Bolivia's Historic Day: May 6, 1978

On May 6, 1978, thousands of people in Bolivia witnessed an unidentified flying object crash into El Taire Mountain. The incident caused a supersonic bang that was heard up to 150 miles away and cracked windows within a 30-mile radius. The object was described as cylindrical or oval-shaped, with a flaming tail, and metallic in nature. The event triggered speculation and investigations by authorities, including the Bolivian Air Force, Argentinian border police, and the U.S. government. The U.S. State Department and CIA were involved, and the incident was considered one of the most credible UFO cases in South America. The year 1978 was a tumultuous one for Bolivia, with multiple military coups and a general election marking the country's transition towards democracy.

UFO crash

On May 6, 1978, in the afternoon, a UFO crash in Bolivia was witnessed by hundreds or perhaps even thousands of people from Tarija, Bolivia. The object was described as cylindrical with flames on one side, and it crashed over Mount El Taire, causing a sonic blast that could be heard up to 150 miles away from the crash site. The impact was so strong that it knocked people to the ground and shattered windows within a 30-mile radius.

The incident caused confusion about the origin of the object, with speculation ranging from meteorites to spacecraft and UFOs. The disaster occurred on the border of Argentina and Bolivia, prompting both countries' governments to investigate. The Argentinian authorities sent a unit of border police to the area to search for wreckage, and they, too, were convinced it was a UFO after hearing eyewitness accounts.

Police officer Juan Hurtado, who witnessed the crash, described the object as "a gigantic wine container" emitting white smoke. He said:

> It flew directly above my head. I was on duty and at that moment was talking with three engineers from the mine in La Paz, when we saw the object crashing into the El Taire mountain. The impact was so strong that it threw me to the ground. The earth trembled at that moment.

The Bolivian Air Force sent three aircraft to find the crash area, and the CIA was also involved in investigating the incident. There were reports of two US military officials, Colonel Robert Simmons and Major John Heise, arriving in Tarija and being spotted in civilian clothes. It was later revealed in declassified documents that they were acting under Project Moon Dust.

Despite the numerous eyewitness accounts and official investigations, it was never conclusively determined what exactly fell in Bolivia in May 1978. However, it was confirmed by the Smithsonian’s Scientific Event Alert Network that it was not a meteorite. This incident remains one of the most credible and intriguing UFO cases in South America.

El Taire Mountain

On May 6, 1978, at about 4:15 p.m., an unidentified flying object (UFO) crashed into El Taire Mountain in Bolivia, near the Bermejo River, which marks the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The incident has been described as the most credible UFO case in South America, with thousands of eyewitnesses from the nearby village of Tarija, Bolivia.

The object was described as cylindrical or oval-shaped, with a flaming tail, and caused a supersonic bang that could be heard up to 150 miles away. The sonic blast was so powerful that it knocked people to the ground and shattered windows within a 30-mile radius. Some eyewitnesses reported seeing an object that resembled "a gigantic wine container emitting a trace of white smoke." The impact site was on the southern slope of El Taire Mountain, and the crash was confirmed by the Bolivian Air Force, which sent three single-motored AT6 airplanes to survey the area.

The incident sparked widespread speculation and media attention, with explanations ranging from meteorites to UFOs and the late re-entry of an Apollo capsule. The involvement of the U.S. Department of State and the CIA further fuelled the mystery, as they requested assistance from the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to determine the nature of the object. The Argentinian authorities also dispatched their 20th border police unit to search for wreckage, and reporters flocked to the nearby town of Aguas Blancas to interview eyewitnesses.

The object of intrigue was eventually located and inspected. It was described as a "dull metallic cylinder twelve feet long with a few dents." Despite the expectation of a NASA expert's arrival, two U.S. Air Force officers, Col. Robert Simmons and Maj. John Heise, arrived instead. They were reportedly instructed to transport the object to the United States in a Hercules C-130 transport plane. The U.S. State Department later released documents confirming the officers' involvement in Project Moon Dust, a programme interested in the recovery of UFO wrecks and other space objects.

The El Taire Mountain UFO crash of 1978 remains a fascinating and enigmatic event in the history of unexplained aerial phenomena, with its impact felt not just on the mountain but also in the realms of government and media, both locally and internationally.

CIA involvement

On May 6, 1978, an unidentified object crashed in Bolivia, witnessed by thousands of people. The object crashed into El Taire Mountain on the Bermejo River, on the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The object was described as cylindrical in shape with a flaming tail and caused a supersonic bang that was heard up to 150 miles away. The impact was so strong that it threw people to the ground.

The Bolivian Air Force discovered the crash site on the southern slope of El Taire Mountain. The police chief of Tarija described the object as "a dull metallic cylinder twelve feet long with a few dents." No instructions for further action were given, and no NASA expert came to Tarija. Instead, two U.S. Air Force officers, Col. Robert Simmons and Maj. John Heise, arrived. They were reportedly on leave but had been instructed to take the object to the United States.

Five relevant documents were released by the U.S. State Department two years later. The first was a telex sent by the U.S. Ambassador in Bolivia, Paul H. Boeker, to the State Department, quoting newspaper reports and requesting information about the object. The answer, classified as "secret," was a telex from U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, stating that preliminary information had been checked with appropriate government agencies, and no correlation could be made with known space objects that may have reentered the Earth's atmosphere near May 6. However, he added that they would continue to examine any possibilities.

The second document was a "Moon Dust Message" from the office of the U.S. military attaché, addressed to the Division for Foreign Technologies at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base and the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force at the Pentagon, classified as "confidential NOFORN (No Forwarding to Foreign Nationals)." The military attaché at La Paz reported that they had verified the press reports and asked the general staff of the Bolivian Air Force and the chiefs of the Bolivian Army, who initially declared that they had "sent search troops to the area in question but found nothing." The army concluded that there could have been an object, or maybe not, but they had found nothing to date.

The role of the CIA in this incident is not explicitly mentioned in the documents. However, the involvement of U.S. Air Force officers and the reference to Project Moon Dust, a U.S. government program, suggest that the CIA may have had some involvement or at least been informed of the situation. The CIA's exact role, if any, remains unclear.

Political instability

On May 6, 1978, thousands of people in Bolivia witnessed an unidentified flying object (UFO) crash into El Taire Mountain, on the border between Bolivia and Argentina. The incident caused a supersonic bang that was heard up to 150 miles away and cracked windows within a 30-mile radius. The object was described as cylindrical or oval-shaped, with a flaming tail, and metallic in nature. The Bolivian Air Force discovered the crash site but was unable to land nearby.

This event occurred during a period of political instability in Bolivia, which had experienced numerous military coups and dictatorships since the 1950s. The country had a history of coups dating back to its independence in 1825, with more than 190 coups and revolutions recorded. The period from 1964 to 1982 was marked by periodic instability under various military dictators.

In the lead-up to May 1978, Bolivia had gone through a tumultuous period. Hugo Banzer Suárez ruled the country from 1971 to 1978, initially with the support of the Nationalist Revolutionary Movement. However, in 1974, he replaced civilians with members of the armed forces and suspended political activities. As demands for greater political freedom grew, he called for elections in 1978, and Bolivia descended into turmoil once again.

Juan Pereda, who ruled for only four months in 1978, marked the beginning of an extremely unstable period in Bolivian history. Between 1978 and 1980, Bolivia was in a constant state of crisis, with nine civilian and military presidents in just over four years. The country witnessed multiple military coups, fraudulent elections, and social unrest, including large-scale protests by peasants and radical workers.

The political instability in Bolivia during this time was characterized by frequent changes in leadership, military interventions, and a struggle between conservative and left-wing forces. The country's transition back to democracy in 1982 brought an end to this turbulent period, with Guido Vildoso becoming the first democratically elected president in over a decade.

Military coups

On May 6, 1978, thousands of people in Bolivia witnessed an unidentified flying object (UFO) crash into El Taire Mountain, on the country's border with Argentina. The object was described as cylindrical or oval-shaped, with a flaming tail, and caused a loud, supersonic bang that was heard up to 150 miles away. The impact was so strong that it smashed windows within a 30-mile radius and knocked people off their feet.

The event caused a stir in both Bolivia and Argentina, with authorities from both countries sending police and military units to investigate. The U.S. government was also involved, with the CIA and the State Department receiving phone calls and telegrams requesting confirmation of the incident and assistance in identifying the object. The U.S. Embassy in La Paz denied any involvement when inquired by the press.

While the true nature of the object remains a mystery, with speculation ranging from meteorites to UFOs, the incident is considered one of the most credible UFO cases in South America. Two years after the event, the U.S. State Department released documents revealing that U.S. Air Force officers, Col. Robert Simmons and Maj. John Heise, were sent to Bolivia under Project Moon Dust, a program designed to secretly retrieve technology from crashed foreign satellites and spacecraft.

The May 6, 1978, incident occurred during a tumultuous period in Bolivian history, marked by frequent military coups and political instability. Between 1969 and 1980, Bolivia was ruled by a succession of military dictators who assumed power through multiple coups. Here is an overview of the military coups during that period:

• September 26, 1969: General Alfredo Ovando led a coup following the death of President René Barrientos in a helicopter crash. Ovando had previously been Barrientos' co-president and vice president.
• October 6, 1970: Ovando was deposed in a coup led by the chiefs of the army, air force, and navy. However, the military triumvirate was quickly overthrown by Ovando loyalists led by Juan José Torres, who became the new president.
• August 21, 1971: Hugo Banzer Suárez overthrew Torres and established a dictatorship that lasted most of the 1970s.
• July 21, 1978: Juan Pereda, who had been handpicked by Banzer as his successor, carried out a coup after the National Electoral Court annulled the results of the July 9, 1978, presidential elections due to widespread fraud. Pereda was officially declared the winner, but the number of votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters.
• November 24, 1978: David Padilla overthrew Pereda in yet another military coup. Padilla later transferred power to a democratically elected successor, Wálter Guevara, after inconclusive general elections in 1979.
• November 1, 1979: Alberto Natusch overthrew Guevara but resigned two weeks later in favour of Lidia Gueiler Tejada.
• July 17, 1980: Luis García Meza overthrew Tejada in a violent military coup, marking the beginning of one of the darkest periods in Bolivian history, characterised by arbitrary arrests, torture, and disappearances.

The period between 1978 and 1980 was marked by constant crises, social unrest, and political fragmentation in Bolivia. The country's transition back to democracy in 1982 was challenging, with several more coup attempts in the following decades. Bolivia has experienced more than 190 coups and revolutions since its independence in 1825, making it the country with the most coups since 1950.

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