Pereira – Here we have the sum of different facts. Someone has seen something and radar spotted it. Such equipment has nothing to do with human eyes, it's an electronic device. Another pair of eyes also saw that same thing [another pilot] and so on. Then you start to give credits to the occurrence and the situation becomes more concrete. OK, but where is the object? Was it captured? Here is where the material evidence thing comes in, and we don't have it.

UFO - Brigadier, when the Brazilian Committee of Ufologists (CBU) visited Comdabra on May 20th 2005, we were received by Brigadier Atheneu Azambuja, who showed us three folders of UFO occurrences from that body's archives. Aren't these evidence that we have been visited by objects crewed and controlled by intelligent non terrestrial beings?

Pereira – Well, those folders are not only at Comdabra, they are spread through other bodies worldwide. They prove that unexplained phenomena occurring lead us to believe in the presence of such being and alien objects on planet Earth. That's it. They are uncommon to our planet. Now, telling what are those beings and objects is a very risky thing since we have no knowledge enough for that [in a cautious tone]. So, I believe Ufology has much more work ahead [in order to identify the phenomenon] and even needs to add some other subjects to its efforts.

UFO - At the time of that visit to Comdabra we said that we would like to conduct a joint study with the Air Force by forming a mixed team of civilian ufologists and military. What do you think about this?

Pereira – Yes, but I should say that such a team would need more people. Besides ufologists I believe that it's necessary to have scientists, astronomers, physicists, etc, because such knowledge must be jointly addressed by more people.

UFO - Do you personally believe that civilizations from other planets might be visiting us?

Pereira – Well, my thought on this is that we, humans, left ground for the first time in an airplane nearly 100 years ago and within only one century could reach the Moon. In astronomic means we could say that a hundred years are nothing, not even dust. Then, if in one century and with our limited capacity we could achieve this... Now, think: where will we reach a hundred or a thousand years from now?

UFO - We know that the Brazilian Air Force officially investigates the UFO phenomenon since 1969, when Brigadier Jose Vaz da Silva established the System for Investigation of Unidentified Flying Objects (SIOANI) at the Brazilian IV Regional Air Command (COMAR 4). But why was that research apparently closed in that same year without any further progress?

Pereira – Look, that's a very interesting question. I wasn't around that time and have not researched those facts. I've never had the idea of investigating the reasons why that work was ended, but I suspect Brigadier Vaz da Silva hasn't had any more conditions to go further. He tells a different story [from many other military]. He was always an avant-garde man, always ahead of this time.

UFO - Do you believe in a superior interference in the establishment of SIOANI or was it an exclusive initiative of Brigadier Vaz da Silva?

Pereira – I'm almost sure there was a superior order. Certainly a superior instance to Brigadier Vaz da Silva worked with it by supporting the project, assisting and implementing SIOANI. A commander can't do anything by himself. He must have a superior instance behind his actions.

UFO - The two leaked SIOANI bulletins brought descriptions of cases researched by the body, including UFO landings and their crew. These are being investigated and kept in secret by the military. This is the kind of documents ufologists want to see disclosed. Do you believe they can be publicly revealed?

Pereira – In my opinion there is no reason to keep such material in secret. None. I understand that the disclosure won't affect any of the four classical criteria military always have in mind when dealing with national secrets. And these are represented by the following questions: first, will the disclosure take the country into a war? Second, will it cause panic in the population? Third, is it a threat to the national security, be it with a South-American country or any other? And fourth, will the disclosure of this material affect the privacy of people possibly mentioned on it? This is what we must have in mind. If none of these matters are affected – which is actually the case –, then it must be disclosed!

UFO - Are you for the disclosure of UFO documents prepared by the military and kept in secret to date?

Pereira – Absolutely. Unless the disclosure affects any of the four items I've just mentioned. In that case I think the material should not be disclosed. We must respect people's privacy and also the national security as we have to preserve peace and order. Also, we shouldn't start a war or create indisposition with other countries. Anyway, we shouldn't reveal our plans to the enemy. Besides those factors, it's time for transparency and for clearing this subject.

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