A newly uncovered 1989 Brazilian Air Force document sheds disturbing light on the infamous “Chupa-Chupa” phenomenon-an outbreak of UFO activity in the Amazon that reportedly left dozens of civilians physically harmed.
This internal memo, reacting to a Revista UFO article and marked CONFIDENCIAL, offers rare military acknowledgment of the 1977–78 wave of sightings in northern Brazil.
The events centered on Colares, Viseu, and São Domingos do Capim, where witnesses reported being attacked by low-flying luminous objects that emitted paralyzing beams of light.
The new document reveals military discomfort with how much of this material was beginning to reach the press.
Yet it does not deny the events occurred-rather, it confirms military records and photos existed.
“Several of the documents and photographs reproduced by the magazine… are from the archives of the Air Force intelligence service.”
📍 Areas Affected
The phenomenon gripped small towns across Pará, especially:
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Colares
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Viseu
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São Domingos do Capim
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Mosqueiro Island
Residents fled their homes. Many slept in groups in public squares, terrified of being singled out by the mysterious “devices.”
The document mentions reports of beams of light causing symptoms such as:
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Skin burns
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Extreme fatigue
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Dizziness
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Psychological trauma
One local account described a luminous object hovering just meters away, emitting a tight beam that struck a woman in her chest, leaving visible marks.
✈️ Operation Saucer Acknowledged
The 1989 memo refers to the military mission known as Operação Prato (Operation Saucer), an investigation launched by the Brazilian Air Force’s First Regional Air Command (COMAR I).
While not detailed in this particular memo, the operation involved:
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Deploying military investigators to Colares
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Documenting over 100 sightings
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Photographing craft in daylight
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Interviewing dozens of injured civilians
“The phenomenon is complex and real,” noted a then-classified conclusion from military interviews. The report implies this material was never intended for public release.
🕵️♂️ Silencing and Secrecy
The document includes veiled criticism of Revista UFO for reproducing images stamped by military intelligence, suggesting concern over leaks.
It also repeats a pattern seen in many Brazilian military memos of the era: neither confirming nor denying, but documenting and redirecting.
Interestingly, it notes a lack of coordinated response by civilian authorities. No political or medical institution formally intervened to support the population at the time-despite mounting injuries.
“Local health authorities did not take concrete action.”
🧾 The Files Were Real
Though the 1989 memo focuses more on the press exposure than the incidents themselves, it serves as backhanded confirmation that classified reports, images, and field investigations were real.
The same images of craft, wounds, and field notes later emerged in partially declassified Operation Saucer files in the 2000s.
This document is one more piece in a troubling puzzle: Brazil’s Air Force knew about-and studied-injurious encounters between civilians and unknown aerial devices.
