Overview
At a recent Arizona MUFON gathering, UFO researcher Alejandro Rojas of OpenMinds.tv delivered a lecture titled “Official Government UFO Agencies.” Rojas traced the evolution of state‑run programs that study Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) and examined how various governments balance secrecy with public disclosure. He argued that, contrary to popular belief, the United States is not the sole nation investigating these sightings; several countries maintain dedicated, often transparent, agencies that assess potential threats to air safety and national security.
Historical Background: United States, Canada, United Kingdom
Rojas began with the post‑World War II surge in U.S. interest after the 1947 Kenneth Arnold sighting. He outlined the progression from Project Sign to Project Grudge and ultimately Project Blue Book, noting that the Condon Report of 1968 led to the official termination of public research in 1969. Despite the closure, Rojas cited internal reporting mechanisms such as OPREP‑3, which continue to log anomalous observations near sensitive sites, especially nuclear facilities. In Canada, the 1950s Project Magnet—directed by physicist Wilbert Smith—and the later Project Second Story pursued similar data collection. The United Kingdom operated a Ministry of Defence UFO Project from 1953 until 2009, with former analyst Nick Pope becoming a public face of the program. A 1995 UK Defence Ministry report, referenced by Rojas, speculated that an extraterrestrial motive, if proven, could range from military reconnaissance to “tourism,” underscoring the breadth of official speculation.
Active Agencies: France and South America
Among Western nations, France stands out for maintaining a permanent civilian study group, GEIPAN, within its space agency CNES. Rojas highlighted the 1981 Trans‑en‑Provence case, where French scientists detected anomalous electromagnetic effects in soil and vegetation, concluding that a “powerful electromagnetic source” had interacted with the site. He also referenced the COMETA Report (1999), authored by former French military and intelligence officials, which judged the “extraterrestrial hypothesis” to be the most plausible explanation for a substantial subset of well‑documented incidents.
South American programs, according to Rojas, demonstrate a higher degree of openness. Chile’s CEFAA, created in 1997, gained notoriety after a radar‑tracked event in which objects allegedly moved at 8,000 mph, prompting General Ricardo Bermúdez to publicly acknowledge UAPs as a genuine aviation safety concern. Peru’s DIFAA, re‑activated in 2013 under Commander Julio Chamorro Flores, investigates the 1980 La Joya Air Base encounter, where pilot Oscar Santa Maria Huerta reportedly fired 64 rounds at a craft with no effect—a claim witnessed by roughly 2,000 personnel. Uruguay’s CRIDOVNI, established in 1979, has logged over 1,200 cases, with only about 3 % remaining unexplained, illustrating a systematic, data‑driven approach.
International Cooperation and Recent Revelations
Rojas also recounted the 1978 United Nations initiative led by Grenadian Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy, which convened experts such as Dr. J. Allen Hynek, researcher **
