Juan Posadas

One of the world’s strangest political thinkers and UFO theorists

Name	Juan Posadas
Age	69
Born	January 20, 1912
Died	May 14, 1981
Famous for	Establishing the peculiar, Posadist ideology

“Life can exist on other planets, in other solar systems, in other galaxies and universes.”

Juan Posadas was clear about his beliefs concerning the extraterrestrials. While he was primarily a revolutionary figure and Trotskyist unionist, he later gained notoriety for associating Marxist ideologies and communism with UFO beliefs. 

Posadas differentiated himself from other socialist leaders with his unorthodox theories, but this also made him one of the most ridiculed yet famed Trotskyists. In fact, he often outpaces his rivals and even Leon Trotsky himself in Google searches. However, this is likely because his beliefs have become memes, mocked by other thought leaders and the youth.

His Early Life and Career

Juan Posadas was born Homero Rómulo Cristalli Frasnelli in a big family with at least nine siblings in Buenos Aires in 1912.

Not much information has been made public about his earlier years, but it was made known that his parents were immigrant cobblers from Italy. After the premature death of their parents, Posadas and his siblings had lived in extreme poverty. They had to beg their neighbors for food, work odd jobs for money, and live off bananas for days.

Life wasn’t easy for the young Posadas. He had to quit school and work as a shoemaker to support his family, all the while juggling multiple activities, such as distributing newspapers and playing football for La Plata Estudientes, in the 1930s.

His experiences allowed him to understand how the working class was exploited, and this significantly contributed to his beliefs.

His Involvement in the Trotskyist Movement

By the 1930s, he had organized a shoemakers’ and leather workers’ union in Cordoba, Argentina, and stood as a candidate for the Buenos Aires Province’s Partido Socialista Obrero (Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party).

In that same year, his experiences caught the attention of the Buenos Aires’ proto-Trotskyist scene, and he was officially recruited as a union organizer.

His diligence, combined with his charisma, made him a valuable asset to the organization. By the 1950s, he had been promoted to a secretarial position in the Latin American Bureau (BLA).

The name “Juan Posadas” was created in 1947 as a collective pseudonym within the Grupo IV Internacional (GCI), a proletarian group organized by Posadas and Dante Minazzoli under the BLA. They also created the VOZ Proletaria, an Argentine newspaper about the Peronist process, enriching Trotsky’s principles in early Peronism and throughout Latin America.

His Role in the Division of the Latin American Bureau

By 1946, the Latin American Bureau had become one of the most influential organizations in Argentina, but as more leaders emerged, so did more ideologies.

In the 1950s, a division within the group emerged, leading to Posadas and his followers departing to join the International Secretariat of the Fourth International (ISFI) in 1953. However, in 1959, Juan Posadas also became involved in an argument with the ISFI, which ultimately led to the Posadists’ splitting from the organization and forming their own in 1962.

Throughout the decades, the communities where Juan Posadas belonged underwent recalibrations with the new ideas and beliefs that came along.

Here’s his timeline with the movement after joining in 1930:

• 1947: He organized the Grupo IV Internacional (GCI) with Dante Minazzoli and created VOZ Proletario, where J. Posadas became a collective pen name.
• 1940s–1950s: He became Secretary of the Latin American Bureau (BLA).
• 1950s: A group that imposed non-Marxist ideas formed within the BLA.
• 1953: As a result, Posadas and his group (Posadists) left and joined the International Secretariat of the Fourth International (ISFI).
• 1959: Juan Posadas became involved in a disagreement with the ISFI.
• 1962: Posadists split with the ISFI and formed the Fourth International.

His Entry to Ufology

Juan Posadas became most famous for his essay about UFOs. However, this wasn’t written solely based on his beliefs. Instead, he was heavily influenced by Dante Minazzoli’s enthusiasm.

Minazzoli became interested in UFOs following the 1947 sightings, notably those involving Kenneth Arnold and the Roswell Incident. He theorized that humans weren’t the only species in the universe, and it was their destiny to meet and fraternize with the others.

At first, the Posadists weren’t convinced about Minazzoli’s belief. However, with the latter’s persistence and Juan Posadas’ keen interest in nuclear technology, humanity’s future, and communism, Posadas eventually found a way to connect everything into one belief: the extraterrestrials are evidence of superior socialist civilizations.

His 1968 Essay About UFOs

In 1968, Posadas published his essay on UFOs titled “Les soucoupes volantes, le processus de la matière et de l’énergie, la science, la lutte de classes et revolutionnaire et le future socialiste de l’humanité,” or “Flying saucers, the process of matter and energy, science, the revolutionary and working-class struggle and the socialist future of mankind.”

While the Posadist belief has been reduced to mockery about “alien communism,” Juan Posadas had a deeper intention when he dabbled in ufology. Here are his primary theories:

UFOs Could Exist Elsewhere in the Universe

Life can exist on other planets, in other solar systems, in other galaxies and universes.

The Posadists were keen on the idea that there is bound to be other intelligent life on other planets, given that billions of galaxies exist. If they do, it could be that how they interact with matter and energy differs from how it’s done on Earth.

While we take X amount of time to get from one continent to another, they perhaps do it in a half-second … We can conceive of a being which, just by raising its hand, can produce light, draw energy to it, push it away, and organize it. It is possible.

UFOs Are Material Proof of Communism

The existence of flying saucers and living beings on other planets is a phenomena that the dialectical conception of history can admit. The most immediate consequence we can draw is that, if these beings do exist, they must have a societal organization superior to our own.

Juan Posadas drew a connection between UFOs and Marxism, claiming that their existence was a realization of communism. Here are his reasons for this conclusion:

• To reach their level of interplanetary travel, they must have highly advanced technology, which is only possible under socialism.
• Given their advanced state, their civilizations must have already overcome problems rooted in capitalism, such as exploitation and poverty.

Capitalism Is Hindering UFO Research

Capitalism tries, on the contrary, to spread the impression that this is fantasy, so people will not think that there are superior forms of relations and capitalism is incapable of reaching this level.

Posadas ultimately called out the capitalist system for their alleged interference with UFO research and proving UFO encounters. They do so by limiting scientific development or funding, and not believing witnesses’ testimonies.

Capitalism has no interest in UFOs and, as such, makes no research into them. It has no interest in occupying itself with these matters because they cannot reap profits, nor are they useful to capitalism. But people see in UFOs the possibility of advancement and progress. This thus accelerates the fall of bourgeoisie, shown in all its uselessness.

He believed that the capitalists’ indifference to UFOs stems from the fact that people see how advanced their civilization is. This, in turn, gave rise to the capitalists’ fear of being overthrown.

Alien-Assisted Revolution

We must appeal to the beings on other planets, when they come here, to intervene and collaborate with Earth’s inhabitants in suppressing poverty … We do not have a fantasist or idealist position with regard to flying saucers. As we accept that they exist, we want to use all means at hand, including those from outside of this planet.

This was perhaps one of the fundamental reasons why Juan Posadas wanted to believe in UFOs. He saw them as reflections of communism. Thus, he suggested that UFO encounters should serve as inspiration for what humanity could achieve without capitalism.

To Juan Posadas, UFOs weren’t matters to fantasize about. Instead, they are a testament to what communism does to civilization. They serve as a call for humanity to reject capitalism and move towards a more communal society.

His Legacy in Ufology

Although most of Juan Posadas’ ideologies are now shrouded in memes and ridicule, it can’t be denied that he offered fresh perspectives on both social concepts and ufology.

He may have shifted out of the UFO scene after his essay and encouraged his followers not to focus too much on speculations about the subject. However, his utopian attitude about the possibilities of extraterrestrial life and what they could mean to society has already made its impact within the UFO community.

Juan Posadas’ outlook on UFO research is something that no other ufologist has shared before. His attempt to combine ufology and Marxist thought offers a unique lens to UFO research.

Curious to go deeper into ideas like this? Explore the UFO Connect website.

FAQ

What is Posadism?

Posadism is an ideology based on the ideas and vision of Juan Posadas. It attempts to incorporate ufology into Marxist ideologies.

Was Posadas taken seriously in UFO circles?

Aside from his loyal followers, Juan Posadas wasn’t taken seriously within the UFO community. His beliefs were seen more as political metaphors instead of serious UFO research.

Why has Posadas become an internet meme?

Posadas became a meme primarily due to the eccentric and extreme nature of his ideologies, especially those involving UFOs, dolphins, and Trotskyism, which were the perfect combination for online irony.