Fernanda Pires

Early Research Career

Fernanda Pires is a Brazilian ufologist and scientific researcher from Uberaba, Minas Gerais, who has dedicated nearly three decades to investigating unidentified aerial phenomena. Beginning her UFO research at age 17, driven by philosophical questions about human existence and our place in the cosmos, she formalized her scientific research work in 1997. Her background in business administration provided the organizational and strategic foundation that would shape her leadership approach to ufology as a rigorous investigative discipline.

International Leadership & Organizations

Pires is the Founder and President of CIFE (Scientific Channel of UFO Phenomena & Space Research), an independent research organization dedicated to investigating extraterrestrial phenomena and space-related anomalies. Recognizing the need for professional standards in UFO investigation, she became a Certified Field Investigator through MUFON University and rose to international prominence as MUFON's Director of Investigations for Central and South America—a region representing millions of square kilometers and dozens of countries. She also serves as MUFON Canada Regional Director, positioning her at the intersection of North American and Latin American UFO research networks. Additionally, Pires is a member of MUFON's Experiencer Resource Team (ERT), specializing in abduction case investigations and witness support. Her work extends to GARPAN (Civil Ufology Research Group), and she serves as columnist, co-editor, and reviewer for Revista UFO, the premiere Spanish-language UFO publication in the Americas.

Varginha Investigation & Documentary Work

Pires' most prominent investigative focus centers on the January 1996 Varginha UFO incident in Minas Gerais—often called "Brazil's Roswell"—where multiple witnesses reported a landed craft and a humanoid creature with an unusual morphology. Her deep engagement with this case led to a co-authorship role in the book Incident in Varginha: Space Creatures in the South of Minas with researcher Vitório Pacaccini, which provides detailed testimony and investigative documentation. In 2022, she expanded the Varginha narrative to a global audience by serving as co-producer, field translator, and transcriber for the documentary Moment of Contact, directed by filmmaker James Fox. The film features interviews with credible sources including nuclear physicist and ufologist Stanton Friedman, Brazilian Air Force General José Carlos Pereira, and former U.S. Deputy Undersecretary for Defense Intelligence Christopher Mellon. Through Moment of Contact, Pires brought Brazilian eyewitness accounts to international scrutiny while maintaining rigorous investigative standards.

Historic Brazil Congress Hearing & Global Impact

On September 16, 2025, Pires achieved a watershed moment in Latin American UFO disclosure when she organized and participated in an official public hearing on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena at Brazil's Chamber of Deputies in Brasília. This landmark event, coordinated with Congressman Chico Alencar, Revista UFO, and the Brazilian Commission of Ufologists (CBU), represented the first time a major Latin American legislature formally convened to hear testimony on UAPs. Unlike hearings dominated by government insiders or military voices, the Brazil Congress gathering centered on independent research findings and citizen witness documentation—positioning Pires as a bridge between grassroots investigative work and institutional recognition. The hearing underscored a geopolitical shift: as disclosure momentum builds in North America and Europe, Pires' leadership ensures Latin American voices and evidence remain central to the global UAP narrative.