- Diario La Estrella de Arica
- August 1 2004
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- Two strange creatures, described as small dinosaurs and
with a physical appearance similar to that of a kangaroo, were reported
by the occupants of a Terrano pickup truck traveling between Iquique and
Arica on Thursday night.
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- The vehicle's driver, Dario Riquelme, was traveling in
the company of Army official Hernan Cuevas, his wife and two young children.
According to his account, the situation left them feeling rather nervous
and confused at 9:40 p.m. that evening. The event took place in the Pampa
Acha sector exactly, only a few minutes before passing by Presencias Tutelares,
located some 17 km south of the city.
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- Riquelme and his party had left Iquique at 6:00 p.m.
They were only a few minutes away form Arica and were holding a normal
conversation when something strange darted in front of the vehicle. "My
companions said: "look at that tremendous beast" and I managed
to hit the brakes. Then after a few minutes, the second one ambled past
and it was even more startling, because it was just like a dinosaur, walking
on two legs. It had very noticeable thights," Riquelme said.
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- According to the driver's description, the figures were
grey and hairless. The second one, which crossed a few minutes later, was
clearly seen by Riquelme, Hernan Cuevas and his 12 year-old daughter Tania.
They estimated the creature's height at 2 meters thanks to the fact that
the beast's distance from the vehicle at the moment it crossed them was
not more than 4 meters. In the case of the second "animal", they
said ti was smaller, but were able to see it clearly because it was a clear
night and there was moonlight. However, what was most remarkable about
both creatures was the speed at which they crossed the road and the strides
they took.
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- The trip from Iquique, where Riquelme and Cuevas had
gone to purchase a vehicle, had been normal up to that point, but the strange
event caused nervousness among Mr. Cuevas's wife and daughter. "The
good thing is that when they started screaming, my companion and I didn't
lose control and kept calm. Later we stopped to smoke a cigarette and walk
around. From there I descended calmly to Arica, but I'm still nervous,"
explains the driver, who reached "La Estrella" imediately after
reaching the city.
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- Riquelme's account coincides with that of Hern·n
Cuevas, who is a recruiting officer with the Army in this city. "When
the first crossing occurred, I asked Dario if he had seen it and he said
yes. Then we started making comments on what it might have been and shortly
after another one walked by, shorter, but very similar to a dinosaur or
a lizard running on two legs. Even my daughter saw it and let out a scream,"
said Cuevas.
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- 12 year-old Tania stated that the creatures were very
similar to a dinosaur and with short hands. Meanwhile, the Mrs. Cuevas
almost didn't realize what was going on because she was paying attention
to the couple's young child, who was asleep.
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- Neither Riquelme nor Cuevas had ever experienced a similar
situation and will not even compare it with descriptions of other creatures,
such as the alleged Chupacabras that attacks and exsanguinates animals
in the field. But they have still not managed to find an explanation for
what they saw Thursday night.
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- Translation (c) 2004. Scott Corrales, Institute of Hispanic
Ufology. Special thanks to Claudo Ojeda.
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