Project Blue Book may have ignored UFO reports in the rest of the world, but the CIA did not, nor did APRO and NICAP Globally, UFO sightings in 1962 were of two basic categories: South American and non-South American. Within South America, Argentina by far had the most intense activity, which claimed the attention of that nation’s military and the CIA.
The wave started in May, when dozens of UFOs were seen in Argentina, at least four by Argentine navy pilots. On May 12, in Argentina’s La Pampa province, two men claimed to see a humming, illuminated, landed object off the road at around 4 A.M. It rose, crossed low over the road, ascended with a flame, and, to their astonishment, divided into two sections that flew away separately. The object left a huge circle about three hundred feet in diameter; grass was burned within it, and insects were “carbonized.” The Puerto Belgrano Naval Base analyzed the site. About twenty-four hours later, dozens of people in the Argentine towns of Uncativo, Cordoba, Carranza, and the Los Molinos Dam saw a bright, elongated object with a bright trail. A fog soon filled a wooded section near Uncativo, and people saw an object on the ground. Little else is available about the incident. CIA files recorded a “most extraordinary” sighting over Bahia Blanca, south of Buenos Aires, witnessed by many people on May 21. A strange luminous object hung as though suspended for several minutes, then quickly disappeared. A photographer took two pictures, showing the object to appear as a “luminous oval.” A FOIA request by CAUS failed to obtain the photo. On or near May 22 or May 24, in the town of Winifreda in the La Pampa province, a woman was hospitalized after she and her husband claimed to see an object land and two large “robot-like creatures” emerge. According to the Lorenzens, Argentine air force officials found a circle of scorched grass.14
Argentines reported UFOs through the summer of 1962. An amazing near-landing was reported at the Camba Punta airport on August 2, 1962. A round object rapidly approached the airport and circled overhead. The airport’s director, Luis Harvey, ordered a landing strip to be cleared after he and his staff saw it. It descended and hovered extremely low above the runway for three or four minutes. The object spun while giving off flashes of blue, green, and orange light. It took off quickly when excited witnesses ran out to get a closer look.15
Activity spread to Brazil during the late summer, including a bizarre, ominous incident on the evening of August 17, in the town of Duas Pontes. A diamond prospector named Rivalino da Silva, a man ignorant of UFOs, told several people that he saw two short beings digging a hole near his house. They ran away when he approached, and an object took off from behind the bushes. No one believed him. Two nights later, Rivalino’s son, Raimundo, woke to the sound of steps, saw odd shadows, and heard voices saying “this one looks like Rivalino,” and that they would kill him. The next night, Raimundo reportedly saw two spherical objects hovering near his house, humming and emitting a flame. Rivalino warned Raimundo to stay back, and he approached. The two objects merged, spread a yellow mist, and gave an “acrid smell.” According to the story, Rivalino was never seen again, local police investigated, and several frightened people left the area.16
On December 21 in Angel Falls, Venezuela, a bright, teardrop-shaped light rose from the jungle floor, apparently filmed from an aircraft. On the same day, another Argentine airport incident was reported, this time at the Buenos Aires Ezeiza International Airport, shortly after 2 A.M. The airport’s two control tower operators, Horado Alora and Mario Pezzuto, saw a large, fiery disc on or low over the runway. The crews of two aircraft also saw the object. It soon rose to about thirty feet off the ground and flew away to the northeast. During these few minutes, an incoming flight held a holding pattern over the airport.17
