Believing the Strangest Things

        Even as the public at large loses interest in ufology, there has been an increase of interest and participation in contacteeism on a global level. Whether the events of September 11, 2001 have played any role in this change cannot be ascertained, but a wealth of contactee-related stories have emerged from South America this years involving contactee cults. Perhaps the most notable of these accounts revolved around the activities of the Buenos Aires based "Lineamiento Universal Superior" or L.U.S. organization (Superior Universal Alignment), which is being accused of crimes against children. The contactee cult's leader, Valentina de Andrade, is also under suspicion. Thirteen children were raped in the Brazilian city of Pará and their genitalia mutilated for what appeared to be a satanic ritual. The victims were later sacrificed.

        Physician Anisio Ferreira de Souza, an alleged member of the L.U.S. sect, is among the accused and is currently in jail. He is also under suspicion of having created an organization dedicated to murdering minors to steal their vital organs, and of having committed crimes in the states of Parana, Goias and Espiritu Santo.

        In 1992, Brazilian justice investigated Valentina and her group due to the disappearance of a child in the island of Guaratuba, in the southern state of Parana, where another children had become a victim to ritual crime. Valentina and her followers avoided prosecution when suspicions were proven to be unfounded.

        While former members who denounced these abuses testified to the non-existence of ritual crime or the kidnapping of children by Valentina de Andrade, they did accuse her of having committed "coercive persuasion" after forcing a couple to turn over their baby daughter to a childless couple, and forcing other couples to leave their children with grandparents or other guardians in order to "leave the planet" aboard her spaceship. These children were believed to be "negative energies" by Valentina, who advised that they be left behind. Meanwhile, she portrayed herself as a lofty cosmic entity of "light, love and truth" who had become incarnate on Earth to perform a mission.
 
        On a lighter note, we welcome Gloria R. Coluchi as a contributing editor. Ms. Coluchi's aid has been priceless in obtaining information on South American UFO/paranormal cases which have been distributed on a regular basis to the UFO community worldwide since early 2001. Please join us in welcoming Gloria to INEXPLICATA! 

        Scott Corrales