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unknown, they do affect aviation everywhere, and this must be addressed. Eventually, I believe, we will be able to determine the real nature of this phenomenon if the scientific method is applied. Most North Americans are not aware that Brazil is the fifth-largest country in the world, occupying most of the eastern continent of South America. It has spawned many dedicated UFO researchers and field investigators over the decades, earning it the dubious reputation of being a "hotbed" of weird UFO events. It also has a rich history of official involvement and Air Force reports. The Brazilian military has been investigating UFOsfor many years, as shown by government documents. For example, Brazil made a significant contribution in its release of one of the most important series of photographs in UFO history. Only a few clear UFO Viegas, and Amflar Vieira Filho, chief of a group of submarine explorers, were the first—among many officers, sailors, and others—to sight an unusual object from the deck of a Brazilian Navy training ship. Almiro Barauna, a professional submarine photographer on board, managed to take a series of successful pictures over nearby Trindade Isle, despite the commotion on deck caused by the throng of excited observers. Captain Viegas later stated: "The first view was that of a disc shining with a phosphorescent glow, which, even in daylight, appeared to be brighter than the moon." About the size of the full moon, “it followed its path across the sky, changing to a tilted position; its real shape was Clearly outlined against the sky: that of a flattened sphere encircled, at the equator, by a large ring or platform." The Brazilian Navy Ministry endorsed the Trindade photographs. A report from United Press International stated that "Navy Minister Adm. Antonio Alves Camara said, after meeting with President Juscelino Kubitschek in the summer Presidential Palace at Petropolis, that he also vouched personally for the authenticity of the pictures." Kubitschek ordered them released to the public, and the House of Representatives demanded an investigation by the Navy, which compiled a report, [1] The original photos and negatives were analyzed by both the Navy Photo Reconnaissance Laboratory and the private Cruzeiro do SulAerophotogrammetric Service, both confirming their authenticity. Later, civilian experts in America conducted further analysis. [2] It was only recently, in 2008 and 2009, that the Brazilian government began its release of numerous previously secret UFO files and stated that it would gradually release them all in groups by decade, one decade at a time. As of this writing, documents, photos, and drawings from the 1950s through the 1980s have been made public—more than 4,000 and do both CHAPTER 20 UFOS IN BRAZIL by Brigadier General Jose Carlos Pereira (Ret.)