The testimony of David Grusch, a former official of the Department of Defence, in the United States Congress, stating that the Government is hiding information about UFOs and that a Pentagon report could account for "non-human" aircraft that the US Government would be concealing, along with the announcement from NASA's director, Bill Nelson, that in light of the information generated about "aliens," a group of scientists is preparing a report after thorough investigation into alleged extraterrestrial life for this August, has reignited interest in a phenomenon that has had a hotbed in the province since the mid-20th century, along with the regions of the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Mallorca.
In addition to the Conil case, related to the sighting of two alleged humanoids by five young people on Los Bateles Beach on the night of September 29, 1989, which was questioned by the official version that indicated they were British workers installing telephone cables, undoubtedly the most popular and enigmatic episode was protagonised by the well-known gynaecologist from Algeciras, Juan José Rivera.
On the afternoon of August 26, 1966, the doctor was riding his motorcycle to Punta Carnero, intending to take photographs of the Strait. Once he parked his motorcycle in the depression area, he began to feel that someone was watching him. Suddenly, a kind of "hominid" with disproportionate arms, a deformed head, and an aquiline nose crossed his path. Ribera followed him until he came across an oval-shaped craft, about 15 meters in diameter. Before fleeing in fear, he took a photograph that, unfortunately, has been lost.
In relation to these cases and other recorded testimonies, INFORMACIÓN engages in conversation with two scholars from Cadiz about the phenomenon. José Moreno, at the helm of the Parapsychological Group of Puerto Real for many years, and José Antonio Caravaca, a pioneering researcher from Algeciras in this field and a contributor to specialised magazines. Both also share an interest in what the authorities of the United States will reveal in the coming days, convinced that there will most likely not be a before and after, but neither will they dispel all doubts about events of difficult logical explanation.
"Beyond the military or the natural, there are anomalous cases."
José Antonio Caravaca is one of the prominent names among UFO phenomenon researchers. With a dozen books on the subject and countless contributions to specialized magazines, including collaborations with the popular disseminator J. J. Benítez and the television personality Íker Jiménez, he is an authoritative voice.
His extensive experience and a thousand testimonies recorded over decades have not, however, served to provide answers. Caravaca still wonders about what lies behind sightings since the mid-20th century. Initially, he points out a military background.
Many of the episodes are related to national defence and espionage matters, tensions between powers like the United States, China, and Russia, and the development of aeronautical and aerospace industries. Many other reported incidents are attributed to atmospheric or natural phenomena. But he warns, "there are cases that have a high level of strangeness and are of unknown origin."
He doesn't dare label them as "extraterrestrial," but he qualifies them as "anomalous" and "perplexing," even for many who have experienced them firsthand, such as astronauts or military pilots.
Caravaca connects all these sightings with stories throughout the centuries that go beyond the boundaries of the normal, like Marian apparitions, visions of goblins and fairies, or other legendary creatures.
"Contacts are described according to the sociocultural roles of each time," he explains, which is why there aren't two identical descriptions of aliens. The same happens with their space vehicles. "But there are common elements like the alteration of consciousness or the trance states experienced by the individuals who experience them," he adds.
In his notes, it's common for these individuals to experience space-time alterations, time disparities, hear buzzing sounds, or a deafening silence.
Even so, he doesn't have confidence that the United States will make a groundbreaking disclosure. "The world is polarised, there's mistrust in institutions and conflicting interests." We'll see.
"I've always believed it, we're not alone in the Universe."
José Moreno began scrutinising the skies in 1978. Enchanted by literature about the UFO phenomenon, especially the Roswell case, he started meeting with a group of shipyard colleagues in the early days of democracy to share experiences related to ufology, as well as the paranormal. "Back then, talking about those things was taboo," he recalls.
But the passion to uncover the mysteries of the unknown was greater. In the Puerto Real library, they also began planning their first outings in the "marshes area," which allowed him to personally witness a sighting. "The photos we took of a very bright light in the Bay were not just a simple light," he asserts. Since then, he hasn't been a direct witness again.
However, once the Parapsychological Group of Puerto Real was established, "we began receiving waves of calls from residents who claimed to have spotted some type of unidentified flying object." Interestingly, starting from the 1990s, he notes, the testimonies became scarce.
The activity of the group declined and, in addition, they lost the space provided by the City Council. In 2015, Moreno left the activity and today he regrets losing all the accumulated graphic and documentary material over nearly thirty years.
The announcement by US authorities about a report on the phenomenon has reignited curiosity around it. He's not clear about what he expects from all the excitement that has been generated in recent weeks. In reality, he doubts that any significant revelation will occur that would shake our cosmogony, our beliefs, or turn upside down all the scientific knowledge accumulated for centuries by humanity. Although he doesn't lose hope that the existence of extraterrestrial life will be confirmed, because that would confirm what he has always believed: we are not alone in the universe.