tracks made by some kind of landing gear, as well as Chupacabras tracks were found. The tracks appeared to be coming from the exact spot where the ufo landed.

Coincidently, just like the Chupacabras and ufo tracks in Chile, there have been reports of ufos in the same areas where Bigfoot creatures have been seen. Although we have not been able to establish a possible Bigfoot-UFO connection in the United States, we can look at the cases reported near Mount Rainier, in the State of Washington, where Kenneth Arnold observed nine ufos in 1947 giving popularity to the "flying saucer phenomena". Yet, in the same area, there have been countless Bigfoot or Sasquatch sightings dating back to the XIX century.

On the other hand, in light of the evidence found in Chile, we can now affirm that the Chupacabras is part of the ufo phenomenon. We have not found evidence that it is part of some kind of terrestrial genetic experiment, nor do we believe that it is an ordinary animal. The evidence points out to a ufo related origin; I don't have slightest doubt about it.

All this is creating a new chapter in the investigation of the ufo phenomenon that undoubtedly, many will find difficult to accept. But this is very typical. For example, the abduction phenomenon took more than 20 years before ufologists accepted it as part of the ufo investigative field. Even today, many still doubt that alien abductions take place.

It is not my intention to try to convince anyone that the Bigfoot and the Chupacabras phenomena are the same; instead, like many other strange creatures, these may have a possible relation with ufos. It is not a coincidence that we receive reports mentioning a Bigfoot creature in Tocopilla, Chile, followed by numerous Chupacabras and ufo sightings, in what we could call the Chilean 2000-2001 wave.

We are facing a presence of intelligent or programmed creatures that have appeared sporadically and have been associated with other phenomena for more than a century, to whom erroneously, we have given them different names. To finally understand what is really behind all of these creatures, we have to study their characteristics, their behavior, and most importantly, the other associated phenomena that are often reported when these cases take place. We should know and learn about these phenomena, not only for their physical aspect of these creatures, but for their intentions, and most importantly, for their actions and their reactions.

We are buried in some kind of game where our intelligence faces another intelligence, which happens to be strange or, to say the least, different than ours, where the apparently incompatible logic doesn't seem to work, let alone our intuition. Accumulating data from field investigations is all we can do at this point in time. But, will we finally ever know the essence of these phenomena?

We still don't hold the truth in our hands, but we are looking for it. - www.rense.com

The Armando Valdes UFO / Five-Day Ordeal

Summary: On April 25, 1977 in Pampa Lluscuma (near Putre), Chile a soldier was in shock after a strange, five-day saga with a UFO. Six members of an army patrol saw two bright objects descending from the sky. Cpl. Armando Valdes, the patrol leader, set out alone to investigate and, according to the men, simply vanished. Fifteen minutes later, they said, he reappeared, tried to speak and passed out. The date on his watch had been advanced five days, and he now had about a week's growth of beard.

Incident: "You don't know who we are or where we come from but we will be back soon." These are the strange words uttered by Corporal Armando Valdes, leader of a Chilean military patrol. Just some 15 minutes previously he had been subjected to a mysterious UFO encounter at Pampa Lluscuma near Putre in Chile. The date was April 25, 1977 and the time about 4:00 AM. Putre is 50 air miles ENE of Arica, a larger city in Chile.

Corporal Valdes was in charge of a patrol on routine assignment near Putre in the early morning hours of April 25, 1977. He and his six-man patrol were sitting around a campfire alongside a wall of stones and mud at the secret army post of Pampa Lluscuma. They were talking and singing quite a while to stay awake. Two of the men kept watch several feet away. About four in the morning one of the men. Private Rosales, ran back to Valdes to report that two bright violet lights had landed, one of which was in sight and illuminated the whole area. The light approached closer. Valdes ordered his men to cover up their fire with blankets. The violet light with a red spot at each end withdrew and then returned closer. The patrol was terrified.

There was no sound with the UFO motion. The Chilean high plateau was amazingly silent. Corporal Valdes stated "after praying to God and ordering the light to leave . . . after demanding that it identify itself, I moved a few meters away from my men." The corporal moved toward the object. He disappeared for some 15 minutes. When he reappeared, he was shaking and his voice seemed different. The light had been illuminating the whole area. As Corporal Valdes reappeared he was heard to utter the words at the beginning of this article. He then became unconscious and was attended by his fellow men till he awoke some two hours later. The UFO also disappeared about this time.

While the unconscious Corporal Valdes was assisted by his patrol, his men made another strange observation. They saw that Valdes had a beard growth equivalent to several days without shaving. He had been well shaven before the incident. As Valdes awoke he exclaimed, "I don't remember anything from the moment I left you." He then ordered, "Get ready to leave because it's 4:30 in the morning. It was actually about 7 AM. His calendar watch had stopped at 4:30 but the date was five days advanced - to the 30th instead of the 25th.

These are the bizarre circumstances in the case. Many of the details were related some two hours after the incident to Pedro Araneda, a correspondent and lecturer. The presence of UFOs are not a surprise to Corporal Valdes. He, as well as others in the interior of Chile near Arica, often see luminous UFOs moving about the skies. Valdes states, "The surprising thing was the way it approached us. As soldiers we are trained to deal with any situation. But this phenomenon didn't seem to have any logical explanation. I would like to regain my memory of those fifteen minutes. I would even like to submit to hypnosis to draw out information about what happened."

President and Commander in Chief Augusto Pinochet of Chile has prohibited further interviews with the soldiers. Medical, psychiatric and eventually hypnotic tests are planned for member of the patrol to confirm their stories. Meanwhile more sightings have occurred at Arica, Punta Arenas, Santiago, and other locations up and down the 2700 mile length of Chile. NASA and the University of Chile jointly operate a space tracking station north of Santiago, Chile. Officials of the station could offer nothing to elucidate the facts in this case. The time fact in this particular case - increased beard growth and accelerated clock time - are elements which make this case exceptional and worthy of further consideration. - APRO, July, 1977

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Source: Terra Chile
Date: 02.01.2011

Chile: Controversy Over an Intriguing UFO Case

The Valdés Case – the most paradigmatic episode of Chilean ufology – has been revisited in “La noche de los centinelas” (The Night of the Sentries), an 8-year-long journalistic investigation that looks into background events, locates the protagonists and “uncovers more than one surprise”, according to the author.

It occurred one early morning on April 1977 near Putre, in the Chilean highlands.

Eight young soldiers were keeping watch around a fire when they were startled by the appearance of two ghostly lights of unknown origin in the vicinity of some nearby hills.

One of them disappeared behind a small hill while the other placed itself at the foot of a mountain, flying over the area and engaging in approach-and-retreat maneuvers before the eyes of the disconcerted soldiers.

After three minutes of terror, corporal Armando Valdés, in charge of the squad, walked away from his companions toward the light. The young conscripts watched him vanish from sight for 15 minutes, during which their calls for him and their search yielded no result.

At a given moment, they heard the subofficer’s voice pleading for help, and they saw him walking toward them unsteadily. He had a dense growth of beard despite having been clean-shaven just minutes earlier, and the calendar on his digital watch was five days fast.

The startled conscripts settled him near the fire. And that was when he said, in a strange voice:” “You will never know who we are, nor where we come from, but we will return again.” He then fell asleep.

The case became a journalistic sensation and achieved global notoriety. But within days, its protagonists slipped into obscurity and Corporal Valdés became a legend.

Twenty-five years later, journalist and researcher Patricio Abuselme took up the challenge of reinvestigating the case and interview its main protagonists, an effort which is summarized in his book La noche de los sentinelas, an in-depth journalistic investigation on the incident, which he published in late 2010 under his own publishing house – Terra Incognita.

“This is the case that made Chilean ufology known worldwide. However, no one bothered to conduct a serious, in-depth investigation of the case. I took up the challenge in 2002, and it took me eight years to compile the protagonists’ accounts and reassemble this “impossible story”, says the author.

In less than 300 pages, Abusleme provides a comprehensive view of the case, from the first journalistic dispatches reporting the incident to exclusive interviews with the main protagonists, including subofficer Valdés (Ret.) – unpublished details and conclusions that the author has described as preliminary.

“When I started this investigation, I did so in the secret hope of explaining the whole case in conventional terms. And I thought I was well on the way until the main protagonist of the story debunked the cases most controversial aspects – the growth of his beard and the wristwatch’s date change – by providing conventional explanations. The problem is that when I tried to corroborate it with the other witnesses, they provided a version that was mutually congruent, but at odds with the one offered by Valdés. For this reason, the book poses a controversy,” says Abusleme.

“If someone is looking for a story of mystics in direct contact with Martians, he or she won’t find it here. What they will find is information, information and more information. The outcome of a detailed journalistic investigation that enables the reconstruction of an intriguing real case that captured headlines over 30 years ago.”

La noche de los centinelas is on sale in Chile’s main bookstores, but can also be purchased from the author at www.lanochedeloscentinelas.com - Scott Corrales of Inexplicata - The Journal of Hispanic Ufology

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Soldier loses 5 days to UFO

SANTIAGO, Chile — A Chilean soldier is still in shock after a weird, five-day ordeal with a UFO.

This is his story.

It was 4:15 a.m. in Chile's far north desert country,

Six members of an army patrol were bedded down around a campfire while two men stood guard. Suddenly, two bright objects began descending from the sky.

One dropped into the Andes foothills out of direct sight, but the men in the patrol, now fully awake, could see the glow of its light.

The second, they said, lowered almost to the ground about 500 yards away from the camp. The men said it shone with a violet light with two points of intense red.

Cpl. Armando Valdes, the patrol leader, ordered the soldiers to take up their weapons. Then he set out alone to investigate and, according to the men, simply vanished. Fifteen minutes later, they said, he reappeared, tried to speak and passed out.

They said he regained consciousness about 7 a.m. but that his watch showed only 4:30, the approximate time he reappeared. They also said the date on the watch had been advanced five days, and that Yaldes now had about a week's growth of beard.

According to his comrades, when Valdes was beginning to regain consciousness he said: "You do not know who we are, nor where we come from. But I tell you that we will soon return."

This purported sighting occurred April 25, and since the soldiers' tale was publicized dozens of other unidentified flying objects have been reported up and down the 2,700-mile length of Chile.

Valdes says he does not recall anything that happened during the 15 minutes he was missing-Some skeptics said the soldiers may have seen a desert mirage. But other sightings have been reported on the outskirts of this capital city, in the rainy lake region about BOO mites to the south, and over the Straits of Magellan at I he cold southern tip of the continent.

The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the University of Chile jointly operate a space tracking station a few miles north of Santiago, but officials at the station had no official comment on the reports.

A source at the station who asked not to be identified said he felt some of the previous UFO sightings in Chile were satellites or airplanes. But he said the most, recent sightings, made at relatively close distances, did not appear to be satellites.

Oscar Bravo, a radio announcer at Punta Arenas, the major town on the Straits of Magellan, said he awoke about 3 a.m. one night and went, to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"First, I noticed the sky was bright," he said.

"This caused me to open the curtains, and I could see these two things suspended in the air emitting a strong light, bright and orange.

"The light went out but returned, with a violent color. Then these two things, of oval shape, moved at a rapid speed, opening themselves like a V and closing at a higher point in the sky." They finally disappeared over the straits, he said.

A few nights later, passengers on a bus going from Puerto Monti to Puerto Varas in southern Chile said they saw something similar about. 100 yards above them in the sky.

Several people who have seen UFOs recently estimated their size at about 12 feet in diameter. Most say they are round or oval—"like a huge wagon wheel," said one woman. - Associated Press / San Antonio News, May 23, 1977

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CORPORAL VALDES CONFESSES: "TRULY, I WASN’T ABDUCTED"

TEMUCO, September 26, 2003 - In an exclusive interview with Terra.cl, legendary corporal Armando Valdes claimed that from the start he knew ha had not been abducted. From his home in Temuco, he stated that his story had been misinterpreted, "although the matter of the beard and the wristwach was true".

He likewise spoke about his current project: a book that should appear by year’s end in which he retells his version of the events which transpired on April 25, 1977 in Chile’s First Region.

Terra: Recently, you have been engaged in discreet research into your experience. Is this true?

AV: Yes, in fact I’ve been fully involved in developing my book and furthermore, looking into my experience, since I wish to be as factual as possible in my story.

Terra: As a result of this research, have you returned to the scene of the events?

AV: Yes, I went back in November 2002--25 years later...Pampa Lluscuma and the remains of the horse stables where the events occure. There, in the company of researcher and journalist Patricio Abusleme, we recreated the events and made a series of measurements, gathering very significant background information.

Terra: How did you feel about going back?

AV: As you can imagine, it was shocking. It was the first time I went back after two decades. It was a motivating experience which allowed me, first and foremost, to confirm or recall certain detaills which were lost with the passing of time.

Terra: While much was said about the "abduction" of Corporal Valdés, there was none. What’s your version?

AV: Truly, I wasn’t abducted. This is the reason for sensitive nature of what I’m putting forth in the book. Some important background details are being released.

Terra: Did you think at any time that you had been abducted or did you always know this wasn’t the case?

AV: Look, it’s really complicated to explain all of a sudden. That’s the reason behind my trip to Putre, my scientific studies and the book I’m writing, because it’s all very complicated.

Terra: But did you think at first that you’d been abducted?

AV: I would say that I knew immediately how things had happened. What I’m explaining in my book [is making known] the reasons for which certain items went off on another track.

Terra: In other words, your initial story was misconstrued?

AV: Indeed. I didn’t think at first that I’d been abducted, althought the matter of the growth of beard is true, as well as the subject of my wristwatch. Buf for this reason I have taken to writing the book to explain the reasons behind all of these things.

Terra: Lately you have been silent in the media. Why is this?

AV: What’s happening is that I’m engrossed in finishing my book. I wanted to work in silence until the task was done.

Terra: When can we expect the book to be published?

AV: In the book itself I say that it’s been a serious mistake to promise dates. Many special situations have occurred--some very strange things--but I’m making an effort to finish it by the end of the year. I’m giving it my all, since I’d like to finish it as soon as possible.

Terra: Any options to publish the book abroad?

AV: Yes, there have been offers from abroad, but I don’t want to entertain them until the book is finished. My greatest desire is for everyone to read it, since I have a message for all humankind in it. Therefore its publication in Chile or elsewhere is unimportant. We will decide where to publish it at some point.

Terra: I understand that you are a [born again] christian and an evangelical. Is this true?

AV: Yes, I am, and a teacher of the evangelical faith.

Terra: How have your religious surroundings influenced your story? Or rather, how has your story been received?

AV: My story and explanations have been accepted to a certain extent, and I have told them certain things and in a certain manner. There are many who hold points of view different from my own and I don’t have to deny that there are contradictions. But as I said, the story is mine and they have not influenced me at all regarding my book. In fact, there are those who may agree or not agree with my book tomorrow, and will not stop what I’m doing.

Terra: Would you say that the experience you underwent in Pampa Lluscuma was more of a spiritual than a ufological event?

AV: There are mixed items. The term UFO today is contaminated by another type of thing, and I prefer to speak in terms of FANI (Unidentified Aerial Phenomena). I think that in my experience there is a bit of everything--a good measure of paranormal phenomena, strange effects, lights, many things acting in unision and this is what I am showing in my book, although it’s been hard for me to convey on paper what I felt, what I experienced and what really happened.

Terra: Finally, are you in touch with those who also took part in the unusual event and who formed part of your patrol?

AV: Yes, over the phone more than anything. For some reason we haven’t been able to have a closer relationship, but we are in touch by phone and I must say that we currently have disagreements over the events that occured. Some are telling another story. - Terra Networks Chile S.A


Click for video - Entrevista cabo Armando Valdés 1977


Sources:
Inexplicata-The Journal of Hispanic Ufology
www.ufoevidence.org
APRO
The Associated Press
Terra Chile
ufoupdateslist.com
www.ufoinfo.com
www.nicap.org
www.qtm.net
San Antonio News