The Varginha UFO incident (1996) is a famous Brazilian mystery with claims of alien sightings and military cover-ups, but it's not definitively proven as "real" in a scientific sense; official military reports dismiss it as fabricated or explainable by misidentification, while proponents point to witness testimonies (including a soldier's death from a strange infection) and documentaries as evidence of extraterrestrial contact, fueling ongoing debate and tourism, notes EL PAÍS English, The Debrief.
Key Elements of the Incident

Witnesses:
Three young women reported seeing a strange, brown-skinned creature with large red eyes and three head protuberances.
Military Involvement:
Reports claim the military captured creatures and a UFO, with soldiers involved in the recovery, including one who died from a mysterious infection.
Official Stance:
The Brazilian military's official investigation concluded the story was fabricated, though new testimonies keep the legend alive.
"Roswell of Brazil":
The case is often compared to the Roswell incident due to its enduring mystery, alleged military secrecy, and compelling witness accounts, say The Debrief and EL PAÍS English.

Arguments for its Reality

New Testimonies:
Recent documentaries highlight new witnesses, including a neurosurgeon claiming telepathic communication with a non-human entity, fueling the narrative.
Unexplained Death:
The death of soldier Marco Eli Chereze from an aggressive infection after contact with the alleged creature remains a point of concern for believers.

Skeptical Viewpoints

Lack of Hard Evidence:
Critics note the absence of concrete proof like photos or debris, calling it a classic case of social amplification where a small event grew through media and folklore, rogersmovienation.com.
Media Hype:
Some suggest intense media competition and the desire for sensational stories led to exaggeration, notes rogersmovienation.com.

Conclusion: The Varginha incident remains an unsolved, compelling cultural phenomenon, with belief in its extraterrestrial basis strong among many, despite official dismissals and a lack of definitive proof, say EL PAÍS English, The Debrief, and rogersmovienation.com.