Origins
The Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas de Discos Voadores (CBPDV) emerged in Campo Grande during the 1988 launch of Revista UFO. Chemist-turned-ufologist A. J. Gevaerd transformed a regional newsletter into a nationwide institution coordinating systematic documentation of unidentified aerial phenomena.12
Institutional mission
CBPDV operates as a private, non-profit network tasked with collecting case files, standardising investigative protocols, and disseminating findings through print, digital, and conference channels. The centre curates Brazil's largest civilian UFO archive, digitising military logs, pilot testimonies, and multimedia records for scholarly use.3
Research initiatives
Field investigators—currently more than three hundred affiliates distributed across Brazil's twenty-six states—conduct on-site measurements, witness interviews, and material sampling under a unified methodology adapted from CUFOS and MUFON guidelines.4 Data funnel into a central database powering statistical studies on geographic clustering, atmospheric conditions, and sociocultural variables.
Government engagement
CBPDV spearheaded the 2004 UFOs—Freedom of Information Now campaign that pressed the Ministério da Aeronáutica to declassify historical case files, culminating in phased releases between 2005 and 2016. Delegations led by Gevaerd met with Brigadier José Carlos Pereira and other senior officers, securing unprecedented civilian access to "Operação Prato", the 1986 "Noite Oficial dos OVNIs", and related dossiers.56
Key cases and archives
- 1977 Operação Prato photographic series from Pará.
- 1986 radar–visual incursions over São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
- 1996 Varginha entity capture reports with medical records and troop logs.
Each case file now resides in CBPDV's digital repository, cross-indexed with observatory data and international catalogs.7
International outreach
Through representation in MUFON, CUFOS, and the International UFO Congress, CBPDV exchanges datasets, hosts bilingual symposia, and publishes special issues translating Latin American casework for a global readership.8
Leadership and legacy
Following Gevaerd's passing in 2022, interim director Daniel Gevaerd and editor Thiago Ticchetti maintain the centre's editorial cadence and advocacy programmes. CBPDV remains the principal interlocutor between civilian researchers, the press, and Brazil's defence establishment.