Lieutenant Colonel Ángel Bastida

Lieutenant Colonel Ángel Bastida was a Spanish Air Force officer who commanded the intelligence section of the Mando Operaciones Aéreas (MOA). He played a pivotal role in Spain's UFO investigation and declassification efforts starting in the late 1960s. In 1967, under MOA commander General Alfredo Chamorro Chapinal, Bastida oversaw the implementation of the first internal UFO memo and directive IG 40-5, inspired by questionnaires from UFO researcher Vicente-Juan Ballester Olmos, including USAF models. He collaborated closely with Ballester Olmos, marking a rare civilian-military partnership in UFO research. Bastida released 22 UFO files between 1992 and 1993 before his promotion in 1993, replaced by Lt. Col. Enrique Rocamora Aniorte. He later reached the rank of general before his premature death. Bastida was noted for his professionalism and rigor in managing UFO reports and declassification.