In October, November and December of 1977 and in the beginning of 1978, people in villages in the state of Pará in Brazil experienced hundreds of UFO sightings, with numerous close encounters with objects flying at a few meters above the ground and firing light beams at the people.
The events were of such a proportion that the Brazilian Air Force sent teams of their intelligence personal to investigate and observe. 27 years later, in 1997 one of the officer, Uyrangê Hollanda, now retired Lieutenant-colonel gave ufologists a part of the report of this investigation project by the Regional Air Command, "Operation Saucer", and a few months later, the Brazilian government declassified 2000 pages of the reports.
Among the witnesses interrogated by the military personal, was Manoel Matos de Souza, a farm worker, married, shy, illiterate and apparently trisomic, who told them that on October 12, 1977 at 02:00 a.m., he was sleeping when he perceived something - unfortunately illegible in the military report - thus picke dup his rifle and came out of house to be confronted with a bluish light hovering at the low altitude of some 20 meters above the neaby trees.
He aimed his weapon to shoot at it, and at this time, he was hit by a reddish beam of light that paralyzed him. He had felt it like an electric shock, which propagated like a heat starting in the feet, accompanied by what he called a "tremor of the flesh."
He described the shape of the object as being that of a flour furnace, with a top of bluish color and black stripes in the bottom. He estimated the diameter was 1.40 meters. The apparatus did not make a strong noise, but a lgentle whistling sound he described as "zim, zim, zim... zim." It was in rotation like a wheel.
Then the thing moved away with an undulating movement, slowly, up to some height, accelerated suddenly and was lost from sight as it went to the West.
The jolt felt by Manoel was so strong that he remained in shock, he was unable to work anymore and the military investigators noted that his tremors, still visible, prevented hom from making the drawing of the craft he saw. He told them that his wife had also felt it, but with less intensity.
Although there was no mention of any figures inside the UFO, one source later added there were two figures inside; this was probably due to a mix-up with another case the same day next night in the vicinity with another witness whose firstname was also Manoel.
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[Ref. op1:] COMAR "OPERATION PRATO":
What follows is the extracts relating to this case, from the bulky mission report from the Comando Aéreo Regional (COMAR) based in Belém, the Regional Air Command of the Brazilian Air Force, who investigated into and observed UFOS in great number in the delta of the Amazon in 1977.
The extract comes from part of the report dealing with the witnesses who had been named for example in the press and whom the COMAR team visited and interviewed.
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- MANOEL MATOS DE SOUZA "CORONHA", idade 38 anos, analfabeto. DATA/HORA DA OCCURENCIA - 12 Out 77 ès 02:00 horas. [...?...] adormir no interio de sua residencia, preceuvou [...?...] |
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- MANOEL MATOS DE SOUZA aka "CORONHA", aged 38, illiterate. DATE/TIME OF OCCURRENCE - October 12, 1977 at 02:00 a.m. [unreadable] sleeping in his residence, he perceived [unreadable] |
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(Continuação do Relatório de Missão - OPERACÃO PRATO - [???:] apanhou sua espingarda e saiu de casa deparando então com uma luz azulada que pairava a baixa altura (20m) sobre árvores próximas; que apontou sua arma para atirar; que nesta ocasião foi atingido por um feixe de luz avermelhada que o paralisou. Sentindo-se como atingido por um choque eletrico, que se propagou em forma de calor iniciando dos pés, acompanhado de tremor das carnes (Sic). A "luz" afastou-se com um movimento ondulante vagarosamente até certa altura, bruscamente aumentou a velocidade desaparecendo no sentido do poente (W). Descreveu a forma do objecto como se fosse um FORNO (de farinha) com um "bico" en cima de cor azulada e umas listas pretas em baixo. O tamanho estimado (forno) é de 1,40m de diâmetro; não fazia ruíco forte e sim um leve sibilar "zim, zim, zim... tim (SIC"), seu movimento era giratório, como se fosse um roda. Manoel sentiu um abalo tão grande que ficou acamado, impossibilitado de trabalhar. Já voltou so trabalho mais ainda faz referência a tremor nas carnes (sistema nervoso; abalado). Não conseguiu desenhar a forma que observara; é visível seu abalo. Informou que sua esposa também sentiu - se amortecida. Note: Manoel, à timido e tipo mongoloide (cretinismo). |
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(Continued from Mission Report - OPERATION SAUCER - [???:] he picked up his rifle and came out of the house and was then confronted to a bluish light hovering at low altitude (20 meters) on nearby trees; he aimed his weapon to shoot; it is at this time that he was hit by a reddish beam of light that paralysed him. He felt like he had been hit by an electric shock, which propagated in the form of a heat starting in the feet, accompanied by a tremor of the flesh (Sic). The "light" moved away slowly with an undulating movement until it reached some height, suddenly accelerated and disappeared going in the direction of the west (W). He described the shape of the object as being that of a FURNACE (for the flour) with a "top" of bluish color on its summit and black stipes in the bottom. Estimated dimension (of the furnace) is 1.40 meters in diameter; it did not make a strong noise, but a gentle whistle "zim, zim, zim... zim (SIC)", its movement was gyratory, as if it were a wheel. Manoel felt such a jolt that he remained knocked out, unable to do his work anymore. He had wanted to go to work, but he still has referring to tremor in the flesh (nervous system; shock). Consequently he was unable to draw the shape that he had observed; his tremors are visible. He informed that his wife also felt it - with less intensity. |
Underneath: The COMAR report also contains, within a chronological synthesis of the sociological elements, a list of the newspapers articles with their dates of publication in connection with sightings flap of 1977; it is noted there that newspaper "A Provincia do Para" did publish an article on the matter on October 20, 1977, as indicated much later by ufologist Daniel Rebisso Gliese.
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[Ref. dg1:] DANIEL REBISSO GIESE:
Biologist and professor Daniel Rebisso Giese, president of the Centro de Investigacao de Pesquisas Exologicas (CIPEX) since its foundation, director of Grupo Ufologico da Amazonia (GUA), investigated the UFO reports from the colares, Belem and Amazonia region of Brazil in 1977, and reported:
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"So, until the end of mid-november 1977, the newspapers of Para did not cease to bring to the public articles on the Chupa-chupa. The newspaper 'A Provincia do Para' brought on 10.20.77, 11.19.77 and 11.20.77, precious reports for ufological investigation. On October 20, there were two full pages with witnesses statements, graphics of UFO evolution in the skies of Vigia and the strange CE-I occurrence with colonist Manoel Matos de Souza (known by Coronha), registered in the small village of Monte Serrado, county of Santo Antonio de Taua (PA). This farmer, 44 years old, was awaken around 2 to 3 am by a strong light which circled his area and penetrated his shack. On opening the door, he met with a flying object with two creatures in its interior. He returned to this room, and now armed with ammunition, he tried to fire in the vehicle's direction. To his surprise, the weapon did not fire and, feeling paralysis overcoming his body by the light from the UFO, screamed for help." |
[Ref. bp1:] BOB PRATT:
Tabloid journalist and UFO investigator Bob Pratt spent many times in Brazil enquiring about local cases. He listed.
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77-10-12/02:00 – Campo Cerrado, Santo Antônio do Tauá – Manoel Matos de Souza ("Coronha"), 38, literate, farm worker, resident of Colónia Campo Cerrado, side road at Km. 23 PA-16 – Light hovering about 20 meters above the ground over the trees, blue with three vertical black stripes in the center, round (like a farinha oven), lighting up everything around it. Witness pointed his gun at it and was hit by a ray of red light, which felt like electricity, paralyzing him... |
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that in Monte Serrado Para, Brazil, on November 1977, at 02:00 a.m., a farmer living in an isolated location was awakened by a strong light that was circling overhead, shining a powerful beam of light into his shack. He opened the door and saw a hovering object with two figures inside. He went back in and armed himself with his rifle he then pointed the weapon at the object but suddenly became paralyzed and was unable to shoot. No other information.
Albert Rosales indicates that the source is Cipex, Brazil.
The military investigators were not precise on duration of the effect of tremor undergone by the witness; it seems that they visited him little time after the events, before November 1977 in any event, but that could be a day or several weeks. Bob Pratt made of the illiterate witness a literate, and omitted the mention of his trisomy condition, that he was shy, that his wife felt the effect too.
Contrary to what is noted in [ar1], there was no mention of two figures inside the UFO; this probably refers to this other case the same day next night in the vicinity with another witness whose firstname is also Manoel, ans was also hit and paralysed by a beam of light from a UFO. The date of November is also erroneous, it is that of the final COMAR mission report and not that of the sighting.
The case thus entered CE-3 litterature my mistake; which does not make it less interesting.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ufology | Severe | January 7, 2008 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Is probably not a close encounter of the third kind but a close encounter of the second kind. | - | - |
| 2 | Ufology | Severe | January 7, 2008 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Witness spouse as second witness was not interiewed by the investigating military personal. | - | - |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | January 7, 2008 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | The military investigators apparently omitted to indicate the date when they visited the witness. | Help needed. | Open. |
Non CE-3.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | None |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | January 7, 2008 | Creation, [co1], [dg1], [bp1], [ar1]. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 7, 2008 | First published. |
