Substantial changes to 'Presidential directives on Vieques'
Monday, October 16, 2000
by Leonor Mulero
El Nuevo Dú}
WASHINGTON - Congress substantially changed President Clinton's directives on Vieques, no just in terms of tranfer of lands, but by completely ignoring any mention of use of inert bombs in the training.
The presidential directives of January 31, 2000 stated that, unless Viequenses allow in a referendum practices with live or explosive bombs, the U.S. Navy will train with inert bombs for a maximum of 90 days a year until it leaves Vieques on May of 2003.
The Vieques plan, approved by the U.S. Congress -and expected to be signed into law by President Clinton- provides that "the President shall establish a referendum for the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, in order to determine by a majority of the votes in the referendum by the electorate of Vieques if the people of Vieques favor or oppose the continuation of training with live ammunitions and any other kinds of practices by the Armed Forces in the island's training areas."
In spite of opposition from the White House, Congress provided that a vote against the Navy would virtually mean the shutting down of Naval Station Roosevelt Roads and the possible transfer there of Fort Buchanan.
Meanwhile, Congress also decreed a moratorium on any new constructions, improvements or expansion in Fort Buchanan.
Congress did not put any of the lands in Vieques in the hands of the Government of Puerto Rico, contrary to what the Presidential directives provided. The close to 4,000 acres for "economic development" in the western part of Vieques would be transfered to the Municipality of Vieques.
Also, 3,100 acres in the western part of Vieques would be transfered to the U.S. Department of Interior for conversion into a wildlife refuge. The Presidential directives would have transferred those lands to the Government of Puerto Rico.
Congress also pushed back the date in which the lands were to be transferred: from December 31, 2000 -as stated in the Presidential directives- to May 1st, 2001.
The lands on the eastern part of Vieques -classified as conservation zones and buffer zones between the bombing range and the civilian area- were also transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior. That is contrary to the Presidential directives, which provided for the transfer of those 12,000-plus acres to the Government of Puerto Rico. The 900 acres in the bombing range would also be transferred to the U.S. Department of Interior. Congress did not order the cleaning or decontamination of the lands in the eastern part, where presumably there is much more contamination.
Congress approved the transfer of $40 million for the economic development of Vieques, and another $50 million in case Viequenses vote in the refenredum for the Navy to remain in Vieques.
Report From the Peace and Justice Camp
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
P.O. Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
13 October, 200
The weekend of October 1st was one of strong actions against the military presence here. The vigil on Saturday, 30 September was spectacular, with the participation of around 700 people from Vieques and boricuas in solidarity from the main island. Among the religious leaders present were Father Nelson López of the local Catholic Church; Rev. Wilfredo Estrada, president of the Biblical Society of Puerto Rico; Father Pedro Ortiz of the Caguas Diocese; Rev. Eunice Santana of the Disciples of Christ Church and Rev. Heriberto Martú‹ez of the United Evangelical Church. Also present were leaders of organizations that represent workers, women, students, environmental groups, poets, musicians and artists from all parts of the Puerto Rican archipelago.
Marchers for Peace in Vieques who made the pilgrimage from Mayaguez to Fajardo were also at the vigil. Miguel Sánchez, spokesman for the Mayaguez solidarity group, offered a message of commitment and support for the people of Vieques, who received the Mayaguezanos with a great applause. Zoraida Santiago sang, accompanied by the Bonano-Pérez family, Viequense musicians who have become a regular part of the Saturday night vigils.
The March and Protest in Support of Civil Disobedience took place with a multidunious participation of Viequenses brothers and sisters from the main island. Many people described the march as the largest seen in Vieques recent history. Around seventy people from the main island, under the direction of the Vieques coordinators, entered the Navy´s restricted zone in the Western part of the island, close to the enormous ROTHR radar. These people - obeyers of Puerto Rican consciousness - were arrested by military personal, transferred to the Roosevelt Roads base in Ceiba and later moved to the Federal Court in San Juan where they were freed.
Cliff Kindy, leader of a Christian Peacemakers Team (CPT) was the only person jailed, due to his violation of conditions imposed after his participation in civil disobedience here on May 14th. Canadian member of the CPT, Angela Freeman, also participated in the CD action on 1 October. Cliff was finally freed on October 10th.
Members of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) and the Peace and Justice Camp (PJC), worked feverishly in the planning and preparation for the Great March. Nilda Medina directed a CPRDV-CJP team that worked for several weeks in the preparation of the camping area in Esperanza where hundreds of participants from the main island stayed on Friday and Saturday nights. Preparation of letrines, placing drums of fresh water, clearing the grass and thorny shrubbs, installing lights were part of the work. Around 30 Viequenses met at the PJC, to organize and discuss the work of the the discipline-security brigade for the march and camping area. The CPRDV-CJP members also formed brigades to put up the announcments and hand out leaflets for the activities The PJC Shelter housed around fifty people during the week end.
We congratulate the compañera, Nilda Medina, for representing the CRDV-PJC in all of the organizational meetings for the October 1st actions and Ismael Guadalupe for his direction of the security brigade. We also contratulate Hector Olivieri and Carlos Zenón, principle organizers of the march and cd actions, and the many men and women from the main island who worked very hard to guarentee the success of the Great Marcha and Concentration in Support of Civil Disobedience.
The 1 October actions mark the beginning of a month of protest against the exercises the Navy has announced for this period.
On 5 October, we continued the calender of visits to Vieques by the ex Puerto Rican Political Prisioners. Adolfo Matos visited with a group of Viequense disobedients at the PJC and later met with around forty ninth grade students. We will soon announce the upcoming visit by sisters Lucy and Alicia Rodrú„uez.
During the first days of October we had to strongly criticize agents of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission who came to San Juan to lie and tell us - with straight faces - that Vieques is a paradise without any contamination produced from the use of radioactive weapons (uranium 238 projectiles) in February of 1999, as the Navy admitted. While officials from this agency carried out their press conference, a group of Viequenses, including Rolando Garcú} (rolando has high levels of uranium in his blood and lost all the hair on his body shortly after working for a brief period in the bombing area here) entered into the office with placards naming several Viequenses, victims of cancer.
We also denounced last week the racist and arrogant statements made by Jeff Farrow, co-president of the Puerto Rico working group at the White House. Farrow challenged the people of Puerto Rico to break the Presidential Directives and suggested the Navy would then bomb when and where it pleased and there would be chaos in Vieques. A press release by the CRDV declared Farrow persona non grata in Vieques.
Sunday, October 8th, a delegation from the Peace and Justice Camp and the CRDV and other viequenses travelled to Caguas to participate in a special mass for Peace in Vieques. The Bishop of Caguas, Alvaro Corrada del RúŒ, offered the mass in attention to the visit to Puerto Rico by Robert Kennedy, Jr. and Puerto Rico born New York labor leader Denis Rivera. Both were in Puerto Rico to present to the Federal Court a motion to paralize the Navy bombing in Vieques. Among the Plaintiffs in the case are the CRDV, the Vieques Womens Alliance, Radamés Tirado, mayor of Vieques from 1976-80, among others.
The 7th of October, a large group of Viequenses and visitors from the main island participated in the vigil held every Saturday at CJP. On big screen we presented a new documentary by Sonia Fritz, titled Crossing Fronteirs, about the participation of women in the Vieques struggle. Also presented was footage sent by New York councilman (also considered a Vieques councilman) JosERiverqa, of Tito Trinidad´s recent fight in Miami. The film showed the great amount of Vieques flags and signs in favor of peace for Vieques present during the championship fight.
During that day on the 7th, several other activities took place at CJP. From 11:30 to 1:30 PM, a live radio program was broadcast from the camp vú} the Catholic University station, WEUC in Ponce. Ismael Guadalupe, Nilda Medina, Radamés Tirado and Robert Rabin participated in the program about the struggle here. A team of UPR music professors also participated to announce an international concert of electro-acustic music to be presented at CJP on the 28th of this month.
On Sunday, 8 October, Hilcia Guadalupe, in representation of the CRDV and the Vieques Youth United, left for an international conference in Chiapas, where she would share information about Vieques and learn of struggles for peace in other areas.
Recently we have denounced the approval by Congress of changes to the Presidential Directives that convert a pro Navy agreement into an even more radically anti Vieques agreement. In addition to expressions by principle congressional leaders on their desire to see the resumption of live fire practice on Vieques, the new configuration of the directives perpetuates the federal government´s control over approximately 20thousand of the 23thousand acres now controlled by the Navy.
The CRDV meets more frequently these days to plan actions this month. Several teams are ready to enter the bombing zone to block maneuvers scheduled to begin at any momento.
Luz Rivera, Viequense residing in New York and one of the organizers of the 21st October Alliance for Vieques, coordinating a massive march in the city that day, met last week with the CRDV to discuss the event.
On Sunday, 15 October, we will hold a car caravan for peace ending with a blockade of the navy gate to Camp Garcú}. The following Sunday, 22 October, we will hold the Second Human Chain - against the militar fence - in the area adjacent to the gates to Camp Garcú}.
In struggle, in solidarity,
Robert Rabin
¡FUERA LA MARINA DE VIEQUES!
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
(787) 741-0716 Email: bieke@coqui.net
October 9, 2000
PRESS RELEASE
COMMITTEE FOR THE RESCUE AND DEVELOPMENT OF VIEQUES DENOUNCES ATTEMPT TO PERPETUATE FEDERAL CONTROL OF LANDS IN VIEQUES
Vieques, P.R.- The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) denounced and criticized the attempt to perpetuate federal control of the lands in Vieques.
In light of the plan by the U.S. Congress with regard to President Clinton's directives on Vieques, attorney Flavio Cumpiano, the CRDV's representative in Washington, said: "At this stage, no one should have any doubts that Clinton's directives were crafted in order to favor the U.S. Navy. The script we denounced well over a year ago has been followed with precision. The White House passed off the political hot potato of Vieques to a Republican Congress in an election year. And now Congress, as expected, has made very clear what are the real intentions behind the directives, namely, perpetuating federal control over Vieques."
Cumpiano added: "The only way for President Clinton to reivindicate himself from this monumental hoax on our people, is for him to order that the Navy cease bombing Vieques, immediately and permanently. He doesn't need Congressional approval for that."
At the same time, Robert Rabin, spokesperson for the CRDV, said "With the complicity of RossellE Romero, Morey and Farrow, the U.S. Congress has transformed Clinton's directives from something bad to something worse. Clinton's directives passed through a Congressional shredder and what was spit out is, under a best case scenario, 12,000 acres in the eastern part of Vieques for the federal government, 4,000 acres in the western part of Vieques for the federal government, continuation of the bombings, and no guarantee that the Navy will indeed leave Vieques."
Ismael Guadalupe, Viequense leader and member of the CRDV, stated: "We are witnessing the culmination of RossellEs betrayal of our people. It is no surprise that on the same day that Congress announced its approval of the $2.5 million which RossellEhad asked for another plebiscite on the political status of Puerto Rico, Congress also announced its approval of this pro-Navy plan. RossellEs betrayal and 'quid pro quo' have been unveiled for all to see."
Guadalupe added: "If we can get anything positive out of all this, it's that now it is clearer than ever that it is incompatible to have faith in these directives, and at the same time to say that one supports the demands to immediately and permanently stop all bombings in Vieques, to have the Navy leave Vieques, and to have our land returned to our people."
Contact: Robert Rabin, CRDV Tel. 787-741-0716 Cel. 787-375-0525
Andres Thomas Conteris
viequesfast@egroups.com
Vieques Fast
[viequesfast] update on the fast. Day 75 -- 50 were water-only
7 October, 2000
Greetings to all from Southern Mexico,
Meeting in Vieques Oct. 2 -- Discerning an end to water fast
The gathering of people who came together in Vieques to put closure on the water-only part of the fast on the evening of the 2nd of October was wonder to behold. We met at the entrance to the bombing range, at the Justice and Peace Camp. A South Korean pastor and friend who I had not seen for ten years, Rev. Kiyul Chung, who directs the efforts for a Truth Commission in his country of origin, joined with many who had participated in the rotating fast which began on July 25.
There were many expressions of gratitude all around: for the committment of the people of Vieques and the visitors from Korea in their ongoing efforts to stop the Navy bombing of their islands, for the gesture of the fast, and for the ending of the 50 days in which I did not take in any calories.
To be honest, I had no idea that my body could take such a long time without any food. And when people express their amazement, it feels like they are talking about someone else, and I want to join them in their awe. Deep within, it does not feel like it was NmeN who did this long-term fast. I was simply an outside observer, like others.
A leader from Vieques expresses his view
One of the most visible people in the struggle for peace and justice in Vieques, Ismael Guadalupe, expressed that he could not dictate to another person when they should end a witness such as a long-term, faith-based fast for justice and peace. He recognized the deeply spiritual and political initiative and expressed strong support for people to follow their conscience.
He mentioned a number of ways in which individuals and organizations have contributed to the effort to get the U.S. Navy out of Vieques including the various efforts people have picketed and protested, crossing the line risking arrest and jail, as well as fasting. It was very encouraging to hear these words from this leader who is so central to the ongoing prophetic witness on the NIsla Nena.N
A ritual to end the water-only fast
Upon hearing all the reflections shared by nearly all the people present, I drank some vegetable broth and later some juices. It tasted soooo good!! Over the next few days, I have gradually taken in soups and nutricious liquids, and am gaining back many of the 60 pounds lost over the last 10 weeks (70 days overall, 50 on water-only).
There are a number of important things to take note of at this time:
Church of the Brethren Member Imprisoned
Christiian Peacemaker Team (CPT) member, Cliff Kindy, is in the Guaynabo Federal Prison in Puerto Rico. Federal Magistrate Jesus A. Castellanos revoked his bail. Kindy, a farmer from Indiana, was among the hundreds of us removed from the live impact area in early May by the FBI, U.S. Marshalls and others. I first met him on May 3 in the restricted zone at the Christian Obedience Camp -- one of 14 camps at the time -- sponsored by the Puerto Rico Evangelical Council.
He was rearrested on October 1st and temporarily detained with scores of others for entering the Western end of the island controled by the Navy. I spoke with Cliff briefly on Oct. 4 and the next day he was detained once again. He refuses to pay the $1,500 bond imposed by Magistrate Castellanos. He will likely remain imprisoned until his hearing, the date for which has not been set. Recently, three leaders of the Puerto Rican Independence Party together with a Puerto Rican Presbyterian Pastor spent 42 days in jail for refusing to pay bond.
Members of a CPT delegation held a vigil for CliffLs release and freedom for Vieques in front of the Guaynabo Federal Prison today from noon to 1:30PM. Other actions will be planned soon to urge his release.
KindyLs CPT delegation, which was invited by several Puerto Rican religious groups, has been coordinating with the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, the Peace and Justice Resistance Camp in Vieques, and the Carribean Project for Peace and Justice as well as a number of church groups. CPT, a faith-based organization, sends short-term peace delegations into crises settings around the world. Freedom for Cliff Kindy and Freedom for Vieques!!
Last Chance -- Urge Members of U.S. House of Representatives
Sign NDear ColleagueN Letter directed to President Clinton
This coming week is a crucial last-minute time to contact members of the U.S. Congress, Tel. 202-224-3121, urging them to sign on to the "Dear Colleague" letter regarding peace in Vieques. U.S. Representatives or their legislative aides need to send an email message to debbie.merrill@mail.house.gov in the office of Rep. Sam Farr expressing their interest in signing the letter which sends a strong message to President Clinton. Please visit www.viequesfast.org for more information, and contact any member of congress asking them to sign this important letter.
March in New York City, Saturday, October 21, 2000, 12 noon, Columbus Circle -- All Welcome
Please plan to come to New York City on Saturday, October 21, 2000, at 12 noon at Columbus Circle for the Grand March for Peace in Vieques sponsored by the Oct. 21st Vieques Alliance. The Alliance has been very supportive of the Fast for Vieques.
The Fast Continues on Liquids-Only
Given CliffLs imprisonment, the Dear Colleague Letter circulating in Congress and the upcomig March in New York, I have decided to continue to fast symbolically on liquids-only. This part of the fast will continue with ongoing monitoring by my doctor to ensure that my health is not affected negatively.
I will also be in touch with others in the movement for justice and peace in Vieques to maximize the potential for this phase of the fast to help the ongoing witness for the Demilitarization, Decontamination, Devolution of land and Development of the island, with the overall goal being -- U.S. Navy, Out of Vieques! The focus is no longer the simple plea to President Clinton for a meeting with Religious and Community Leaders from Vieques. Too much time has past and that request was not granted. Even if the meeting were granted, it could only be as a concrete step toward the NavyLs immediate and permanent departure from Vieques.
I am currently in Chiapas, Mexico resting and recuperating. Later, I will participate as an observer in the 2nd South-North Encounter: Alternatives to Globalization. It is a wonderful opportunity to share about the struggle for peace in Vieques and to learn about efforts for economic justice around the hemisphere and how to build solidarity with these peopleLs movements. Upon my return to Washington we will send a report on the October 2 International Day of Prayer, Fasting and Action for Peace in Vieques which received overwhelming support.
In prayer, fasting, and deep oceans of love,
Andres Thomas Conteris
Vieques in solidarity with Netherlands
Wed, 11 Oct 2000 14:37:02 EDT
--Speech by Moraima Rivera from the Viequues Paz peace group in Puerto Rico (October 1st, 2000 - Anti-Military activity in front of Volkel military base in The Neatherlands)
Good afternoon,
My name is Moraima Rivera, Im an organic farmer from Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. First of all, I want to thank you all, for being here and to the organizers for this important matter. As a native giving thanks is important for all the things, we get on life.
Receive the solidarity of Vieques Libre, Vieques Paz, Todo Puerto Rico con Vieques and the Committee of Rescue and Development of Vieques, National Hostosiano Congress and other farm and cooperative institutions. Im here to show you our solidarity with the peace and with a world without bombs, without wars. Today I will expose our situation in Vieques the baby island from Puerto Rico Vieques is a municipality island, same size as San Marten that for 60 years has been used as a bombing range for USA Navy practices and their abuses and damages and the position of Puerto Rico about it. Marine from all part of the world including those countries that participate in NATO go there to practice. The mothers in Vieques sleep their child with the bombing songs. Suffer high contamination, cancer, asthma problems, skin sickness, and the continuous sounds and vibrations. We are afraid that another mistake will kill the population. Im here for this reason here to share our problematic and available to answer your questions.
In 1941 the United States Congress approved a public law giving the USA Navy the immediate possession of the Vieques lands. They start immediately an expropriation process by means 26,000 of the 33,000 of acres of land of their land were transferred to the military. Thousands of families were physically removed from the land they had lived for generations and were push to emigrate to Saint Croix and other areas. In some cases families only had 24 hours to leave the land.
The expropriations caused the closure of Central Playa Grande and the decline of the farming based economy, which into that moment had been flourishing. Thousands of people had to emigrate in search of employment. In 1947 the plan to relocate the entire island in Saint Croix failed.
The first acts of resistance of a naval base start from that time into now. Peoples have been dies, imprisoned and get sick cause it. After 60 years of resistance, on April 19, 1999, a viequense civilian security guard was killed during a live-fire training exercise. This light the consensus from all the sectors in the Puerto Rican society to demand that the bombing exercises and maneuvers be discontinued immediately and clean and decontaminate all the lands that they control in Vieques. During these 60 years the Navy has used the island as a training ground and munitions depot. Two thirds off the land and waters are limited to the researchers to investigate the ecological and environmental consequences of these land-use practices. It has been sixty years in front of the stronger marine and empire of the world.
To stop the reiniciation of the bombing, hundreds of puertorricans and people from other countries, including North Americans, put their bodies to stop the bombards, hundreds have been arrested. Some were kept in jail for more than 60 days, including a Senator and a house Representative of the Independent Party. The sentences were abusive for a minor offense as a trespassing. Activities in different parts of the United States, Chile, Colombia, England, has been celebrating to call the attention to this matter. For more than a year the civilians put camps in the restricted zone into the fourth of May. When all the camps where destroyed and the activists arrested for a few hours, also a church and a small school. Religious, USA Congress people, artists, farmers, women, lawyers etc., have been arrested, also Vietnam veterans and from other conflicts.
In Vieques are 9,400 inhabitants. The population has no room to grow. Vacancies are constricted to live in a narrow strip in the middle of the island, being fact, the buffer zone between the exploding bombs and the huge munitions depot. The 102 magazines in this munitions depot hold up to 4000 tons of explosive at any given time. The island could have more populations but the economy cannot develop, it been limited by the US Navy.
The US Navy generates more than 100 millions a year by renting out Vieques. Including fleets from Holland, Belgium, England, Canada, Italy etc . . . Some forces from Latin America as Argentine and Venezuela have stopped sending their soldiers as an act of solidarity. Aimed at other armed forces and weapons manufacture is used as a one stop shoppingsite for war and testing ground for new weapons. Not only the area used, also the sea close to the islands causing destruction, killing species from the Atlantic to the Caribbean close to Venezuela. The bombing range covers 900 acres of the Eastern tip, including the keys, lagoons, forests and beaches, also two blue lagoons and fosforecent bays. In Cayo Conejo (rabbit cay) is the only brown pelican in Puerto Rico. In Alcatraz Rock is the nesting site for terns. Lots of whales died, turtles, fish, birds and vegetation. In 1936 this was three large lagoons, two connected to the Caribbean, and was a large species rich wetland area, coconuts and lush plantation, a lot of archeological sites, where our fathers, the natives of the island used to live in contact with the nature. Fragments of pre-Indian Columbian pottery have also been found. Beautiful ocean dry coastal forests had been destroyed Endeared cactus, flowers, insects and lizards, vines, palms, grasses.
One of our preoccupations is that unexploded underwater bomb, in land all the area is full detonated. Some of the hazards and impacts are quite evident; artefacts lying on the roads, in the vegetation, on top of the trees. Bombs from different countries, inside the conservation zone, lagoons dead by strangulation (cut the connection to the sea). Three lagoons are also contaminated by debris and unexploded ordnance, craters, pieces of targets. Some areas have been bombed so long that there isnt any soil left. Years of bombing and shelling have altered the topography and covered offshore coral reefs and sea grass bed with sediment. These sediments that contain toxic substances are probably entering in the food chain in this manner. Unexploded rockets are scattered among the wastes. An unexploded cluster bomb has been found. Fire bombs have burned all the area. A lots of garbage, trucks, tanks, cranes, airplanes, all sort used equipment used as targets are decorating the area. More than this the invisible waste as Deplete Uranium, radioactive material. The winds take them to population. These particles inhaled can be caused different types of illness, particularly cancer. In May 1999 Military Toxic Project points in a letter the use of the places overseas where the Navy uses the D.U. munition: Tolu Shima Island, Okinawa and Vieques. For the burns in the tank you can know that is DU. Samples were taken inside the target area, sampled are limestone soils and also were contaminated. Napalm has burned complete areas. Also find high concentrations in Arsenic, Barium, Cadmium, Cobalt, Copper, Chromium, Lead, Nickel, Vanadium, Zinc, Cyanide, High Melting Explosive, Royal Demolition. All of them fatal.
The rate of cancer in Vieques is 52% higher than the rest of the island. The presence of explosive and other substances were found in drinking water. A high incidence of lupus, asthma, Scleroderma, also incidence of telarquia, sicknesses in the kidney and heart also are higher. Kids mortality is higher. Nineteen viequenses were found with high levels of mercury. For these reasons the consensus is US NAVY STOPS ALL BOMBING inVieques!
The Vieques issue is a human right matter; people are killed slowly. First, they were forced to leave their land, no work, little food and contamination, people have to travel to the big island to get medical services. For 20 years the kids havent born in Vieques, this is a way too unattached to the island. The Navy still saying he cannot find a replacement place. The president of the US Bill Clinton says they will leave islands in three years after ask the people in a referendum if the viequenses want them go in three years using inert bombs or keep there with live fire. A referendum asking the way, you want to be killed. We are clear that is not the first time US Navy put their hand in our internal elections. In this moment are putting a lot of money in media and public relations. We feel the power of the Navy in all the places.
During the past 16 months of sacrifice by those engaged in civil disobedience, the militant activity of civil and political organizations been able to limit the US Navys activities. This was recognized by unanimous resolution of the United Nations Committee on decolonization during its hearing on July13 this year, the resolution reads as follows:
Encourages the Government of the United States, in line with the need to guarantee to the Puerto Rican people their legitimate right to self determination and the protection of their human rights, to order the halt of its armed forces military drills and manoeuver on Vieques Island, which is inhabited, return the occupied land to the people of Puerto Rico, halt the persecutions, and arrests and harassments of peaceful demonstrators respect fundamental human rights, such as the right to health and economic development, and decontaminated the impact areas.
We have been invaded by the US Navy in 1898, they came shooting, destroy our local economy and force us to carry their citizenship to send our boys to war. We are the last colony of the Caribbean, one hundred and two years of resistance, keeping our language, our culture, our way to do things. We are a different Nation. We are a Nation. Colonialism is an offense, is a crime. How can people have a real self determination when all the system is articulated to teach the people, accept and also celebrate the colonialism as a treasure.
The political persecution of most of the democratic organization of more than a million of people by FBI and other repressive programs is a shame for the US Nation, who proclaimed its self as a guardian of the human rights. We live the persecution and we know the face of the way the make human rights. Too many people went to jail just because they have a Puertorrican flag in their house. Millions of people were killed.
In a front of Garcia Camp walls in Vieques, a group of people keep there protesting since April 1999, Justice and Peace camp, where viequenses stays daily watching the driving entrance, fishermen, households, youngster from Vieques are there telling the US Navy...Marine Out!!. They had to suffer the abuses, violations and see their people die silently. No money can pay the life. Also we find a lot of contradictions, even their soldiers have shown the solidarity to us...I remember the day that I was arrested, the marshal told me, hey, keep fighting, this is too beautiful an island to use as a bombarding range. It has been very hard to see a whale bleeding on the beach, touching its warm, listen the cries, see how their trucks stops on the turtles eggs. Thousands of happy dolphins have been killed. We are now knocking to doors of environmentalists of the world, (some organizations in US receive money from the government and are scare to be front the marine) to peace warriors to join us in this. Also telling to your governments not to send your young boys to get contaminated and to contaminate our baby island, not to rent the facilities. In 1966 a special bombs falls down, we knew by the rush that was a nuclear weapon, but they lie to us about it. This year a they accept the lost of the bomb, and how they find it back. We have a lot of information in our sites.
The Navy doesnt want to leave the island. We are clear, they are going to do what they to keep in Vieques. They are going to put all their money to win this issue. We have the reason. The braveness, our heart and the guidance of divinities. We are going to keep into they give back our land and to develop in a sustainable matter. We want a better world to live. We want a decent and healthy place to raise our children. We want the US Navy out, No more bombs and Peace for Vieques. Today, in less than 2 hours thousand of people, from Puerto Rico, Caribbean, US, and solidarity nations around the world are going to be in Vieques doing civil disobedience. Since last night camps are people in Vieques for this demonstration. Thanks for your time, for your attention, for your work against nuclear weapons for the peace and the justice.
Peace for Vieques,
Vrede voor Vieques,
Paz para Vieques!!!
Moraima Rivera
P.O. Box 1020
Ciales, PR 00638
Sites: www.viequespaz.com and www.viequeslibre.org www.ddh.nl/vrede/
Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
PO Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765
Tel. (787) 741-0716 Email: bieke@coqui.net
4 October, 2000
Press Release
Korean activists meet with leaders of the struggle for peace in Vieques
Korean Catholic priest, Mun Jeong-hyon, leader of the struggle against U.S. militarism in South Korea, met with members of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CRDV) and other community organizations here to share information about our respective struggles. Accompaying Father Mun was Ms. Regina Pyon Yeon-shik, from the Committee Against Bombing in Maehyang-Ri, an area in South Korea whose inhabitants have named - the Vieques of Korea - due to the similiarities of our situations.
The visit was part of a campaign organized by the CRDV to create an international network of support for the Vieques struggle, particularly with communities that face grave problems caused by U.S. military practices. Ismael Guadalupe, member of the Board of Directors of the CRDV, travelled to Maehyang-Ri in August to establish the first official contacts with the Korean activists. In November, Guadalupe will return to Korea during a visit to Okinawa, invited by the Japan Peace Conference.
The CRDV shares information and strategies with community organiztions affected by military contamination and the repression by US armed forces in Hawaii, Okinawa, Korea, the Phillipines and the United States.
According to Father Mun, the struggles of the Viequenses and Koreans "are the same struggles for peace and well being of our peoples. The situation we see here (in Vieques) is the same situation in Maehyang-Ri. We must stop the destruction caused by militarism in our countries."
In the next weeks, delegates from the CRDV will participate in international conferences in Mexico, England, Japan and California.
Robert L. Rabin Siegal
ComitEPro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques
Apartado 1424 Vieques, PR 00765
(787) 741-0716 cel. 375-0525
¡FUERA LA MARINA DE VIEQUES!