// Workers AI · dad joke modeDid the 1996 Chilean Military Parade march to a different drum?
| 1996 Chilean Military Parade | |
|---|---|
| Date | 19 September 1996 |
| Venue | O'Higgins Park |
| Locations | Santiago, Chile |
| Country | Chile |
The 1996 Chilean Military Parade was held at O'Higgins Park in Santiago on 19 September 1996 to commemorate the Day of the Glories of the Army.[1]
Presided over by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle, the military parade involved contingents of the Chilean Armed Forces and Carabineros de Chile. Frei attended the ceremony together with Minister of National Defense Edmundo Pérez Yoma and senior military authorities, including Army commander-in-chief Augusto Pinochet.[1]
The parade became particularly remembered for television footage showing an unidentified object moving through the sky during the aerial presentation. The episode was subsequently associated with reports of an unidentified flying object (UFO) over O'Higgins Park.[2][3]
Parade
[edit]Frei and Pérez Yoma travelled to O'Higgins Park in the presidential carriage. On their arrival, they joined Pinochet and other civilian and military authorities in the reviewing area.[1]
The opening of the ceremony included a traditional cueca performance before the assembled authorities. The march-past subsequently included the military academies and contingents representing the Chilean Navy, Chilean Air Force, Carabineros and the Chilean Army. Contemporary photographs held by the National Archives of Chile document the participation of the Navy and Carabineros, as well as Frei, Pérez Yoma and Pinochet observing the parade.[1]
The Air Force presentation included an aerial component. Archival photographs record Frei and Pérez Yoma observing a helicopter display during the ceremony.[1]
The Army formed the final institutional component of the traditional march-past. Its presentation included ground formations as well as motorized and mechanized elements.[1]
Unidentified aerial object
[edit]During the parade, television cameras recorded an unidentified object moving across the sky while military aircraft were performing over O'Higgins Park.[2][4] The footage later attracted attention from UFO researchers and became one of the best-known unusual incidents associated with the Chilean military parade.[3][2]
A retrospective account published by the Government of Chile noted that the 1996 parade itself was overshadowed in public attention by the unidentified object recorded near the parade ground.[3] A 2026 report by 24 Horas stated that the television footage showed a grey object moving through the image while Army helicopters were conducting their aerial presentation.[2]
No official explanation identifying the object has been established in the sources documenting the incident.[2]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Gran Parada Militar 1996 (video completo) (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2026 – via YouTube.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "VIDEO: el día que un OVNI apareció en plena Parada Militar y sorprendió en el Parque O'Higgins". 24 Horas (in Spanish). Televisión Nacional de Chile. 9 September 2026. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "¿Por qué se hace la Parada Militar en Chile? Datos y curiosidades". Gob.cl (in Spanish). Government of Chile. Retrieved 20 September 2026.
- ↑ "Curiosidades e historia de la Parada Militar por Fiestas Patrias". CNN Chile (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2026.
