Some important Press Releases sent from Vieques.

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Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques

Box 1424 Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765

(787) 741-8651 e-mail: bieke@prdigital.net

PRESS RELEASE

February 8, 2000

Vieques, P.R.-

The Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques (CPRDV) vigorously opposes and protests the Pentagon-White House campaign of disinformation designed to give the impression that the Vieques-Navy conflict has been resolved. The general feeling in Vieques is that Governor Rossello's decision to approve Clinton´s directive betrayed the clearly demonstrated opposition of the people to any more bombing in Vieques, with live or inert bombs. Religious groups, the cooperativist movement and Puerto Rico´s principal unions, among many others, are standing firm with the community organizations of Vieques that vow to continue the civil disobedience actions to block any possible further use of Vieques for military activities.

"The demands of Not One More Bomb, Not One More Minute, are for us very serious. This is a matters of life or death," said Nilda Medina, spokeswoman for the Coordinating Committee for Justice and Peace on Vieques. The Coordinating Committee is a coalition of civic, cultural, environmental, religious, political, women´s and youth organizations on Vieques that has strongly criticized the Presidential directives as dictatorial.

The Navy referendum does not, as the campaign portrays, allow the people of Vieques to express their preference on the issue of the US Navy presence. What is boils down to is allowing the people to vote on the type of bombs- live or inert - that will fall on Vieques. The rest are promises with no guarantees. The only guarantee in Clinton's directive is that the Navy may resume bombing Vieques. The overwhelming majority of people in Vieques are clearly against the resumption of any type of bombing. Any attempt to arrest protesters in the civil disobedience camps and to resume bombing or other military exercises will meet with a strong reaction from all sectors of Vieques society. As to the possible withdrawal of the Navy in three years if the people were to choose inert bombs in a referendum, even Governor Rosselló admitted there is no guarantee that the next President or Congress would honor such a decision.

President Clinton's decision, and Governor Rossello's approval, were made behind closed doors, behind the backs of the people it is supposed to benefit, and without the participation of even of those few handpicked Viequenses in the Governor's "special commissions" on the issue. Most people here recognize this Navy strategy from the 1983 Memorandum of Understanding, designed to put an end to a fiery period of protests against the Navy on Vieques. Every promise made in the 1983 MOU was broken. "We cannot trust the Navy, history does not allow it", expressed Ismael Guadalupe, a retired Viequense teacher and leader of the CPRDV. Guadalupe enthusiastically applauded the Catholic Church´s decision to set up a civil disobedience camp on the North coast of the bombing range. Several priests and lay members of the Caguas diocese moved into the camp today. He also applauded the increased presence in the Evangelical camp in the live impact area in Vieques, as well as in the other civil disobedience camps.

Contacts: Ismael Guadalupe 787-741-2304

Robert Rabin 787-741-0716 787-375-0525

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Vieques Libre - http://www.viequeslibre.org

Coordinating Committee for Peace and Justice in Vieques

471 Magnolia

Vieques, Puerto Rico 00765

(787) 741-0716

e-mail: bieke@prdigital.net

Declaration of the Coordinating Committee for Peace and Justice in Vieques in light of Governor Pedro Roselló's decision to approve the renewal of bombings in Vieques [Translated from Spanish].

The Coordinating Committee for Peace and Justice in Vieques (CJPV), energetically rejects the presidential directives that order the renewal of the bombings in Vieques. The people of Vieques have decided that not one more bomb will be dropped here. During the past few days, hundreds of viequenses of all political and religious ideologies, in People's

Assemblies (town hall meetings), have shown their rejection of the President's decision and have reaffirmed the people's commitment to continue their struggle for peace in Vieques.

The CJPV is a coalition of civic, environmental, religious and political organizations from the community of Vieques that includes the Catholic and Methodist churches, the Alliance of Viequense Women, the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, the Vieques Conservation Trust, the United Viequense Youth, the Taína Art Workshop, the Villa Borinquen Residents Association, the Paso Fino Horses Owners Association, the Popular Democratic Party, the Puerto Rican Independence Party, the former Mayor of Vieques, Radamés Tirado (1976-1980), the Monte David resistance camp, the Teachers' Camp, the National Hostosian Congress camp, among other organizations and individuals from Vieques.

In Puerto Rico, environmental, community, student, political, religious and union organizations have reaffirmed their support for the position of the Coordinating Committee to continue with the actions of civil disobedience that seek to avoid the resumption of the military exercises in Vieques. According to Nilda Medina, one of the spokespersons of the CJPV, "The demands of Not One More Bomb, Not One More Minute, are for us something that is very serious, a question of life or death. We support with all our hearts the determination of the Special Commission on Vieques that demands the immediate and permanent cease and desist of all military activity in our island."

On the referendum that the Navy wants to impose in Vieques, in which the options are to choose the type of bombs that Navy would use in Vieques, the spokespersons of the Coordinating Committee described it as a crass violation of the right of the people of Vieques to live peacefully. "A referendum is not needed to determine that our people do not want more bombing. To choose between live bombs or inert bombs is to choose between a fast or slow death, but it is to choose the death for our people," stated Nilda Medina. Several viequense leaders said that three years of inert bombs will aggravate the critical health situation that exists in Vieques.

"Nobody had the chance to vote on whether the Navy should have taken three fourths of our territory in the '40s. The Navy did not request a referendum to ask our opinion on their use of uranium, napalm or the destruction of our coral reefs. There was no referendum to let the Navy in, and we have not asked for a referendum to get it out. A referendum in which the options come accompanied by millions of dollars in exchange for their approval is immoral," indicated Miriam Sobá, also spokeswoman of the CJPV.

The leaders of the organizations who compose Coordinating Justice and Peace for Vieques describe allowing the Navy to determine the nature from a consultation to the people of Vieques as an attempt to impose a military dictatorship.

In front of the gates of Camp García, Vieques February 4, 2000.

Contacts:

Judith Conde 787-741-0716

Robert Rabin 787-741-0716 cellular 787-375-0525

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Vieques Libre - http://www.viequeslibre.org

Press Release from Mount David Camp

(Translation from Spanish original)

Vieques, Puerto Rico

Contact: Carlos Zenón (787-741-8315)

'CHRONICLE OF A BETRAYAL FORETOLD' REGARDING VIEQUES CRITICIZED

Monday, January 31, 2000

Vieques, PR - Vieques leader Carlos Zenón, and the Washington representative for the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, attorney Flavio Cumpiano, denounced today the proposal regarding Vieques announced today by Governor Rosselló during his State of the Commonwealth address, which they described as "the pathetic result of a decision taken in dark rooms a long time ago, negotiated behind the backs of the people, and contrary to the public policy of demanding the permanent and immediate cease and desist of all the Navy's military activities in Vieques. This has been the chronicle of a betrayal foretold," said Zenón.

Zenón criticized Rosselló's announcement as "the culmination of a spectacle with a script written long ago." Zenón added: "Since Rosselló said in November that he favored a referendum and that he accepted inert ammunitions, what have Rosselló and Morey and his group done to advance in the United States the genuine demands of the people of Vieques? They could have very well made this announcement in November and we would have saved ourselves months of secrecy and deceit. The people of Vieques have already made their decision: out with the Navy and not one more bomb, of any kind. So we did well in being suspicious of the steps taken by Rosselló, Morey and their allies, because if we had trusted them, we would have been accomplices to what they have done, and the Navy would have tried to enter Vieques months ago."

Zenón added: "Now more than ever, every person who supports civil disobedience has to come to Vieques and put that into practice. The announcement about Vieques made by Rosselló is the outcome of a cruel farce. But if something positive can be taken from this announcement, it is that no one now can justify their inaction and silence by saying that the governor has to be given room, and by continuing to trust blindly that he will achieve an acceptable decision for Vieques. Today's announcement is the equivalent to an admission that he did not achieve it, no matter how they try to sell that decision. Today no one can doubt that civil disobedience is our most powerful instrument to validate our rights and to stop the bombings in Vieques permanently."

Meanwhile, attorney Flavio Cumpiano said: "The consensus has always been that the Navy must cease immediately and permanently all military activity in Vieques. 'Immediately' is 'now.' 'Permanently' is forever, and 'all' means 'all.' That was the recommendation of the Special Commission on Vieques. That was the position that Governor Rosselló adopted officially as the government's public policy. That is the genuine demand of the people of Vieques, of the people of Puerto Rico, and of Vieques' allies abroad.

Regrettably, since early in the process Rosselló and Morey told the White House, the Pentagon and the Navy that they favored a referendum in Vieques and that they would accept the continuation of the bombing in Vieques for a number of years, even in a limited form. They lobbied behind the scenes to convince others to accept the proposal announced today. In doing this from the beginning, they showed the Navy weakness, ignored the danger of inert ammunitions (bombs that the Navy itself admitted in its July 1999 report can be even more dangerous than live bombs), ignored how absurd and insulting the idea of a referendum in Vieques is and the notion that the conscience of the people of Vieques can be bought, and they covered their eyes in front of the lack of credibility of a Navy that in 1983 promised to use inert bombs and to limit the use of live ammunitions and then broke that accord and even used napalm and uranium in Vieques. Those rains brought on these muds."

Said Cumpiano: "We have the hope that those who, in spite of the evidence, have refused to believe what the Governor's Office, the White House and the Navy have been cooking in dark rooms regarding Vieques, will not let one more day pass without joining the struggle in Vieques, strengthening the civil disobedience in Vieques and taking the genuine message to the United States and the whole world. Only then will we achieve that the power of the people, of reason, of justice and peace prevail over the imposition of brute strength, an imposition availed by those who have been willing to sacrifice Vieques on the altar of political expediency."

Cumpiano added: "For months we have been telling the people that what Rosselló announced would happen. So we were prepared for this announcement. We will continue our fight for Vieques, reinforce the civil disobedience, and we will bring to Washington representatives from the civil disobedience camps in Vieques to bring the genuine message that in Vieques there cannot be one more shot, not one more bomb, inert or live."

The activities for Vieques in Washington will take place on Wednesday, February 16 at 10 AM with a press conference at the United Methodist Church building, in front of the Supreme Court, and a rally in front of the White House at 4 PM. Details about these and other events for Vieques in the U.S. can be obtained through the website www.viequeslibre.org.

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Vieques Libre - http://www.viequeslibre.org

COMUNICADO DE PRENSA del CAMPAMENTO MONTE DAVID VIEQUES, PUERTO RICO

"CALIFICAN DE 'INMORAL' EL ACEPTAR EL BOMBARDEO EN VIEQUES"

lunes 31 de enero del 2000

Vieques, P.R.- El líder viequense Carlos Zenón describió la decisión del Presidente Clinton sobre Vieques, avalada y anunciada hoy por el Gobernador Rosselló, como una farsa que pretende poner a los viequenses en una "encrucijada entre Guatemala o Guatapeor", en donde cualquiera de las opciones conllevaría más bombardeos.   "Las bombas inertes son igual o hasta más peligrosas que las vivas. El que el Gobernador de Puerto Rico, y el grupo que nombró para que aceptase su propuesta, hayan celebrado y avalado el que la Marina continúe bombardeando a Vieques por un mínimo de tres años, es inmoral. A la Marina no se le puede creer. Pero aun si se le creyera que se van a limitar a bombardear a Vieques por 90 días al año, que se van a limitar a bombardear por 3 años, y que solo van a usar bombas inertes, aceptar eso de por sí es una traición y una inmoralidad.", dijo Zenón.

Por su parte, el Lcdo. Flavio Cumpiano, representante en Washington del Comité Pro Rescate y Desarrollo de Vieques (CPRDV), dijo que la propia Marina ha reconocido que las municiones inertes incluso pueden ser más peligrosas que las municiones vivas. Así lo explicó el Vicealmirante William J. Fallon durante las vistas del Panel de Rush. Fallon fue quien, junto al Gen. Peter Pace, realizó el estudio "The National Security Need for Vieques: A Study prepared for the Secretary of the Navy" del 15 de julio de 1999.

Cumpiano señaló que en ese mismo estudio la Marina justifica el haber revertido a utilizar un mayor número de municiones vivas debido a la peligrosidad e imprecisión de los proyectiles inertes. La Marina proveyó dicha justificación debido a que en el Memorando de Entendimiento del 1983 había prometido "maintain the utilization of explosive ordnance to an absolute minimum" (mantener el uso de municiones explosivas a un mínimo absoluto), cosa que claramente no hizo.

En el estudio de la Marina del 15 de junio de 1999, a la pág. 3-2-3, se menciona:

"In 1992 the Navy shifted to more inert and fewer live rounds for NSFS [Naval Surface Fire Support] training in an effort to reduce the overall amount of live ordnance expended at Vieques. This was achieved, but safety margins in other areas were adversely impacted. First, Navy recognized the tendency of inert NSFS ordnance to skip on impact because of trajectory angle, often coming to rest far from the intended aimpoint. This skipping could endanger fisherman and pleasure boaters who enter the restricted area around the LIA during range operations. Second, the process of having the ship/Marine team exercise live weapon handling, loading, and delivery, as well as damage assessment was not fully exercised. The net result of the missing dynamics was increased risk to the Marines ashore in combat. As a consequence, a shift was made back to more live NSFS and fewer inert."

Cumpiano explicó que, a pesar de haber acordado reducir el uso de municiones vivas al mínimo absoluto, la Marina justificó violar dicho acuerdo debido a: (1) la imprecisión, el descontrol y la peligrosidad de las municiones inertes, y (2) porque entendía que era necesario entrenar más a los soldados en el manejo de municiones vivas.

Cumpiano dijo: "A pesar de toda esta montaña de evidencia y de la admisión de la propia Marina en torno a la peligrosidad de las bombas inertes, y a pesar del historial que tiene la Marina de romper acuerdos sobre Vieques y utilizar bombas y químicos ilegales de todo tipo, el Gobernador de Puerto Rico anuncia que favorece un referendum en Vieques en donde las opciones son o permitir que continúen bombardeando a Vieques con bombas inertes o permitir que continúen bombardeando a Vieques con municiones vivas, a cambio de promesas de dinero para compensar la continuación del uso y abuso de la Isla Nena. Eso es inexplicable e iexcusable." 

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