BUSQUEDA

Magazine Overview

Title: BUSQUEDA

Issue: 65

Date: December 1993

Type: Boletín Informativo (Informative Bulletin)

Focus: This issue of 'Busqueda' magazine delves into various UFO and parapsychology topics, with a significant focus on recent sightings in Spain and ufological research in Chile. It also revisits historical cases and includes official reports.

Ufological Report from Chile

The magazine features an extensive report on ufology in Chile, detailing the work of various investigators and groups. The author, Raúl Núñez, notes that Chilean ufology is largely amateur but vibrant, with a high level of public interest. He mentions several key figures and organizations:

• ORIÓN CHILE: A group including Luis Riquelme, Aquiles Castillo, Carlos Muñoz, and Claudio Chandia, which publishes the bulletin 'FENOMENO OVNI'. The group is described as navigating different research currents.
• OPTO CHILE: This group focuses on purely scientific analysis of UFO phenomena, with Juan Castillo of the Center for Paleontological and Anthropological Research and journalist Ernesto Giraud being prominent.
• OVNI-VISIÓN: A younger initiative led by journalism student Cristian Riffo, aiming to publish a bulletin to showcase investigations.

Núñez highlights the dedication of private investigators, mentioning Jorge Eduardo Anfruns, who organized the first National Ufology Congress in Chile in 1987 and has published extensively on the subject. Anfruns is noted as MUFON-USA's representative in Chile.

Other investigators mentioned include Eugenio Bahamondes, a journalist and radio host from Punta Arenas; Hugo Pacheco Faundes, editor of 'AGNITIO'; Patricio Varela, a long-time UFO communicator with his program 'MUNDO ESPACIAL'; and Rodrigo Fuenzalida, a young investigator working on a project for Megavisión.

Núñez expresses a contrast between the enthusiasm in Chilean ufology and what he perceives as a lack of it in Spain. He also hints at deeper, more significant cases in Chile beyond the well-known 'Cabo Valdés' incident.

Sightings in Spain

Boadella d'Empordà Sighting

Several articles detail a significant UFO sighting that occurred on the night of Friday, October 15th, to Saturday, October 16th, 1993. Nine residents of Maçanet de Cabrenys reported seeing a luminous, low-flying, and silent object while returning from a dinner. Josep Llaona, one of the witnesses, described the object as large, with a visible fuselage and horizontal bars underneath. Its interior was brightly lit, with external red and green flashing lights. They ruled out it being a weather balloon or helicopter due to its characteristics and silence.

Girona Airport Observation

Coinciding with the Boadella sighting, air traffic controllers at Girona Airport also reported observing an unidentified luminous point in the sky. They noted it moved horizontally and could not identify it, attributing the lack of detailed information to the airport's absence of radar. They also mentioned a similar sighting in the summer of 1992.

Cassà de la Selva Sighting

Two 15-year-old boys from Cassà de la Selva, Carles Teixidor and Jordi Barris, reported seeing a spherical object with many lights hovering around their town on the same night as the Boadella sighting. They described it as rotating on its axis, moving in various directions, and hovering silently for about 20 minutes at an estimated altitude of 70-80 meters.

Historical Cases and Official Reports

The 'Cabo Valdés' Incident (1977)

This issue revisits the famous 'Cabo Valdés' case from April 25, 1977, in Pampa Lluscuma, Chile. Army Corporal Armando Valdés Garrido reportedly disappeared for about 15 minutes after approaching a powerful light from a UFO. He reappeared in a state of shock, covering his ears and repeatedly saying, "Don't take me." His watch was found stopped at 4:30 AM, and the calendar indicated April 30th, five days ahead of the actual date. The incident also affected the patrol members and their dog, who became paralyzed and fearful.

Declassified Spanish Air Force Report (1969)

A declassified report details an UFO sighting in the province of Girona on September 26, 1969. Witnesses, including airport personnel, observed a luminous object at approximately 25,000 to 30,000 feet, followed by another similar object at a slightly lower altitude. The official conclusion was that these were likely French stratospheric sounding balloons, given the ongoing CNES program and the lack of any threat to national security. The report noted no further investigation was conducted due to the perceived clarity of the event.

Spanish Air Force Response to Levante Información

An exchange between 'Levante Información' and the Spanish Air Force's Mando Operativo Aéreo (MOA) regarding a UFO case from March 31, 1993, is presented. The MOA initially dismissed the case, stating there were insufficient elements of 'strangeness' for a detailed investigation. 'Levante Información' contested this, providing witness statements and arguing that the official report had selectively omitted aspects of the case. The MOA responded that their primary concern is national security, not scientific investigation of UFO origins, and while they found the provided data interesting, it was not conclusive enough to alter their initial assessment.

Editorial and Recurring Themes

The editorial section features a quote from Donald Reagan, then President of the United States, pondering how global differences might vanish in the face of an extraterrestrial threat and questioning if such a force already exists among us. The magazine's stance appears to be one of open inquiry into unexplained phenomena, encouraging reactions and further investigation from its readers. Recurring themes include witness testimonies, the challenges faced by investigators, the role of official bodies in UFO cases, and the contrast between enthusiastic ufological communities in different regions.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

'Busqueda' magazine consistently promotes the exploration of UFO phenomena and related topics. The editorial stance is one of encouraging open discussion and investigation, valuing witness accounts, and critically examining official responses. The magazine highlights the dedication of amateur researchers and seeks to bridge the gap between anecdotal evidence and official silence or skepticism. Themes of potential extraterrestrial contact, government secrecy, and the scientific versus public interest in UFOs are recurrent throughout the issue.