Editor's Note: The opinions voiced by Dr. Lara in his editorial are not necessarily those of INEXPLICATA or the Institute of Hispanic Ufology. Parties mentioned in this article may request the right to reply.

 Mexican Ufology in the Year 2001, or, You Can't Tell the Players Without a Scorecard
by Dr. Rafael A. Lara,
Director of Research, Centro de Estudios de Fenomenos Paranormales (CEFP)

I have always said that I do not belong the ranks of those who individuals who pompously call themselves "ufologists". In spite of having conducted countless field surveys, taken an infinite number of photos and videos, interviewed hundreds of eyewitnesses, publish articles and appear on radio and T.V. programs, I have never thought of myself as such. However, I have a solid foundation and experiences upon which to base my opinions on the subject.

Several years ago, I remarked that the study of UFOs in Mexico was largely based on crankery, pseudo-research, yellow journalism and above all, money. This has not changed to date. It was in 1991, following the "Eclipse UFO", that the dollar ufologists said "the time of contact is fast approaching". Since then an effort has been made to convince people that aliens are there, standing just around the corner. However, it must also be noted that not all is gloom and doom: there are groups of researchers who perform serious and responsible research within the UFO field while remaining far from all publicity, spotlights and considerable amounts of money.

As far as publications are concerned, the Mexican UFO market is represented by such magazines as Insólito, a sensationalist tabloid; Grandes Enigmas, a magazine which dwells on threadbare subjects like the Bermuda Triangle, the Curse of the Pharaohs, the Mystery of the Pyramids, etc.; Contacto OVNI, edited by Mario Torres, is a publication of average quality that mixes all types of UFO research with prophecies, millenialism, religious mysteries, astroarchaeology, etc. It reached its 100th issue only a few months ago, prompting a well-known researcher to remind UFO buffs that "alien contact is at hand, and Mexico will very likely be the location for such contact."  All of these magazines are published by Editorial Mina.

Carlos Díaz, one of Mexico's best known contactees thanks to the support he received from the "dollar ufologists" at a certain point in his trajectory, has fallen to second or third place given precisely by a withdrawal of support from these parties, allegedly, over huge sums of money. Mr. Díaz and his Centro de Esutdios para la Realidad del Fenómeno OVNI, located in Tepoztlán, Morelos, have declined significantly. The influx of foreign tourists, mainly from the U.S., in search of "undeniable evidence" has decreased ostensibly, as have sales of his photographs, esoteric products and records, all of this in spite of the fact that John Mack devoted almost an entire chapter to him in his book "Passport to the Cosmos".

Curiously, Mr. Díaz appears to have been replaced by an alleged contactee named "Sarita", who is sponsored by journalist and author Luis Ramírez Reyes. Occupying a house located between the towns of Amatlán and Tepoztlán, Sarita has witnessed hundreds of UFO's, according to Mr. Ramírez, and has established contact with an alleged extraterrestrial entity named "Alaniso" who imparts messages of an ecological nature. It would seem that Tepoztlán and its environs are still waiting for the arrival of the Kind Space Brothers.

Pascal Lopresti is a new player in the Mexican UFO community. A businessman from Mexico City and [Italian contactee Giorgio] Bongiovanni's agent in Mexico, he holds the copyrights to all of the contactees works, and has decided to close down the Mexican Ark of Salvation at the behest of the stigmatic contactee, since in spite of the repeated "End-of-the-World" prophecies, the end is never at hand. Pascal holds UFO conventions in which contactees mingle with mystics, healers and alleged witnesses to alien spaceship crashes and recoveries. He collaborates with Contacto OVNI magazine.

Luis Ramírez Reyes tendencies toward conspiracy theory remain unchanged (see SAMIZDAT Special Report: Mexico 1996). Mr. Ramírez emulates John Lear and William Cooper, but with a Mexican touch. His accounts are filled with humanoid insects, women raped by aliens, reptilian hybrids, ubiquitous UFOs, etc. and form the backbone of his work.

Rubén Manrique is a disciple of the recently deceased Luis Andrés Jaspersen [...]. His articles often appear in Contacto OVNI magazine and represent an amalgam of contacteeism, millenialism and re-examinations of old cases. A close friend of Jaime Maussán and Mario Torres, he currently promotes alleged photographs of aliens on the Moon.

This is a very brief and personal analysis of a situation that has not changed for many years. I do not believe, as some have said, that "the evidence has been captured on video", as though this were the only weapon in the ufologist's arsenal when it comes to performing a solvent, serious and above all, reliable study.