CASE HISTORY

The Antônio Vilas-Boas Alien Abduction

A foundational encounter in UFO history

To understand the significance of Vilas-Boas’s claims, it’s important to consider the context in which they were made. In the 1950s, Brazil was a rapidly developing nation where rural life and modernity clashed. Radio and newspapers were the primary sources of information, and much of the countryside remained isolated from the modern urban world.

It was also during this decade that UFO sightings were making global headlines. Reports of flying saucers had emerged from the United States, Europe, and Latin America. While Brazil had seen its share of strange aerial phenomena, reports of direct contact or abduction were practically unheard of — until 1957.

Who Was Antônio Vilas-Boas?

Antônio Vilas-Boas was just a young man leading a quiet, hardworking life in rural Brazil. Born in 1934, he lived on his family’s farm near São Francisco de Sales, a small and relatively isolated town in the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeastern region of the country. This part of Brazil, though agriculturally rich, was still in many ways cut off from the rapid modernization taking place in cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Life on the farm was simple.