this portrait is my personal favorite
As someone of Puerto Rican heritage, I have longed to see that elusive and multifaceted creature, the Chupacabras. Arguably worthy of joining the ubiquitous Coqui tree frog and our vicious fighting cocks as part of a national animal trifecta, this menacing creature has mostly been heard from, but not seen. This does not however mean that inventive islanders have not created a rich iconographic tradition for its depiction, and that marketers have not created a lovely array of products.
Among the (many) things that I love about this creature is that it originated in Puerto Rico, my native island, and then achieved world-wide renown, much like another global item for export, Ricky Martin. What is little-known perhaps is that this mysterious creature is part of a repertoire of alienoid creatures, ET sightings, mysterious flying saucers, legends linking the Island to Atlantis, and the natives to the Ancient Egyptians, regarded as extra-terrestrial beings.
I grew up terrorized by the amphibian hybrid known as the Garadiavolo, sucking innocent beachgoers away from their fritanga and Medalla sixpacks to a sinister underwater grave, and kept awake at night hearing about children wandering off at the tropical rain forest El Yunque, where flying saucers swept down and absconded with the hapless infants.
a book I'd love to read about the Garadiavolo
I grew up terrorized by the amphibian hybrid known as the Garadiavolo, sucking innocent beachgoers away from their fritanga and Medalla sixpacks to a sinister underwater grave, and kept awake at night hearing about children wandering off at the tropical rain forest El Yunque, where flying saucers swept down and absconded with the hapless infants.
Newstands at old school pharmacies like Moscoso, and at the ever-present PUEBLO supermarkets featured a wide selection of UFO and paranormal related publications. On my recent visit to the Island I was delighted to find one such magazine at an old school farmacia in Isabela. It was filled with detailed and lavishly illustrated articles demonstrating our apparently constant contacts with Extra-Terrestrials.
Here is a video featuring experts on these paranormal phenomena. Notice the gentleman at the beginning of the tape, clad in camo jacket and a patriotic baseball hat that includes an American Eagle and US Flag. Could he be sending a message warning us: Coño, despierta Boricua! The Chupacabra is Colonialism, gente! Pa'l carajo con los Yankis! The second gentleman is speaking about prior unsolved killings linked to extra-terrestials dating back to the mid-1970s (when I was a kid) and distinguishing these to the chupacabra.
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