Operation Saucer (Portuguese: Operação Prato; literally, Operation Plate) was an investigation carried out between 1977 and 1978 by the Brazilian Air Force following alleged UFO sightings in the city of Colares. The investigation was closed after finding no unusual phenomena.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
| Operation Saucer | |
|---|---|
| Location | 0°56′13″S 48°16′55″W / 0.93694°S 48.28194°W |
| Commanded by | |
| Objective | Investigation of UFOs sightings in some municipalities of Pará |
| Date | First phase: 20 October – 11 November 1977 Second phase: 25 November – 5 December 1977 |
| Executed by | |
| Outcome |
|
History
editPrecedent events
editIn 1977, numerous UFOs were reported in the Brazilian city of Colares, Pará. Local residents claimed that scars on their bodies were caused by the lights in the sky, and named the lights "Chupa Chupa"[3] (literally Sucker-Sucker, local name for a "Lollipop").[7] Believing it would keep the lights away, residents of Colares organized night vigils,[2] lit fires, and ignited fireworks.[4] Mayor José Ildone Favacho Soeiro requested help from the Air Force.[8]
The Operation
editThe operation was commanded by Captain Uyrangê Bolivar Soares Nogueira de Hollanda Lima.[3] During late 1977, several pictures of lights were recorded but the military remained skeptical.[2][3] After approximately four months, the operation was closed after finding no unusual phenomena.[1] The official documents can be obtained from the Brazilian National Archives (Arquivo Nacional).[9]
Conspiracy theories
editIn 1997, two decades after the operation, Captain Uyrangê gave an interview to Ufologists Ademar José Gevaerd and Marco Antônio Petit where he recounted his experiences living alongside his men. Three months after the interview, he was found dead in his home "after he seemingly hung himself using the belt of his bathrobe", attracting the interest of conspiracy theorists.[10][11]
UFOlogists
editAccording to ufologist Jacques Vallée, a number of individuals were reportedly killed as a result of the "lights" fired upon them by the UFOs, and injuries were consistent with radiation effects from microwaves.[12] Other ufologists claimed that the lights from UFOs sucked blood from 400 people.[3][4][6][11]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b EFE (10 August 2010). "FAB cria normas para pilotos em caso de contato com ovnis". Terra (in Portuguese). Telefónica. Retrieved 13 December 2013. English translation
- ^ a b c Rodrigues, Fernando (11 January 2009). "SNI investigou óvnis durante a ditadura" [SNI investigated UFOs during the dictatorship]. Folha de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). 29138. Brasília: Grupo Folha: A10–A11. Retrieved 13 December 2013. English translation
- ^ a b c d e Cardoso, Rodrigo (22 July 2013). "A história oficial dos ÓVNIS no Brasil". ISTOÉ (in Portuguese). Editora Três. Retrieved 17 December 2013. English translation
- ^ a b c Abbud, Bruno (24 January 2011). "Objetos voadores quase identificados". Veja.com (in Portuguese). Grupo Abril. Retrieved 17 December 2013. English translation
- ^ Charleaux, João Paulo (17 December 2013). "No princípio era um chuchu". piauí (in Portuguese). São Paulo: Editora Alvinegra. Archived from the original on 17 December 2013. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ a b Dantas, Pedro (14 August 2010). "Aeronáutica libera documentos sobre aparição de óvnis". O Estado de S. Paulo (in Portuguese). Rio de Janeiro: Grupo Estado. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
- ^ "Operação Prato". Linha Direta (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "José Ildone Favacho Soeiro". Linha Direta (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ "Information System of the National Archive". National Archives - Brasil. Ministry of Justice and Citizenship. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
- ^ "Uyrangê Bolívar Soares de Hollanda Lima". Linha Direta (in Portuguese). Rede Globo. 25 August 2005. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ^ a b Wells, Andy. "Operation Saucer: The Official Search For UFOs That Attacked Brazilians With 'Light Beams' In 1977". Yahoo News. Yahoo. Retrieved 1 May 2017.
Three months after giving the interview, Captain Hollanda was found dead in his home after he seemingly hung himself using the belt of his bathrobe.
- ^ Confrontations – A Scientist's Search for Alien Contact (hardcover ed.), Jacques Vallée. Ballantine Books. March 1990. Page 134. ISBN 0-345-36453-8