STOP ALL BOMBING OF
VIEQUES
Foto: Rafael Merino
NEW YORK CITY:
PROTESTERS RALLY ARMY RECRUITMENT OFFICE
February 16, 2000 - a group of eleven persons, including two reverends,
blocked the entrance to a recruitment office belonging to the United States
Armed Forces. The group protested against the intentions of the US Government
to resume the bombing of the island-municipality of Vieques, Puerto Rico.
Today's actions are an illustration of the Puerto Rican community's disapproval
of the agreement signed last January 31st, between President William J.
Clinton and Puerto Rico's Governor, Pedro Rosselló. The agreement has
been, in fact, overwhelmingly rejected by numerous sectors of Puerto Rico's
civil society, including the religious community and the two opposing
political parties.
Reverend Rafael Garcia, one of the participants in the protest today,
expressed his opinion: "We've gathered here today to protest against
the continued human right violations during the past 60 years of the residents
of Vieques." The US Navy expropriated 75% of the territory in Vieques
in 1941. Since then, the US Navy and its NATO allies (among others) have
utilized the Puerto Rican island-municipality of Vieques and its nearby
waters for military exercises, that includes the bombing of Vieques.
On April 19th, a young Puerto Rican civilian, David Sanes-Rodríguez, was
killed and four others injured when two 5,000 pounds bombs from a Naval
fighter plane missed their target and destroyed an observation post. Indeed,
This incident seemed to have been the straw that broke the camels back.
As a direct result of Sanes' death, the majority of the Puerto Rican people
today opposes the continued use of Vieques as a training facility for
the US Navy, regardless of the nature of the military exercise. Another
end result of the death of young Sanes is that thirteen encampments of
civil disobedience in the federally restricted area are defending Vieques
natural resources and the dignity of a nation who wants not one more bomb
or bullet fired in Vieques. These encampments have prevented the US Navy
from renewing the exercises there for more than 300 days.
According to Elliot Monteverde-Torres, one of the protesters, the action
today at Times Square "is a gesture of our solidarity and support
with the acts of civil disobedience that have been occurring in Vieques
over the past 10 months. It is also a manner in which we can express our
commitment and our intent of being not just supportive, but also willing
and capable of extending the struggle and the offensive beyond the shores
of Vieques and onto the international political arena."
The people's position in Vieques is that there must not be any more military
exercises or bombings in Vieques. The residents of this island-municipality,
also demand that the US Navy abandon Vieques immediately. The governor
of Puerto Rico until just recently presumably echoed the cries for peace
and justice of the residents in Vieques. This past January 31st, however,
the Governor of Puerto Rico suddenly changed his stand on this issue and
publicly announced his support of the Executive Order, which allowed the
Navy to resume bombing exercises after March, 2000. The community groups
in Vieques, numerous religious sectors as well as the opposing political
parties unequivocally reject this past agreement. Many Puerto Ricans condemn
the Governor's decision of reaching an agreement behind closed doors without
having even consulted the people of Vieques.
"The people of Vieques live in fear and in the constant uncertainty
that they too, can become the next victims of another error by the US
Navy. This is an unacceptable situation that requires our immediate attention
and commitment, as well," indicated Samuel Sánchez. The residents
in Vieques also complaint that the constant bombardment of Vieques has
had profound negative consequences for their health and environment.
"We are here in response to higher moral principles hat are above
and beyond and man made law, for we know and accept that we must answer
our consciousness' call to action in order to bring attention the injustice
being committed against thousands of human beings and against mother nature,"
concluded Carmen A. Dávila.
Foto: Eric Ramos
Viequense Women Protests in New York