DOS-UAP-D002, Diplomatic Cable, Brazil, November 20, 1963
A November 20, 1963 diplomatic dispatch reports that local inquiries found no support for the alleged object near Conde, Bahia. It cites a consul’s telegram and two newspaper accounts, including a categorical denial by the Ministry of Aeronautics, and characterizes the original story as fabricated.
- File
- Document · Release 05
- Date
- Nov 20, 1963
- Location
- Bahia, Brazil
- Extent
- 2 pages
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Probed Assessment
Key takeaways
- The November 20 cable relayed reporting that the Conde, Bahia story had apparently been fabricated and that investigators found no object.
- One enclosed account said Brazil's Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denied that any strange object had been present in Conde.
- Another enclosed account was titled “The Airship That Wasn't There,” reflecting the cable's skeptical follow-up.
Why it matters
This 2-page official record adds page-located primary-source material to the public history represented in Release 05. Its value lies in what the document records, not in independent confirmation of every reported event or estimate.
Corroboration
The assessment is grounded in the official PDF, reviewed page text, and faithful source excerpts. Statements attributed to witnesses or agencies remain source claims unless separately corroborated in the record.
Open questions
- • Which reported observations or technical estimates can be independently corroborated from contemporaneous records?
Probed separates this editorial assessment from the source claims below. It summarizes what the released artifact supports; it is not independent verification.
Official Description from War.gov
This document is a U.S. Department of State diplomatic cable from the U.S. Embassy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the Office of the Secretary of State in Washington, D.C., on November 20, 1963. This cable relays the findings of the scientific attaché at the American Consulate in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, that a widely reported incident allegedly involving a crashed unidentified object was unsubstantiated, characterizing the reports as a fabrication originating in Rio de Janeiro. The Consulate cites a lack of contemporary local reporting regarding the alleged incident, as well as contradictory reporting from local newspapers after the fact, as evidence that the published claims are unsubstantiated. The Consulate also cites a statement from the Brazilian Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denying that there was “any “strange object” in Conde [Bahia].” This correspondence follows a previous exchange between the Embassy and the Department of State, included in this collection under the title “DOS-UAP-D001.”
Preserved verbatim as source metadata. This wording is separate from Probed’s file-specific description and assessment.
File Context
Related entities
Tracker findings
The November 20 cable relayed reporting that the Conde, Bahia story had
The record states: The November 20 cable relayed reporting that the Conde, Bahia story had apparently been fabricated and that investigators found no object.
One enclosed account said Brazil's Ministry of Aeronautics categorically
The record states: One enclosed account said Brazil's Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denied that any strange object had been present in Conde.
Release provenance
- Release
- Release 05
- Official ID
- release-05-file-013-dos-uap-d002-diplomatic-cable-brazil-november-20-1963
- Cleared
- Aug 7, 2026
Referenced Timeline
Consul reports no local sighting
The dispatch quotes Harold Midkiff reporting that local sources found no verified object.
Negative report dispatched
The embassy issued its negative report on the alleged Bahia incident.
Source Claims
Claims are attributed to the released source and remain distinct from Probed’s assessment and tracker findings.
The November 20 cable relayed reporting that the Conde, Bahia story had apparently been fabricated and that investigators found no object.
"Story of strange object descending in region of Conde Bahia apparently fabricated in Rio no such objects seen by anyone in the area according to newspaper reporters and others who rushed there before investigation reports were received Secretary Public Security speculated object
One enclosed account said Brazil's Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denied that any strange object had been present in Conde.
The first of these states that the Ministry of Aeronautics categorically denies that there was any "strange object" in Conde.
Another enclosed account was titled “The Airship That Wasn't There,” reflecting the cable's skeptical follow-up.
The other is entitled "The Airship that wasn't there”.
Source Material & Evidence
Research Map
Lines appear only when two entities share a row-level source claim or dated timeline event. Unconnected nodes remain visible without implying a relationship.