The Photograph and Its Setting
An alleged photograph of an alien-like figure taken at Marcahuasi, Peru, in 1982 has resurfaced in discussions of historical UFO and UAP cases. The image reportedly shows a tall, thin humanoid standing on a rock formation, with one arm raised. According to the account associated with the photograph, the figure was not noticed when the picture was taken and was discovered only after the film had been developed.
Marcahuasi is a high-altitude plateau near San Pedro de Casta, in Peru’s Department of Lima. Situated at approximately 4,000 meters above sea level, the area is known for its naturally weathered rock formations, many of which resemble human or animal figures. That unusual landscape has long contributed to Marcahuasi’s reputation as a site of mystery and speculation.
Publication in Oiga
The photograph gained national attention when the Peruvian weekly magazine Oiga published it on its cover on August 16, 1982. The cover presented the image beneath the headline, “PRIMICIA MUNDIAL — EXTRATERRESTRE FOTOGRAFIADO EN MARCAHUASI,” or “World Exclusive — Extraterrestrial Photographed at Marcahuasi.”
The account identifies the photographer as Lourdes Pizarro, described as a university student who had traveled to Marcahuasi with a group. However, an Argentine press report dated August 18, 1982, and later reproduced by the UFO Newsclipping Service, stated that Oiga had not publicly identified the student at the time. The report also described the photographer as being associated with Rama, a contact organization connected to claimed communications with extraterrestrial beings.
These details establish the photograph’s historical connection to contemporary UFO coverage, but they do not independently confirm the circumstances under which it was taken or the identity of the person behind the camera.
Reported Examination of the Negative
Following publication, Oiga reportedly investigated the image. The magazine said the original strip of negatives was examined by engineer Jorge Coloma, whom it identified as director general of Peru’s Comisión Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Aeroespacial.
According to the account, Coloma found “no evidence that the photograph had been altered or manipulated.” That finding, if accurately reported, would address one specific question: whether the image showed obvious signs of darkroom alteration or other photographic tampering. It would not, however, establish that the figure was extraterrestrial. An unaltered photograph can still depict a person, a statue, a natural feature, an optical effect or an incorrectly interpreted object.
Investigation and Remaining Questions
Oiga also reportedly sent photographer Amador García and reporter Dagoberto Ojeda to Marcahuasi after the image was published. The available source material identifies this follow-up investigation but does not provide its full findings. As a result, important questions remain unresolved, including the precise camera and film used, the original chain of custody for the negative, the photographer’s complete account and whether the location was revisited under comparable lighting and viewpoint conditions.
The image should therefore be treated as a historical alleged UFO photograph, not verified evidence of an extraterrestrial visitor. Its value lies in documenting how a striking image was presented and investigated in the Peruvian press during the early 1980s. Without independent access to the original negative, supporting photographs, contemporaneous interviews and a modern photographic analysis, the subject’s identity and the photograph’s authenticity remain unconfirmed.
