Statements from Brazilian UFOlogists, Researchers, Media and Citizens

Regarding Urandir Oliveira and "Project Portal" in Brazil

6/26/03

From A.J. Gevaerd

To the International UFO Community:

Very important December 13, 2002

Please be informed that the story of a man abducted in Brazil, with dramatic photos of the scenario, is a campaign to promote overseas the biggest UFO hoaxer of all times in Brazil, Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira, who has actually created a sect of fanatics around him, composed of people who blindly believe in his alleged ET contacts and healing powers, none of them ever confirmed by anyone. The man has been repeatedly exposed as hoaxer by dozens of UFO researcher and many people even from his sect, after "waking up to reality", have come forward to describe Urandir´s tricks and scheme. His last great attempt to go public in Brazil and overseas happened last year, when he invented the story (easily exposed) that a UFO had crashed at his friend¹s farm. It was only another of his hoaxes, perpetrated to attract people to his activities, to which they are invited to join if they pay a considerable amount of money. His history is all fake and the man is fastly becoming a millionaire with his obscure agenda, supported by thousands of fanatics. Urandir is largely rejected by 99% of the Brazilian UFO Community, who perfectly knows that he is nothing but a hoaxer. This story is NOT to be taken seriously, as no responsible UFO researcher has been allowed to scrutinize the scenario and the alleged case. Urandir has been interviewed by Jeff Rense on Thursday night, December 12, assisted by his fellow Felipe Castelo Branco. This has taken serious people in the USA and all over the world to believe in the story invented by Urandir. The damage can be much bigger than one can think. In Brazil, responsible UFO researchers and large media stream have succeeded in debunking him at a considerable level. We have succeeded in preventing that thousands of Brazilians being cheated by Urandir and now he is trying the USA and other countries to establish his sect. Serious UFO researchers all over the world cannot let it happen. The man is as fake as a 3-dollar bill. He spent time in jail for selling property that doesn¹t belong to him.

- A. J. Gevaerd, gevaerd@ufo.com.br Editor, Brazilian UFO Magazine. National Director, Mutual UFO Network. Director, International UFO Congress

__________________________________

From Brazilian UFOlogist Claudeir Covo
Dear Colleagues:

I am 53 years old and 37 years ago I started researching the UFO phenomena. I first met Oliveira's Urandir Fernandes in the extinct TV program "BRASIL VERDADE", of the Bandeirantes Network of Television, presented by Wilton Franco. In spite of the program to be daily, Urandir used to apper there once a week. Thus, I started to record in video all the presentations of Urandir, which started in 1997 and they lasted several months.

Urandir said that was abducted when he was thirteen years of age old and that the extraterrestrials gave him paranormal powers. Urandir used to bend coins and forks, said that he could cure AIDS and cancer, that he could ressuscitate dead people and could perform other phenomenons. All these things were designed only to impress the viewer. By analyzing Urandir videos that I recorded in SLOW MOTION, I noticed clearly that he used simple techniques of magic, manipulating several small objects out of sight from people. Even small pieces of gold material he hid under the fingernails he used, but he said that he could transform paper in gold. The gold material was already under his nails. I have those videos of the fraud. Thus, together with other UFO researchers, I started to investigate the activities of Urandir Fernandes of Oliveira. In his farm in Corguinho, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, he used to do several tricks. He used to accord previously with his employees, and then use batteries of 12 Volts and headlamps of cars, at the distance 200 meters from his visitors, at night, in the middle of the darkness and of the forest. That, for those who doesn't know the place, could simulate UFOs. He also used laser pointers and other tools that generate light to fool people. All tricks easy to be repeated.

With some people's accusations, Urandir ended being arrested in Porto Alegre, Capital of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, for illegal sale of lands. After he constituted a lawyer, Urandir was freed. That news was disclosed by several newspaper and magazines and TV networks. Then, Urandir started using advertisement balloons (called BLIMPS), of three meters in diameter, with a lamp inside, to fool people in his farm. Usually, this balloons are used in advertisement as they arise with the use of Hydrogen or Hélio. People at distance and at night would believe the balloons to be UFOs. But they are only new tricks. In a work conducted together with UFO researcher and engineer Ricardo Varela, of the National Institute of Space Researches, a government organism, I made a research using a small balloon for atmospheric studies. It was all documented properly by the program FANTÁSTICO, of the Globo Network of Television. Fantastico also previously filmed the balloons used by Urandir, that he said were UFOs. When that program went to the air, watched for more than 35 million people, it was very clear that the "UFO of Urandir" was really a simple balloon. He was exposed again. For those "presentations" in his farm, Urandir used to collect approximately 50 dollars per person. He used to sell stories of UFOs and ETs only to cheat people. He is getting rich, very rich. He says he is paranormal and UFO contactee, but he is only deceiving the people with simple magic tricks and other manipulations. His stories are fake.

Today, all the Brazilian UFO researchers know about the hoaxes and scams accomplished by Urandir and want to warn their American colleagues about it, as A. J. Gevaerd is trying so hard for months. I knew Linda Moulton Howe through a video documentary, STRANGE HARVEST. I always thought of her to be a SERIOUS person and journalist. Now, I see that she is defending and promoting Urandir in the United States. That is very unfortunate and all she is doing is deceiving the people she addresses to by supporting Urandir´s hoax and his strategy of taking advantage of the good faith of the simple people. It is sad to me to find out that LMH it is another opportunistic person in the UFO community. Any other work that LMH comes to publish in the future, certainty won´t have my respect because she is totally out of my list of serious UFO researchers who have a scientific concept of the phenomena. LMH is not a SERIOUS person and is only a great OPPORTUNISTIC.

Claudeir Covo Electrical engineer Specialized in Labor Safety
Co-editor of the Revista UFO President of INFA (National Institute of Investigation of Aerospace Phenomena)
www.infa.com.br
claudeir.covo@uol.com.br

From Jeferson Martinho

My name is Jeferson Martinho. I am a Brazilian journalist and publishs one of the biggest Brazilian Ufology sites:
http://www.vigilia.com.br I have important information about Linda's recent questioning and about alleged 'paranormal' Urandir Fernandes Oliveira. This information was published on my site, that has journalistic and scientific approaches. I am sending to you a copy of an article, published some time ago. Urandir is dangerous for serious Ufology! It's important that the international community knows it.
I am at your disposal!
Best regards,
Jeferson Martinho Portal/Revista Vigilia - Editor
http://www.vigilia.com.br jeff@vigilia.com.br

From Lucia Menta

Dear Sirs:

I would like to inform you that the UFO Community in Brazil is shocked to see that the fraud promoted by Mr. Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira has been widely reported by Ms. Linda Moulton Howe as a real story. Urandir claims to have contact with Extraterrestrial beings in his property, located in Corguinho, Brazil. Urandir uses this false idea to bring hundreds of people to this farm, and charges them for several services, among which is the entrance ticket. By the means of some magic tricks, Urandir makes a truly bizarre show, which he affirms to be the result of extraterrestrial manifestation. He even shows balloons with battery lights inside at night to a distant audience, saying that they are real UFOs. Therefore, I would like to inform you all that the Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira Case is one of the greatest hoaxes ever to take place in Brazil. None of his UFO contacts or his so-called wonders is real. Urandir is probably just using Ms. Howe to start expanding his illegal activities to the US territory. If you wish to get more information on Urandir and his illegal activities, please contact Mr. A. J. Gevaerd (gevaerd@ufo.com.br), chief editor of "Revista UFO" (the main UFO magazine in Brazil). He will answer you as promptly as possible and he will be able to tell you all about what really goes on.
Sincerely Yours,
Lucia Menta
www.infinitetv.com.br

From Paola Lucherini Covo
Prezados. Brazilian the Ufologica community, has the obligation to communicate that the Urandir, is a fraud. He is gaining much money, using of the good faith of the people here in Brazil. It is a robbery. Already he applied some blows here in Brazil. - Paola Lucherini Covo www.inpubr.com.br

From Rodolfo Heltai
I am an UFO investigator in Brazil, from Andromeda Group. I lament to inform that Mr. Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira comes if presented as a false ufologist with deceiving histories, with the idea of promoting. We are surprised in Brazil the presentation of this impostor. He collects for their services deceiving the people. This message is to alert you of an interview aired recently with Mr Urandir Fernandes, who claims to be an abductee. - Rodolfo Heltai Andromeda Group 12-13-2

From Thiago Luiz Ticchetti President - Brazilian Organization of Extraterrestrial Research
"...That person called Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira, and we will show what happened until he become the largest charlatan of the Brazilian ufology in every time. That episode is unique in the world ufology, because for the first time ufologists, press and public joined to expose tricks, lies and promises." - Thiago Luiz Ticchetti President - Brazilian Organization of Extraterrestrial Research 12/12/02

From Urandir's former lawyer Lütz Netto
"I was totally disappointed about his intentions and I left the group, declaring to everybody my deception ", affirmed lawyer Lütz Netto, that took providences. Not without before try, countless times, to solve the subject in a friendly way. Even so, Urandir was not interested in this option."

From Julieta Paraíso- former follower
"...Thus that she knew of the existence of Urandir, the stewardess Julieta pensioner of Paradise, that deferred payment in São Paulo, integrated another group of 500 visitors to the Vestibule. There, one strong resistance of its fellow travellers in commenting used details noticed as the sumiço of during the avistamentos of the spaceships. "the fanatism is so strong that I fear that happens a tragedy as of the Heaven's Gate", Julieta says.."
"Jim Jones-Urandir promises to build, in February of the year 2.000, a flying disk and to evacuate from the Earth 1.500 people, in a ridiculous attitude that we everybody knows, it is utopian. Urandir goes for a walk with young ladies, doing who knows..." - Julieta Paraíso

From Mrs. Doraci Alves Cunha - former land purchaser.
"I already called countless times to Jurandir and to Urandir, and none of them assists my phone calls. I want my money back and they that keep his land",
- Mrs. Doraci Alves Cunha, one of the deceived with the promise of the City of ETs."

From Célia B. S. H.
"Urandir said that the cure would only come if he could change energy" with me. In the beginning I didn't understand well what that was, but then, when he insisted on being alone with me in the brushwood, I noticed that was a blockade".- Célia B. S. H.

From Rodrigo Branco Radio

Dear Friends,

It is with extreme astonishment and concern that we from the brazilian ufology community see the repecurssion in USA of lies invented by the alleged paranormal and contactee Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira. Urandir was already publicly demoralized in Brazil because he is a hoaxer that takes advantage of the good faith of people to make a fortune. The main means of communications in Brazil, either televised or printed midia, have already shown all the farse of Mr. U.F.O. claims through a series of constant denounciation by the truly brazilian ufologists. Realizing that he doesn't have anymore space to spread his lies around here, Urandir decided to make an investment in your country and unfortunatelly he found someone to support him. It is important to make it clear our repudiation of Linda Moulton Howe who in this moment has no more good reputation around here. Linda is well aware that everything Urandir claims is a fraud and yet insists in publishing his lies. We ask you in your valuable judgmente to help us stop the growth of this sect of fanatics before we have another 'Heavens Gate'. We also don't need another Jim Jones. Please, take the necessary action and do not let this lie to continue to be spread in USA. Urandir is a dangerous person, he was arrested for fraud, and claims to be capable of curing diseases like AIDS, Cancer and Leukemia (charging a lot of money for this), besides to have been accused for assault, sexual harassment, charlatanism and much more.

Yours truly,
Rodrigo Branco Radio
DJ GEUBS Coordinator
Grupo De Estudos Ufológicos Da Baixada Santista
www.geubs.com

From Wendell Stein

Dear friends of the International UFO community,

Brazil is a country that has a great part of the best ufologists in the world. A rich place in ufology cases and serious research.
Home of one of the best ufology publications in the whole South America. I, Wendell Stein, journalist and ufologist for 15 years,
support the serious research and ethic behavior of all who work for a good ufology. What Urandir has done can not and should
not be considered ufology. He is no part of the brazilian ufologists community. And none of his works respect the ethic or has
any world acknowledgment.

Regards Wendell Stein ( Grupo Sumaré de Estudos Ufológicos - GSEU )

UFO Study Group of Baixada Santista
Grupo de Estudos Ufologicos da Baixada Santista (UFO Study Group of Baixada Santista)
- www.geubs.com

We hereby publicly reject the groundless popularization on the false close encounters of the Mr. Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira. It is a notorious and well known fact throughout the Brazilian Community of UFO researchers that this person does not have nor has ever had any kind of psychic powers whatsoever and has never been involved in the abduction phenomenon. Whatever goes on in his estate, known as Projeto Portal, has been proven false and phony, nothing more than a huge set-up aiming at profit at the cost of people's good faith; well-meaning but naive individuals who used to visit the above-mentioned estate. The hoax has been documented and duly registered, and it is also a well known fact that Mr. Urandir F. Oliveira has been arrested on account of these unlawful activities. We regret the complete lack of respect by researcher Lind Mounte Howe, who insists on publicizing Urandir's lies abroad, making a lousy impression of Brazilian ufology, which is most serious, productive and highly respected worldwide. We do hope you reflect upon this and do not help Ms. Howe to popularize the big hoax in ufology, known by the name of Urandir Fernandes de Oliveira and his Projeto Portal.

Respectfully yours,
GEUBS Board and Staff Members
Wallacy Albino - President
Roberto Rabello - Vice-President
Douglas Vichi - Treasurer
Juliana Seito Menks - Secretary
Marcos Guimarães Salgado - Research Director
Claudio Beltrame Monteiro - Events Director
Renato Martins - Commercial Director Homero
Juliano Filho - Legal Advisor
André Albino - Ilustrator
Tatiana Corrales - Press Advisor
Rodrigo Burilli - Coordinator of GEUBS/Santos
José Barbosa - Coordinator of GEUBS/São Vicente
Rodrigo Augusto - Coordinator of GEUBS/Praia Grande
Marcelo Barros - Coordinator of GEUBS/Cubatão