Varginha, Brazil
Something strange took place in Varginha, Brazil on January 20, 1996.
It is hard to say where it began, but many point towards two sisters
and their friend who said they saw a "creature" with a thin body,
strange V-shaped feet, and large red eyes walking the streets of the
city.
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| Artistic rendition of the alien being witnessed by three girls in Varginha, Brazil. Artist: Thomas Feiner. |
Rumors spread quickly throughout the city. Within a day, more UFOs
were supposedly sighted, and other reports of alien sightings and even
captured aliens came flooding into the local media. Two days later, a
"creature" was reported to have been found dead in a roadside ditch.
Three military trucks were reportedly sent to retrieve it.
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| Liliane Fatima Silva, her sister Valquiria and Katia Andrade Xavier - the girls point to the spot where they saw the "terrifying creature". |
The Brazilian media went wild for the story, though it was impossible
to verify any part of it. The story even became international news,
with the Wall Street Journal writing that "Varginha has the makings of a
'cosmic Watergate.'" Despite all the press coverage, there was never
any proof that anything out of the ordinary was afoot, beyond a
self-instigated mass media frenzy. The Brazilian government denies the
entire incident ever happened, which of course only makes UFO believers
even more suspicious.
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| Artistic rendition of the alien being witnessed by three girls in Varginha, Brazil. Artist: unknown |
Since then Varginha has become a UFO pilgrimage spot – the South
American equivalent of Roswell, New Mexico – and the city has been more
than happy to capitalize on its sudden influx of ET tourism. Grey dolls
can be bought throughout the city, and businesses have added alien
decor.
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| Artistic rendition of the alien being witnessed by three girls in Varginha, Brazil. Artist: unknown |
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| Artistic rendition of the alien being witnessed by three girls in Varginha, Brazil. Artist: unknown |
The largest and most conspicuous of the UFO-related items in the city
is its water tower. Constructed in 2001, it is 20 meters tall and built
to resemble the craft which was said to have been seen by the city
residents. To complete the out-of-this-world effect, the water tower
glows purple at night.
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