CHILE: A UFO Lands on the Shores of San Antonio?

INEXPLICATA-The Journal of Hispanic Ufologist

05/12/2007- Around 19:45 hours last Friday (May 4) when a considerable number of households gather around the TV set to watch their favorite shows, some residents of the town of Albatros, Algarrobo Commune, became aware of an unidentified flying object that was clearly visible in the sky.

Despite the penetrating cold of that evening, a bright flash of light that shifted colors momentarily drew the attention of some curious onlookers who went out to the street to notice the details of the heavenly spectacle.

The strange luminous object hovered above the forest near the town, giving the appearance of being near El Canelo beach, in the commune's northern section.

Not a few spectators reached for the photo and video cameras to capture the unusual phenomenon, which gave rise to a wealth of speculation regarding the unknown object's provenance.

Its unusual motion in all directions caused spectators to promptly dismiss the possibility that it could be an airplane, aerostat, satellite or other aerial phenomenon with a rational explanation. A family on Los Pelicanos street watched the light's appearance intently. The impact of their sighting was so strong that they contacted duty personnel at the Third Carabineros Office in Alagarrobo, who reported to the scene. Local policemen also reported what they saw.

Nataly Aranda, 20, in the company of her brother Matias,9, remember the sighting: "It was like looking at a star, but it would suddenly vanish and reappear. A neighbor recorded it, and when we saw it on the TV set, it looked just like when they show UFOs on television--it was super real."

She added that the object remained suspended in the sky for about an hour. "After that, it began to go away and the person who videotaped it asked a friend to go over to El Canelo to film it, as it vanished in that direction. Over here we could see it almost over the trees."

This was the first time she had faced a phenomenon of this type, like young Matias, who was stunned by the display. "It was a ball that moved everywhere. I was a little bit scared because they told me it was coming to get me. When it vanished [I had the impression] something fell out of it. It also reappeared on Monday, but it was sort of red," remarked the student from the Carlos Alessandri school.

Although she doesn't acknowledge the existence of UFOs, the young woman from Algarrobos says that what she saw that night "was food for thought."

Second Sergeant Nelson Velazquez reported to ascertain the events in the light of insistent phone calls from local residents. "The fact is that a person from Albatros called me, saying that he had seen an unidentified flying object in the air. I reported to the scene and ascertained that there was indeed such an object. Also present was a young man who videotaped on the site for over half an hour. I later withdrew and advised my colleagues at the station. One of them (Carabinero Alvarado) proceeded to make his own recording of the flying object from El Pejerrey beach.

In the policeman's opinion, what he saw that cold evening was a sort of "luminous ball that flew in every direction, from north to south. Apparently it was not a star, airplane or any other thing, as it lacked those characteristics. It makes one think that it could've been a UFO."

The experienced police officer remarked that in all his years of service in the area, this was the first time he had witnessed a case like this. Something he will not forget during his patrols throughout the Commune.

However, doubts persist, as the Direccion Aeronautica de Santo Domingo reported that weather balloons are launched at that time, and their movement is dependent on wind conditions. What is clear is that no known object performs the movements witnessed by a large number of witnesses.

(NOTE: The IEEE expects to receive images for its analysis)

(Translation (c) 2007, S. Corrales, IHU. Special thanks to Raul Nunez, IEE